An Event is part of a series of event representing a reality that might be complex. In research we seek knowledge that allow understanding all sides of the complex reality. Education helps to prepare you for research and development which are essential components for achieving sustainable socio-economic developments. Follow, share and contribute in http://sustain-earth.com
Water quality is often understood in its narrowest meaning where the focus is limited and reduced to portable water. Often at homes, schools, and communities as well as even among policy-makers and politicians, especially in developing countries, the knowledge is still limited to drinking water. This can be true on short-term and small-scale levels to secure affordable and accessible water resources with acceptable quality to mitigate immediate and epidemic impacts on human health.
However, this understanding has generated serious and widespread global threats with disastrous impacts on ecosystem and human health worldwide. This is evident from historical “palaeo-environmental” data that gives information on evolution of water quality and its degradation in natural water resources, e.g. rivers, lakes, reservoirs, marine coasts, wetlands and groundwater. Long-term and large-scale monitoring of the quality of natural water resources and associated impacts on eco-system and human health are IMPERATIVE and there are standard ways to do such studies. Typically, there are two approaches: (1) continuous monitoring of contemporaneous water quality status, such as those given in the present report given in the provided link; (2) full historical records on the evolution of water quality due to point/diffuse pollution sources.
Both approaches are necessary have different and important benefits. The first one is used for “Early Warning” with direct coupling to enforce regulation and laws on stakeholders regarding production of waste/pollution, also to take necessary measures and solutions to cope with the threats, and to give relevant information to the public. While, the second is important for uncovering long-term and large-scale impacts on water quality, e.g. acidification, eutrophication, chemical pollution, other industry/agriculture associated threats and climate impacts. It is, also, useful for assessing consequences of environmental and ecological impacts of pollution/waste in terms of their cycles from source to sink. This outcome of the seconds approach has feedback impacts on international laws and regulations and for implementation appropriate rehabilitation strategies.
Several man-made toxic products from agriculture and industry, e.g. mercury, lead, chromium and other toxic compounds, rob years of healthy life from millions each year. These toxic compounds are either emitted to the atmosphere or injected into water. However, arsenic from natural origins in toxic levels can be found in groundwater as well.
Here are only some examples of worst toxic pollutants. Arsenic leaching into groundwater afflicts some 750,000 people, largely in south Asia. This can can lead to abnormal heartbeat, blood vessel damage and cancer, among other ill effects. Dry waste from LEAD–ACID BATTERIES, can cause very fine lead oxide to be inhaled or otherwise absorbed into the body with negative effects on the nerve-system. CARCINOGENIC CHROMIUM used for turning hides into leather is, also, toxic. Clusters of such tanneries in countries such as Bangladesh produce vast quantities of toxic pollution in wastewater or as solid waste. Pesticide Problems in agriculture induce skin irritation and can cause cancer. Industrial wastewater flowing in an open drain with several toxic compounds, for example the Malir River in Karachi, Pakistan, boasts lead levels of 100 times higher than the health standards for irrigation water. Elemental mercury “quicksilver” used in separation of gold in slurry cause development of disorder and affects the central nervous system. SMELTER, e.g million metric tons of lead are produced annually by separating it from mined ore.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow/10-worst-toxic-pollution-problems-slide-show/
Pioneer experiments to be carried out by Norwegian scientists, at the Technological Center Mongstad, to capture carbon dioxide and turn it into food, in form of algae, for fish farming in sea water. This means reducing global warming, enhancing bio-production and conservation of fresh-water. Similar innovations where natural resources are being used as essential parts for multi-solutions of complex threats are needed in long-term and large-scale policies to mitigate the collective threats from global warming, i.e. fresh-water scarcity, food constrains and other associated impacts from climate change threats.
The new technique could, in theory, absorb the gases responsible for global warming and at the same time provide sustainable fish food. It involves, also, production of omega-3 rich raw material for fish feed from algae. Fish need Omega-3 fatty acids that can be hard to get in the farmed fish sector, however in natural habitats fish accumulate these essential chemicals by ingesting algae. Farmed fish cannot do this and instead require a food supplement.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/science/norway-experiments-with-fish-food-made-from-carbon-dioxide/article/390634?utm_content=buffereb09c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Sanitation is a major problem in Africa and has, in fact, severe negative impacts on water quality, public health, tourism, eco- and animal production, and sustainable socio-economic developments in general. A local market in Port Harcourt in Nigeria, shown here, gives an example of the scale of sanitation problems that can be found in different parts of Africa.
The millennium development goals are now only four years away from the deadline. More than 70% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is still without adequate sanitation, in 200 years just half of sub-Saharan African population will hopefully have access to safe private toilets.
Many technologies designed to solve problems are not developed in Africa, they are parachuted into Africa. There some work, most don’t; why do they fail to work in local Africa context; explanations are given in the article below (see the link). Lesson to be learned should be simple: know the area; know the people. Talking and listening to the people on the ground gives the answers needed for long-lasting and sustainable moves out of poverty, also policies required on how to educate people about sanitation and hygiene and to bring about changes in behavior. Resistance to using a latrine may include beliefs that one might be possessed by demons, lose magical powers or live a shorter life. Some believe a toilet is meant only for wealthy people or that, if somebody feeds you, you should in turn defecate in their field.
However, there are tested approaches and many are hoping that they can bring similar results to Africa. WaterAid is adapting Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in West Africa. First conceived in Bangladesh, it is a concept that has been sweeping across south Asia with impressive results. The concept is based on an understanding that the people themselves have the solutions and are best able to determine which interventions will enable them to attain a self-defined, collective destiny. Empowering local communities with knowledge emanated from them to solve their own problems is the best way to improve health across the continent in a much more sustainable manner.
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jan/21/nigeria-sanitation-local-solutions
Solar panels don’t come falling out of the sky – they have to be manufactured. As is the case in any production of electronics and computer chips, this is a dirty and energy-intensive process. Raw materials have to be mined, transported and treated, i.e. quartz sand for silicon cells and other metal ores for thin film cells. Treatment requires different steps, e.g. purification, crystallization and wafering, also deposition). Upgraded materials have to be manufactured into solar cells, assembled into modules and transported. These steps brings with them air pollution, heavy metal emissions, and they consume energy and add more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
How electricity from solar panels is generated (existing three scenarios of energy mix), in which part of the world (solar insolation), and for which purpose (energy generating or energy guzzling equipment) solar panels are being used, these factors allow more appropriate assessment of the ecological burden of solar panel technology. Additional relevant factor for full assessment are how solar-technology is likely to develop in future and manufacturers warranties of life expectancy versus existing consumers laws/incentives. With these factors more realistic conclusions can be deduced what concerns “energy-ecological assessment” of solar panels.
Now What is New and have to be taken in consideration. First, solar cells are far from a zero emission technology, they do add pollution and carbon dioxide to the environment, and with considerable amounts. Solar panels can be a doubtful choice in less sunny regions and solar panels mounted on gadgets are completely insane. Solar cells should be recycled but who would do it, would the huge amount of waste be transported all the way around the world to the manufacture? Also, some law or incentive should be introduced to guarantee longtime of life expectancy so as the technology can survive. If possible and as an important conclusion, solar thermal power should have priority over solar PV power.
These facts mean that ALL SUSTAINABILITY factors should be taken in consideration for the best promotion of solar technology. For example, it’s much better using solar panels to make energy generating equipment instead of energy guzzling equipment (like computers, mobile phones and car electronics). It should be realized that solar panels first raise the amount of greenhouse gasses before they help lowering them. If the world collectively would embark on giant deployment of solar energy, the first result would be massive amounts of extra greenhouse gasses, due to the enormous production of the cells. Rush using a technology that is still developing and to accept it as universal solution anywhere and for anything wouldn’t be the best eco-friendly optimized solution specially that the recycling-technology of used solar panels is not yet in place. Recycling-technologies and handling of waste and pollution of all types of industries are IMPERATIVE for conservation and protection of natural resources and the environment.
Solar planels can be only used as energy resource but petroleum “oil” is not just a fuel but thousands of products can be processed and produced from petroleum (http://www.ranken-energy.com/Products%20from%20Petroleum.htm). About 54% of petroleum is used for the processing of these products and their production doesn’t necessarily yield carbon dioxide and/or pollution and recycling technologies of these products are already in place.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/03/the-ugly-side-o.html
The global food chain involves people that are enslaved, tortured and even killed while working to get the food that ends on our tables. One example is the seafood sold in the US, UK and Europe where enslaved people are forced to work hard and with no pay and under huge threat of extreme violence. They work under horrific conditions, including 20-hour shifts, regular beatings, torture and execution-style killings. Trafficking victims tell stories about fellow slaves murdered or committing suicide in front of them.
“Asian slave labor” are bought and sold like animals and held against their will on the fishing boats of prawns or shrimp sold in leading supermarkets around the world, including the top four global retailers: Walmart, Carrefour, Costco and Tesco. The world’s largest prawn farmer, the Thailand-based Charoen Pokphand (CP) Foods, buys fishmeal, feeding its farmed prawns, from some suppliers that own, operate or buy from fishing boats manned with slaves. CP Foods – annual turnover of $33bn (£20bn) that brands itself as “the kitchen of the world” – sells its own-brand prawn to other farms, international supermarkets, food manufacturers and food retailers, with frozen or cooked prawns and ready-made meals, also raw prawn materials for food distributors.
The alarm over slavery in the Thai fishing industry has been sounded before by non-governmental organizations and in UN reports. But the Guardian has established how the pieces of the long, complex supply chains connect slavery to leading producers and retailers. “If you buy prawns or shrimp from Thailand, you will be buying the produce of slave labor,” said Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International.
An interesting observation made by a US researcher is that global warming introduced negative impacts on the labor market and forced people to slavery. Increasing sea level caused enhanced salinity of agricultural land in coastal areas of Asia with effects on people to leave agriculture to fishing industry and the threats of being unemployed made them victims for slavery.
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/10/supermarket-prawns-thailand-produced-slave-labour
Poverty as dealt with in relative terms is not the same as in absolute numbers of poor people. That becomes very clear when we take in consideration the growing world population, the declining access to natural resources on the planet, the accelerating scarcity of water because of increasing competition on water resources, accelerating pressures on fertile land because of degradation in soil quality and associated increase in food prices.
Under such conditions the global market of slaves find it way and has expanded into a big multi-billion industry with many people just living under extremely bad conditions with daily threats and mistreatment. An example is Thai seafood slavery; with four simple things you can do and contribute in improving the working conditions of many people that are crying for help with voices that are not heard in cruel economic systems without fair-trade policies.
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/video/2014/jun/11/thai-seafood-slavery-four-simple-ways-you-can-help-video
African fertile farmland has potential not only to feed Africans but many other countries around the world. Indeed, Africa can be the next breadbasket of the world but what are the best sustainable approaches for developing the agriculture in Africa with consideration to the existing threats and needs in Africa. Agriculture in Africa doesn’t yield enough food for its population, Thailand for example currently exports more agricultural products than all sub-Saharan countries combined, yet climate change has many known and unknown threats to Africa’s yields.
Would big corporations grabbing up land on the planet’s hungriest continent be able to solve Africa’s current and future needs? Giant corporations versus small farming are two models with contrasting advantages for a continent coping with famine, poverty, threats of climate change and degradation in water quality from pollution and waste.
So far, most land deals have occurred in Africa, one of the few regions on the planet that still have millions of acres of fallow land and plentiful water available for irrigation. Cheep land and labor makes Africa very attractive for agricultural investments but with negative impacts on poor African small farmers. Chirime’s situation is what small farmers are currently facing in Africa and it is hardly unique. She’s just one character in the biggest story in modern global agriculture reality. The situation as such is an unlikely quest to turn sub-Saharan Africa, historically one of the hungriest places on the planet, into a major new breadbasket for the world. But who will do the farming in Africa’s future? Will it be poor farmers like Chirime working one-acre plots, who make up roughly 70 percent of the Africa’s labor force? Or will it be giant corporations like Wanbao, operating industrial farms like those of American Midwest?
Humanitarian groups that deal with global hunger and peasants’ rights call corporate land deals neocolonialism and agri-imperialism. Yet veterans of agricultural development say the massive infusion of private cash, infrastructure, and technology that such deals may bring to poor rural areas could be a catalyst for desperately needed development—if big projects and small farmers can work together. But, how the land rights of the people can be protected, the global poverty be significantly reduced? Who would implement sustainable policies for the mitigation of climate change? Who would develop large-scale and long-term actions for conservation of water resources and protection against pollution and waste? With the existing threats of increasing soil erosion, and expected degradation in soil fertility, how/when land-water management strategies would be planned, coordinated and implemented to achieve sustainable socio-economic developments in Africa?
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/land-grab/
Our environment, in particular water, land and air, has been the victim of all sorts of attacks, either of natural, e.g. hurricanes and earthquakes, and/or of man-made origins. Waste and pollution from man-made activities such as wars, explosions, accidents, chemical spills, etc. has caused enormous threats to all life forms on earth. This video gives a summary on the 25 biggest environmental disasters of history, however waste and pollution remain to be major threats for all life forms on earth.
Food pollution is a global threat and the very origin of food pollution is polluted water or/and polluted soil as failing farming and agriculture practices. “Sustain-earth” will bring to you more information and data on existing global threats that cause degradation in food quality and the growing fear from unhealthy food.
http://love-theearth.com/en/food/food05/
Follow our Guest Blogger Rajendra Nhisutu who brings to you interesting information from the highest point on earth. “Sustain-earth” extends its activities for mintoring and reporting on the environments at every corner of the earth and all the space around it. Conservation of natural resources on the planet is essential for sustaining life on the earth and improving its quality.
There Are Over 200 than more Bodies on Mount Everest, And They’re Used as Landmarks and most bodies still remain on the mountain frozen in time.
Is there any Mission/Agency on Earth who can help handovering to their family?
May the souls of the dead rest in peace!!!
“PLEASE don’t leave me,” the dying woman cried. Two climbers heard the screams of Francys Arsentiev, an American climber who had fallen after succumbing to snow blindness and found herself separated from her husband. They were in the death zone, they were low on oxygen, and the woman was on the side of a steep cliff; carrying her was not an option. The trip just to get down to her would be a risk of their own lives. Despite the risks, the two climbers – Ian Woodall and Cathy O’Dowd – climbed down to her and did what they could to give her assistance.
But it was too late. Ian and Cathy administered oxygen and tended to Fran, but there was nothing they could do. They returned to base camp to seek help and report their findings.
Eight years later the two climbers would return (above). In an attempt to give Francys a makeshift high-altitude burial, they would place an American flag on her body along with a note from her family.
At the time of Francys’ death in 1998, no one knew what had happened to her husband and climbing partner Sergei. He had been climbing with her and had disappeared around the same time; all that had been found were his pick axe and rope. On the day Francys died, other climbers had last seen Sergei far ahead of Francys on the descent after the two had accidentally become separated.
Looking for his wife, Sergei later backtracked toward the summit despite knowing he did not have enough Oxygen to last. His exposure to the harsh conditions on Everest so far had been all he could handle, and he was beginning to suffer from frostbite. Still, Sergei would not leave his wife behind.
Sergei had made his way back to Francys, and descended toward the cliff she lay on as she screamed for help. Sadly, he fell to his death trying to reach his wife.
Possibly the most famous body on Everest is that of “Green Boots,” an Indian climber named Tsewang Paljor. Paljor was a Constable with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police who took his last breath on the 10th of May during the famous 1996 Mount Everest Disaster. Paljor was part of a three-man group that was attempting to be the first Indian team to ascend Mt. Everest from the Northeastern route. The weather that season was worse than otheryears and 1996 proved to be one of the deadliest seasons for Mount Everest climbers. When the storm rolled in, visibility went to zero and the temperature dropped considerably. Separated from the climbers in his group and suffering from the cold, Paljor found a small cave and huddled inside for protection from the elements. Little did he know that would be his resting place for the next 15 years.
One of the more storied climbers that met his fate on Everest was George Mallory, a famous English Mountaineer. In 1924, Mallory fell to his death during a storm while attempting to be the first to reach the summit of Everest. His body was discovered in 1999 during the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition. Decades earlier, Chinese climbers had reported seeing a “European body” laying face down on a shelf off the main trail. Given the description and the date of the find, experts had always assumed it was the body of Andrew Irvine. Irvine was another famous English Mountaineer who had attempted the ascent of Everest with Mallory and perished in the same storm.
During a 1933 Everest expedition, climbers found Andrew Irvine’s axe and rope. Because of this, it was widely believe to be Irvine’s body discovered by the Chinese. When the body was found during the 1999 search expedition, it was discovered to be that of George Mallory, not Irvine. Mallory was found face down in a bunch of shale with his arms spread out and up. His skin was in remarkably good condition but was tanned from 75 years of sun exposure. After examining the body, experts hypothesized that Mallory’s rope had failed as he was found with a short severed rope tied around his waist. He was also found with a golf ball-sized hole in his forehead, indicating he might have suffered blunt force trauma from striking a sharp rock. Andrew Irvine has never been found.
A more recent story is that of David Sharp. David was an English mountaineer who, in 2005, ascended Everest in a group but attempted the final climb by himself. At one point he stopped in a small cave and eventually froze to the point he could not move. As he lay near death below the summit, he was passed by over 40 other climbers both on their way up and their way down.
Sharp had stopped to rest and protect himself from the elements in the same cave Green Boots had used. Since David was not moving, the 40 climbers that passed by had either not seen him or assumed he was Green Boots. A group of sherpas in a later expedition on the way up to the summit noticed Sharp just off the trail, alive and moaning. When the sherpas reached David, he was not coherent and badly frostbitten – but he was able to say his name and which party he was with.
After giving David some oxygen, the sherpas attempted to help him climb down but he could not stand under his own power. Realizing Sharp was not going to be able to move, the sherpas pulled David into the sunlight hoping the sun exposure would warm him up. By the time the sherpas returned to camp to report their find, David was dead. The last party to see Sharp alive was the documentary crew filming the ascent of double-amputee Mark Inglis. Since they were filming, they had cameras rolling when they approached David and the footage was used in the documentary.
If any suggestion please contact to Rajendra Nhisutu, Chair of HIMET organization (mounteveresttower@gmail.com)
Kathmandu, Nepal
Author name: Rajendra Nhisutu
Speciality and expertise: Climb for Cause
Sector/Affiliation: HIMET Organization, Nepal
Adress: Kathmandu, Nepal
E-mail: mounteveresttower@gmail.com
Mobile: +9779843097740
Type of contribution: Posting
Safe water and air are essential for all life forms on earth and there are “safety limits” where water and air can turn unsafe, dangerous or even toxic. Healthy water is carrier of nutrients and healthy air is carrier of oxygen and carbon dioxide (with specific composition), both of which are required for healthy life. Healthy water and healthy air are, also, fresh and free from toxic matter “clean”, under such conditions all forms of life are healthy.
Fresh water, fresh air and healthy eco-systems are related in complex web of functioning, interactions and metabolism. Nature managed to great extent to “clean” itself, to optimize and fix all life parameters in an extremely accurate and delicate balance. Evolution of life on earth struggled for millions of years to bring about perfect living environments and climate conditions. As a reslut of such long struggle earth provided humans with healthy food. What didn’t happen over-night we succeeded to change over-night. We are competing more and more to degrade the life quality on the earth and we are succeeding.
The water and air we are polluting are the raw material and the natural resources for our life. If we ignore them and don’t take care of them, i.e. make them fresh, they wouldn’t care about us and they will ignore us. If we turn them to victims, they will also turn us to victims!
file:///Users/farid/Desktop/Chemical%20pollution%20of%20European%20waters%20is%20stronger%20than%20anticipated%20%7C%20Science%20Codex.webarchive
The role and involvement of individuals in achieving sustainable water resources is becoming an important component in water management. Understanding how to act, react and interact to protect water resources involves understanding the major components that influence water quality of the natural water resources.
“POLLUTANTS” that influence “WATER QUALITY” have different “SOURCES” and get mobilized to “WATER SYSTEMS” by various ways and dynamics by which water move and get transported from one place to another “HYDROLOGY”. How pollutants get mobilized is dependent on the “USES” of water and the “Practices” utilized by all involved stakeholders/consumers. In order to take part in SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS it is essential to understand how different pollutants are produced from various sources and stakeholders, their pathways and their impacts of on water quality. This allows active participation in sustainable management of water resources.
The human waste is growing faster than the increasing global population. By the end of this century, the production of waste is expected to peak at three-times today’s current generation rate. Urbanization “Cities” is supposed to be the best bet we have to meet global poverty reduction targets through feedbacks on wealth, culture, and innovation. However, there are many severe negative impacts from urbanization on environmental conditions in particular aquatic and ecological qualities as well as the global biodiversity. Urbanization is taking place and expanding so rapid that it is, at the same time, bringing with it huge shares of the world’s GHG “Green House Gas” emissions, increasing decline in biodiversity, lots and fast generation of amounts of solid waste.
If we don’t urgently invest and put huge efforts in management of our waste and mitigating their impacts on water, eco-systems and biodiversity future generations will be forced to spend their lifetime in environmental and ecological bankruptcy resulted from our “production-consumption” civilization. Most of the time for future generation, in particular in the next century, have to be spent not only for searching about food but, also, for finding non-toxic and healthy food. The priorities of the next century will shift towards fighting against increasing degradation of environment and water resources; putting more resources, energy and efforts in waste-treatment, fighting against diseases, spending much of their resources on medication and protection from pollution and waste.
http://blogs.worldbank.org//sustainablecities/peak-waste-and-poverty-powerful-paradox
New research data is pointing towards population peak around 2055, about 8.7 billions, followed by decline to 8 billions by 2100 (http://www.cnbc.com/id/101018722). However, according to data given below peak population could occur by the year 2070 when the population might be 9.5 or 10 billion. Previous data by the United Nations “UN” foresee further rise until 2100 to reach 10.9 billions with no peak population.
The carrying capacity of planet earth is a very much-discussed topic with many different scenarios and predictions. However, increasing amount of data have shifted towards more clear trends a converging world population towards a peak around 2050 due to the declining of global fertility. All developed, less developed and least developed regions show declining fertilities that already started around 1960. The period of continuous increase in global population because of increasing average human life span and decline in human mortality will soon be over.
http://www.camelclimatechange.org/view/article/51cbee0b7896bb431f695b54/?topic=51cbfc8ef702fc2ba812d477
Decisions of what type of energy resources we should invest in have long-term and large-scale impacts on the ecological quality of water and soil fertility. One issue, which is not very well searched, is the impacts of hydropower on the ecological quality of water that gives rise soil fertility. Both the ecological quality of water and soil fertility are very important for biodiversity and food production.
Hydropower is by definition a major interference in the natural hydrological cycle of surface water where erosion at up-stream high-land regions is essential process for promoting soil fertility in river catchments and river deltas in down-stream and low-land regions. In previous cases, e.g. the Aswan high-dam, the natural fertility at down-stream and delta areas was mitigated by heavy use of artificial fertilization. Artificial fertilization will not last for long-term as it is a non-renewable resource in addition to the long-term and large-scale environmental risks associated with it in terms of use and production.
In most of the energy debates the focus, so far, has been on reduction of carbon dioxide “green-house gas” so as to minimize the effect of global warming and its associated impacts. That is of course necessary but at the same time we have to consider other major impacts on the water cycle because of “Water-Energy Nexus” and in this context we have to take such aspects while we are about to implement policies for the use of “oil sand” or tar sand”. “Oil sand” or tar sand” is another case where in addition to risks for increased carbon dioxide emissions, there are clear negative impacts on water and ecological qualities.
Though the negative impacts of hydropower on ecological water quality and soil fertility may not be of the same dimensions as the benefits from hydropower, such impacts have to be taken in consideration for optimization of overall long-term and large-scale uses of “Water-Energy” resources. What we need to do is to have appropriate “Environment Assessment Analyses” and “Sustainable Actions” in place, so as to be prepared to deal with the growing degradation of water and ecological qualities.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business/21-Jun-2014/world-bank-prefers-financing-hydel-projects
World Resources Institute “WRI” has recently evaluated, mapped, and scored water risks in 100 river basins of 180 nations around the world. Assessment is carried out for the first time on country-level with consideration to area and population. In this research 36 countries face “extremely high” levels of baseline water stress. This means that more than 80 percent of the water available to agricultural, domestic, and industrial users is withdrawn annually — leaving businesses, farms, and communities vulnerable to scarcity. Baseline water stress, used as an indicator, measures how much water is withdrawn every year from rivers, streams, and shallow aquifers for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses.
Analyzing water risk at the country level is important as such information is highly relevant for country’s economy, environment, and communities. Though water data is usually collected and reported at local geographic scales, water-related decisions and investments are often made at much larger scales, thus requiring country-level information.
Extremely high water stress can be successfully managed such as in the case of Singapore. The country is densely populated with no freshwater lakes or aquifers, and its demand for water far exceeds its naturally occurring supply. Singapore invests heavily in technology, international agreements, and responsible management, allowing it to meet its freshwater needs. Advanced rainwater capture systems contribute 20 percent of Singapore’s water supply, 40 percent is imported from Malaysia, grey water reuse adds 30 percent, and desalination produces the remaining 10 percent of the supply to meet the country’s total demand.
An important issue in this respect which is still lacking in many parts of the world is spatio-temporal water quality maps where pollution sources, both point and diffuse, are being identified. This is of importance for better conservation and protection of water resources as well as for building up solid monitoring programs for assessing the status of surface-/ground-water and associated eco-systems. Such programs give access to base-line data of natural levels of pollutants, provide bases for early-warning systems and facilitate rehabilitation actions
http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/12/world’s-36-most-water-stressed-countries
Nomads, 30-40 millions in 1995 around the world, roaming around and moving from one place to another for pasture or hunter-gatherer is a fast disappearing life-style. Reindeer have been herded for centuries in polar and sub-polar regions, horses remain national symbols in Mongolia and camels are still the perfect choice in the Sahara. After the industrial revolution “mechanization” and with increasing dependence on fossil-fuel, urbanization became “magnets” causing considerable drainage of people to technology and modern life, even without basic knowledge about the requirements and threats of the new life.
“There’s no place like home”, but with the advance of science and technology the definition of home becomes much different in particular in the era of globalization and the Internet. The choice between staying home and being drained to new life-styles may create conflicts between generations and communities or at least cause separation and fragmentation in families.
The weather in the polar mountains can turn in just a few minutes and at the artic circle conditions can be extreme. The ways of life, learning and even childbirth are often intense. People living in the tundra are accustomed to a nomadic life. Tents are their homes, food is basic, and the deer is king. They don’t watch TV or don’t use internet. Children do go to boarding schools, but not all parents are in favor of them. A well-known writer and teacher created her own alternative education for the children of the tundra as she believes that a good education should be based on the essential skills needed to survive in the artic far north. She explains that our constitution clearly says our indigenous children must have free education but it doesn’t say free life care. In schools everything is done for the children and later on they face life without to know how to do ordinary things, as they don’t have that knowledge when they leave schools. Children become gradually separated from their roots, loose ties with other generations and when graduated from school they have to decide between going to higher education or back to the tundra. What to choose when they already separated from home and are not able to establish roots at home?
Find out more about life and education in the tundra.
The economic benefits of phosphorus fertilization on crop production are well documented, also its importance for food security but is phosphorus fertilization free from risks and threats? or is too much of a good thing can be detrimental? If so, what are the threats and risks that are associated with the excesstive use of phosphorus.
Soil degradation is a worldwide problem especially with the inceasing damming of rivers around the world due to the need for hydro-electric power. Natural erosion that brings fertile soil to the low land and deltas are being halted as eroded materials are forced to accumulate behind artifically engineered barriers, i.e. the dams. As a consequence of damming of rivers huge land-areas loose their natural fartility and artificial fertilization is required for mitigation. This is, indeed, on short-term perspective both economically and environmentally expensive, and out-come are disastrous what regards the long-term and large-scale consequences.
Excessive use of phosphorus in agriculture for food production has negative impacts on water quality of aquatic systems (rivers, lakes and marine coasts) and groundwater due to increasing levels of P in aquatic systems that cause “eutrophication”, decreasing levels of oxygen and gradual decrease in fish productivity. Degradation of water quality of groundwater is associated with increasing agricultural waste/run-off. In all cases, there are associated costs for mitigation, rehabilitation and purification of water. http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/424/424-029/424-029_pdf.pdf
Another critical issue in securing our future food is indeed missing from the global policy agenda: we are running out of cheap and readily available phosphate fertilizer on which world agriculture is totally dependent. Supply of phosphorus from mined phosphate rock could ‘peak’ as soon as 2033, as phosphate rock is a non-renewable resource becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=eeGPQJORrkw%3D
“Sustain-earth.com” will represent an alternative and sustainable approaches for fertilization with several benefits over artificial phosphorus fertilization that can very well replace it. This alternative is WE-saving, i.e. can save both energy and water, it is environment friendly.