Imagine you just came back from a run, bike ride, or just hanging about outside in 80 degree weather and there was no water. Tap is dry. No bottled water. No juices or other fluids as they’re mostly made with water. Resourceful thought, but, no, nobody else in your area has any water either, so looting is out. Freshwater in the area is contaminated. Your only hope would be for rain – so you could run outside and catch the drops – or hopefully, downpour – in your mouth.
Just typing that paragraph made me thirsty — and appreciate what many of us take for granted: water. It’s essential to life, yet we undervalue it because it has been readily and cheaply (too cheaply, IMO – and that has led to massive waste) available.
The majority of people living on this planet don’t have easy access to clean, drinkable water, and those that don’t have to spend, on average, 2-3 hours each day obtaining it. And the issue is now spreading to the “developed” world – including the U.S. Hmm…that 2-3 hours corresponds with the average American’s TV time. I can see it now: some adults would be saying to their toddlers as they sink into their sofa with the remote control in hand, “Sweetie, if you’re old enough to walk, you’re old enough to go get our water! Preschool is over-rated anyway;”others would be rationizing to family or friends, “I think it’s worth risking dehydration and death today as championship bowling is on.”
Some U.S. Water Shortage Facts/Stats:
- An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply for millions
- Florida doesn’t have nearly enough water for its expected population boom
- In the West, the Sierra Nevada snow-pack is melting faster each year
- The Great Lakes are shrinking
- Upstate New York’s reservoirs have dropped to record lows
- The government projects that at least 36 states will face water shortages within five years because of a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, urban sprawl, waste and excess.
Some Global Water Shortage Facts/Stats:
- Australia is in the midst of a 30-year dry spell
- Population growth in urban centers of sub-Saharan Africa is straining resources
- Asia has 60% of the world’s population, but only about 30% of its freshwater (this stat cries — dry tears, no doubt — “investing opportunity!”)
About California and Florida, from the cited Yahoo article:
“Coastal states like Florida and California face a water crisis not only from increased demand, but also from rising temperatures that are causing glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise. Higher temperatures mean more water lost to evaporation. And rising seas could push saltwater into underground sources of freshwater.”
Some General Worldwide Water Facts/Stats:
- 97% of the world’s water is in the oceans, so only 3% is fresh
- Of the 3% fresh water, 2/3rds is locked in glaciers and polar ice caps
- Of the remaining 1%, about 1/2 is located beneath the earth’s surface
- Rivers and lakes contain only about 1/50th of 1% of the earth’s water
- Of the 3% fresh water, a significant portion is severely polluted or biologically contaminated
- On any given day, more than 50% of the world’s human population is ill, with the majority of these cases caused by waterborne contaminants
- The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of this illness is caused by contaminated drinking water
Price Tag for Upgrading U.S. Water System?
“Experts estimate that just upgrading pipes to handle new supplies could cost…$300 billion over 30 years.”
Bottom-line?
As per a utility director quoted in the article,
“NOT GOING TO BE ANY MORE CHEAP WATER.”
Yeah, I’m with many of our readers and could go off on the public policy and politics that have let our infrastructure deteriorate, but will stay focused on the mission at hand: green investing.
Where there is a sizeable enough issue, there is usually an investing opportunity. So, enjoy your liquid gold while it still can be had for the price of fools gold and meet me back here for ideas to help increase our financial liquidity in Part II – Water as Liquid Gold: The Investing Angle (and like water, that tentative title is fluid).
Sources:
Many States Seen Facing Water Shortages, Yahoo News, Oct. 26, 2007
Note: Bullet-pointed items are mostly taken directly from the two sources sites. They are not in parenthesis for readability issues.
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