No Water Is As Costly As No Water

摘要

At the risk of seeming very, very old, I recall the "Oil Embargo of 1973" and it seems like the world water crisis is frighteningly similar. Right now water is more in demand and shorter in supply than ever. Will we need something like the long gas lines to make us aware we have a problem? A few visionaries have been willing to step forward to address this issue. Unfortunately, a huge number of people are in denial. As heart wrenching as it is to think of children in an African village without drinkable water, we need to recognize that this is not just a problem in far-off lands. Las Vegas' water source, Lake Mead, is dropping dramatically. San Diego is spending billions on a new desalination plant, the aquifer in the Midwest is dropping alarmingly. We have found "alternative energy" over the years. Finding "alternative water" will not be so easy. It seems imperative to alert many of our energy colleagues as to the critical water crisis we have before us. It is very difficult to seriously address yet another major problem when economic conditions are so uncertain around the world, but address it we must. The longer we wait, the more costly it will be. We can cut back on water, we can use it more efficiently, we can process grey water for non-potable (and maybe potable) purposes, but we cannot do without it! It is absolutely essential to life. Believe me when I say, "No water is as costly as NO WATER!"