Author: seyates

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West African urban polls find clean water top priority

Peyton, N. (2017, March 17). West African urban polls find clean water top priority. Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN16O1TH-OZATP

Only 13% of residents are connected to the power grid and 30% have running water in the city of Dakar in Africa. Clean water seems to be the largest concern for people living here and they are trying to find a solution to getting access to it. A poll was taken to see how concerned people are about water and the results were, “the poll found that people value water

access above all else, including transport, waste collection and income-generating activities. On a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being “very important”, asking the government for more household water connections was ranked 9.7.” The concern seems to be larger than originally expected.

The amount of people that don’t have access to power and water is truly alarming. Clean water should be accessible to everyone. Considering that water in a necessity, it is crucial that there is a solution brought to this problem. Although plumbing and irrigation systems may be complicated, it is definitely a priority to get people the resources they need.

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With 100 Days of Water Left, Cape Town Risks Running Dry

Cohen, M., Vecchiatto, P., & Fu, S. (2017, March 16). With 100 Days of Water Left, Cape Town Risks Running Dry. Retrieved March 16, 2017, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ 2017-03-16/with-just-100-days-of-water-left-cape-town-risks-running-dry

Cape Town, South Africa is reported to only have 100 days before they’re out of water. The main dam that supplies water to the city’s 3.7 million people is down to 30%. With Cape Town being a large tourist city, the concern for water only rises. The mayor is telling the people they need to conserve water and you can only do that when you have water. The decrease in water raises problems for farmers. Salt levels rise harming the agriculture and farmers are running out of water to irrigate their crops. Many of the town’s people are strategizing ways to deal with this problem.

This is a very scary thought that a city as big as Cape Town can just run out of water. If anything, we should be learning from this unfortunate circumstance. Cities should be aware of how much water they have, then figure out the best way to regulate and disperse it. This loops around to the central idea that water laws need to be revised so things like this don’t happen again in the future.

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Indian traders boycott Coca-Cola for ‘straining water resources’

Doshi, V. (2017, March 01). Indian traders boycott Coca-Cola for ‘straining water resources’ Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/01/indian- traders-boycott-coca-cola-for-straining-water-resources

The Indian state of Tamil Nadu recently declared as drought-hit after a month with little rain. Big companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi still take the state’s water to produce their products, even when they’re in a drought. It takes 1.9 liters of water to produce one can of the soft drink. The crop sugarcane requires a lot of water to grow. Indian traders are using different local types of soft drinks to boycott Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The boycott is spreading to other parts of India aswell that are also alarmed by how much water these companies are taking and using.

I think what Tamil Nadu is a good think and maybe they’ll be heard by the big companies. When a state is in a drought, these corporations shouldn’t have access to their water. There definitely needs to be improved regulations to cap the amount of water large companies can take to produce their product. Many water laws are outdated and need to be revised especially when there’s a drought, like many areas are currently facing. Hopefully by boycotting Coca-Cola and Pepsi, the people of Tamil Nadu will be able to get their voices heard.

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‘Parched’ Chinese city plans to pump water from Russian lake via 1,000km pipeline

Phillips, T. (2017, March 07). ‘Parched’ Chinese city plans to pump water from Russian lake via 1,000km pipeline. Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ mar/07/parched-chinese-city-plans-to-pump-water-from-russian-lake-via-1000km-pipeline

China is planning to build a 620 mile pipeline from Lake Baikal to Lanzhou to transport water to help with the drought they’re experiencing in Lanzhou. China makes up 20% of the world’s population but has a huge water problem. In 2005, China’s minister of water resources said by 2020 many northern cities will run out of water. The pipeline may solve the water issue but brings up many environmental concerns. China intends to assure Russia is in full compliance before they start the project.

This article proposes one method of how to help with drought. It is quite a scary thought to have that a whole country has the potential to run out of water in the next three years. This pipeline seems to help with this problem but may cause some second hand issues along the way. To start, the pipeline is probably very expensive and there could be an issue with funding. Also, it would probably take many years to complete since it’s planned to be 620 miles. Another question to ask is could it harm any habitats or ecosystems when being constructed. I think this may be a start to helping with a drought, but in the long term, their laws and regulations need to be revised to make sure all their people have access to water.

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Slovenia adds water to constitution as fundamental right for all

Slovenia adds water to constitution as fundamental right for all. (2016, November 17). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/18/slovenia-adds- water-to-constitution-as-fundamental-right-for-all

Slovenia just amended their constitution to add that clean drinking water must be available to everyone and should stop being commercialized. The bill unanimously passed in their parliament. The centre-left prime minister argues the country should protect water at the highest legal level because it is “the 21st century liquid gold.” Slovenia is the first country in the EU to add the right of water to their constitution.

The fact that Slovenia did this is a big step in the right direction. I think many countries should follow this especially developing countries that struggle to give clean water to their people. All humans need water to live so therefore it should be a constitutional right. A country’s government should work to protect their people and give them what they need, including water. I think by doing this it would be extremely beneficial and would allow for longer lives. Many countries in Africa struggle to have clean water and if they do, it’s usually miles away. In my opinion, many other countries should take after what Slovenia has done.

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What Does Trump Mean for America’s Lands and Waters?

Gershko, M. (2016, November 15). What Does Trump Mean for America’s Lands and Waters? Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/11/trump-public-lands-waters-united-states-environment/

This article talks about what may happen to some water rights with our new president. On Trump’s website, it says he and his team wants to roll back Obama Administration’s efforts with the clean water act. The E.P.A. works very hard in creating more water rights and sustainable ways of creating clean water for everyone. Much research has gone into watershed and runoff and how that may be having an environmental impact.

I think this article raises an important question. How might the E.P.A. change with Trump in office. I think a lot more needs to be done to prevent negative environmental impacts and we shouldn’t stop here. Dead zones are a huge problem and more awareness needs to be raised to prevent this from damaging more ecosystems.

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Wyoming lawmakers discuss spending millions on water rights

Fladager, G. (2016, November 13). Wyoming lawmakers discuss spending millions on water rights. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming-lawmakers-discuss-spending-millions-on-water-rights/article_49d4216a-4a17-5ebe-babb-0fcd6feb3fcb.html

This article talks about how Wyoming lawmakers are thinking about purchasing water rights for a lake in Casper. To buy the rights it would be $4.5 million for a 62,000 acre lake. It would be purchased from a South African synfuels developer. The article briefly touches on how the water would be used some for irrigation.

The article didn’t give much information on why the water rights are important to purchase so I was curious to explore why. Why is purchasing water rights so expensive and what is the purpose for it? When I looked more into this I found water rights are purchased so that water can be used however the buyer wants. In the case of Wyoming, before the mass amount of water belonged to one guy, after it was purchased it was owned by the state so they can use it for other purposes like irrigation or sustainable farming. Especially in states with a drought or lack of water, water rights can be quite pricey.

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As Stakes Rise, 83 Dakota Pipeline Protesters Are Maced and Arrested

Prupis, N. (2016, October 23). As Stakes Rise, 83 Dakota Pipeline Protesters Are Maced and Arrested. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/stakes_are_getting_higher_83_people_arrested_maced_in_north_dakota_20161024

The article talks about some of the arrests that were made at a protest at the Dakota Pipeline in North Dakota. People protested the addition of a new $3.8 billion, 1,100 mile pipeline that threatens the access to clean water and violates Native American treaty rights. Many protesters were attacked and arrested for being there. The pipeline is trying to be created to move crude oil but many tribes are saying this pipeline would destroy their sacred land and go against their treaty rights.

I don’t think it is right what the people creating the pipeline are doing. They’re threatening to enable people access to clean water and will violate Native American treaty rights. I understand a pipeline or mode of transportation of oil like this needs to be created but there must be another way than destroying people’s sacred land. I also don’t think this needs to be turned into something violent. The protesters have freedom of speech and shouldn’t be maced, let alone arrested for protesting about this.

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Water rights transfer pitting acequia users against wealthy oilman

Moss, R. (2016, November 20). Water rights transfer pitting acequia users against wealthy oilman. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/water-rights-transfer-pitting-acequia-users-against-wealthy-oilman/article_615751d4-7fd9-5eb7-a256-af90a0eb0d6d.html

This article talks about water rights in New Mexico and how some longstanding rights may be threatened. The small town of Pecos has a ditch that contains water that everyone in the town uses to irrigate crops and feed animals. The town is now trying to sell that valuable land and water to wealthy people in Texas. The article raises the question of who should own this common resource and how can it be distributed.

I recently read about this happening in California and I’m not shocked to hear it’s happening in other locations around the U.S. Since water is a common good it’s not easy to just say since it’s your land you get all the water on it, especially in a drought. The people of Pecos have a legitimate fear they will not be able grow crops if the water is being salvaged by one wealthy man. Personally, I don’t think the person owning the land should be entitled to the water. If there is a true need for it, like the people in this community, it shouldn’t all be given to the person who is wealthy enough to “buy” it all.

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E.P.A. Waited Too Long to Warn of Flint Water Danger

Bosman, J. (2016, October 20). E.P.A. Waited Too Long to Warn of Flint Water Danger, Report Says. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/21/us/epa-waited-too-long-to-warn-of-flint-water-danger-report-says.html

This article debates both sides of what happened with the water contamination in Flint, Michigan. The governor of Michigan, Rick Snyder, says the Environmental Protection Agency is to blame. The E.P.A. says they were ensured by the state employees of Michigan that they were having no problems with their water or contamination. Gina McCarthy, the administrator of the E.P.A. says she wish they communicated more with the people in Michigan to prevent this from happening.

I found this article to be quite interesting. It did a very good job of showing both sides of the argument and how there can be some gray areas. Both sides seem a little suspicious, pointing the finger at the opposing side and saying who did what wrong. I do though think this a very serious issue and needs to be addressed so it doesn’t happen to other communities. Having clean water is a huge part of not only the state’s problems but also the Environmental Protection Agency. The two need to make sure they work closely together and not pass any routine checks to ensure the safety of their people.