Archive

‘Water, water, everywhere….’ I wish!

March 4, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Doug Skeates

There is much to be learned from the Indigenous world and particularly the reverence for nature.  In a book, ‘The Good Ancestor’ (Krznaric, 2020), the author refers to correspondence with David Suzuki, “The environment is not something out there. We are the environment.  We are connected to the landscape …. through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil in which we grow our food.”  The right honourable Stan McKay has described nature in terms of being members of family with each element of the environment, the rocks, trees, animals, etc. being the spirits of past relatives. 

Global warming is threatening the most important of the aspects of life contributing to the well-being of human beings even with the rapid melting of the world’s stored water in the form of glaciers and arctic ice.  Across the globe mankind depends on these as a basis for rivers and streams, sources supplying water for drinking, cooking and hygiene. The world of commerce is particularly dependent on water for manufacturing, energy, transportation, etc. for which there is already a limited supply.  So far Canada has been blessed with a high proportion of the world’s fresh water, estimated at 20%.  Many countries are less fortunate, often limited to pumping water stored far below the surface.

Food production in particular requires adequate ground water.  Irrigation is a primary source of supply for large scale production.  In many parts of the world agricultural needs rely more and more on rivers, lakes and wetlands to such an extent causing rivers to dry up, reducing supplies for basic human needs.  Lack of lands short on water has been the basis for war and violence between nations.   Shortages are often due to excessive use by upstream communities closer to traditional sources, drawing on supplies far beyond agreed upon shares.  Misuse of water sources is also basic for many folk dependent on fish for protein.

The Canadian population also depends on the country’s supply of water-based energy supply.  Niagara Falls has been a major source of electrical generation supplying home heating and a basis for economic stability throughout our earlier history.  Food exports remain a major proportion of Canada’s prosperity as well as for sale of energy, contributing greatly to our balance of trade.  With the rapid melting of glaciers, the source of water for many rivers even in Canada, is threatened with declining flows of water for many communities.

Scientists have been warning us of the dangerous effect of increasing carbon emissions in the atmosphere.  The burning of fossil fuels is a major cause of the greenhouse effect contributing to this form of pollution limiting the escape of heat into the stratosphere. Increasing heat is not only a limiting factor in production of food and water but also a factor affecting air quality, a problem for all of society.  It is mankind’s responsibility to take measures to not only reduce the production of emissions but to remove much of the carbon already in the atmosphere.

The author of the aforementioned text noted one significant means of achieving this goal.  “A large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for four people, while the 3.1 trillion trees worldwide absorb around a third of the carbon dioxide we humans produce each year.”  As do all green plants foliage combines carbon in the air with water from the ground with sunlight as a catalyst, storing it in tree trunks, one annual ring each year.  Shade limits evaporation while root systems help direct precipitation into underground aquifers to be released throughout the year to surface sources of water.

With the loss of supply due to the melting of ice it is up to mankind to conserve the use of water and to maximize the reduction of emissions in the atmosphere.  An excellent example was the initiation of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya by Wangiri Waanjiri who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for “promoting  women’s empowering and restoring the country’s natural wealth.”  Increasing forest cover is one means of maintaining the world’s supply of available water while helping to reduce air pollution, hence food supply for close to eight billion people.

Readers Comments (0)