SAVE THE PLANET! YOU ALONE ARE THE SUPER-HUMAN: PART-1: WATER RESOURCES

1.Abstract

Science is a vast topic, even more vast than our thought!! For example, you might learn Rutherford’s model for your 9th Grade. But when you transform into a 10th grade’s student and start opening your chemistry book, you’ll find there’s many “why?” behind the model at the beginning of the chapter and when you may reach at the ending of the chapter, you’ll see all of that was a failure and their comes another “Bohr’s model”! Here doesn’t end that story. After finishing Bohr’s model in this way, you will find that it was a flop case too and here comes “Quantum theory”. So, actually the science behind our nature, our life is more disciplined and more complex than our thoughts, our believes, our theories. Basically, what do a scientist do? He tries to explain a rule that covers most of the objectives of the world on the straight line made by his theorems. Having a cigarette needs 5-20 minutes but making an alveola, let alone lungs is not possible by us. That’s why we need to be obedient to our nature. But it is the most unfortunate thing that we love to run speedboats until we observe or face any severe accidents with us. Our world is unique, there doesn’t exist another world like ours, even quarter of it. So, it is necessary to utilize the fact that our activities that are causing negative global natural changes needs to be checked as soon as possible, and the “We” is not only the sophisticated people, even it needs to include the most illiterate people of the world also. That’s why, I’ll arrive monthly with squealed articles where each month I’ll explain just one checkpoint at one-person’s view and will try to make you feel, “What I alone will do to save the world?” Data and information provided here are authentic as referral links and you’ll get an idea about your position on saving our environment.

2.Introduction

Our world is the most unique place to live for the lives. From the starting of our lives, we have found ourselves being adapted through our genetic modification or simply evolution. That’s why a vast and complex correlation between our survival and the resources of the earth has been made, which is more amazing than our imagination, our invention, our believes. Any idea about exchanging position to other planets and enjoying the world as per wish is simply a stupidity. Now the first question here comes, “What I alone will do to save the world?” This is actually the most common thrown question but unfortunately our answer rarely come out. The reason is actually we don’t know too the answer, and we can’t imagine every person’s huge impact in this case. Here we will try to figure out each person’s importance to survive the world from climate change. The president of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay once said, “Think globally, act regionally.” [1] Here coming next, you are going to feel it.

Water is the most important element of the world. Life without water is like an impossible imagination. Each and every life needs water for their survival. And here, we are the leading species that are responsible for wastage of water. Every person of the world more or less waste water and the amount is that much huge that the amount yearly per capita can simply cover a river basin! So, each and every human’s participation to save the earth at first includes water resource.

waste disposal | Types & Methods | Britannica

We alone can save that much amount of wastage with our concern.

waste disposal | Types & Methods | Britannica

3. Let’s start counting!

3.1: Water resource:

Analysis of responses to the Energy Saving Trust’s Water Energy Calculator reveals [2]:

Each person uses about 142 liters of water each day. [3]
  • On average, each individual takes 4.4L shower sand 1.3L baths each week.
  • The average annual metered water bill is £427. [4]
  • Hot water use contributes £228 to the average annual combined energy bill and emits 875kg of CO2 per household per year.
  • We use the washing machine on average 4.7 times each week, but only about a quarter of us select a 30°C degree wash.
  • 40% of households boil the kettle four times or more a day –and most (75%) say they boil more water than they need.

Image source: at home with water, Department for Environment Food and rural Affairs,(Page no:9)

Domestic water consumption patterns were analyzed at Duhok city, which is located in north-western Iraqi Kurdistan. (Fig. 1)

Duhok city location in Kurdistan, Iraq and the distribution of surveyed households in the city (Kurdistan Ministry of Planning 2014 [5])

The city has 295000 inhabitants with 42000 households and spreads around 577km2, including 0.13% area of Iraq. The analysis of the household activities (92% houses and 8% apartments) are in the table below:

Image source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11269-016-1314-x/tables/1

In 1996, Environment Canada found the main extraction uses of water were for thermal power generation, manufacturing, municipal use, agriculture and mining. The following diagram illustrates the amount of water that was withdrawn for each use:

Breakdown of Water Consumption by Sector in Canada

Image: Breakdown of Water Consumption by Sector in Canada [6]

The statistics from the OCED say that in 2004 the average Canadian used 1420 m3 of water.[8] You want to feel the amount? It is equal to the amount that would flow from your kitchen tap if you left it running for almost three months! The number given in the following graph include water consumption per person in rankings:

Annual Per Capita Water Consumption

Annual Per Capita Water Consumption

If the daily consumption rate doesn’t concern you, don’t be tensed, let’s feel it more watery In 2001, the average Canadian used just over 122,000 liters of water,[9] while the average person in Denmark used less than 50,000 liters of water. And that’s just one person! [7]

So, you can see that just one person per head bears a huge amount of water usage where since 1850, 1300 glaciers have lost their 25%-75% of mass,[10] and most of these in last 50 years. That’s why, we need to save water. We need to lessen the wastage. Each person has an impact on water management and we need to be careful. Glaciers, their ices, sea waters, number of usable waters depend on our savings, our proper usage. Our water resources, irregularly distributed in space and time, are under pressure due to major population change and increased demand. Access to reliable data on the availability, quality and quantity of water, and its variability, form the necessary foundation for sound management of water resources. The different options for augmentation expand the boundaries of the water resource in a conventional sense, helping to match demand and supply. All components of the hydrological cycle, and the influence of human activities on it, need to be understood and quantified to efficiently and sustainably develop and protect our water resources. We have a very little amount of water to use, and we need to take steps early. And that is just to be provident. That’s it! Is it too hard?

Let’s wake up and think before attempt. In the words of one conservation slogan, “Let’s keep it on tap for the future.”

References:

[1] https://www.ted.com/talks/tshering_tobgay_this_country_isn_t_just_carbon_neutral_it_s_carbon_negative#t-877

[2] Usinganaveragehouseholdsizeof2.52,which includes all metered and unmetered households .Water Energy Calculator. https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/chargesbills/prs_lft_charges2011-12.pdf

[3] Number of people in UK households from 2011 Census: Population and House hold Estimates for the United Kingdom, March2011, ONS, available at www.ons.gov.uk

[4] https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/reports/AtHomewithWater%287%29.pdf

[5] Larson B, Minten B, Razafindralambo R (2006) Unravelling the linkages between the millennium development goals for poverty, education, access to water and household water use in developing countries: evidence from Madagascar. J Dev Stud 42(1):22–40

[6] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/583ca2f2d482e9bbbef7dad9/1485650456858-URLSSPBP9G3LV34OKAIL/Breakdown+of+Water+Consumption+by+Sector+in+Canada?format=750w

[7] https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/water-consumption

[8] Brandes, Oliver M. 2007. Flushing the Future? Examining Urban Water Use in Canada.

http://www.polisproject.org/files/pub_database/flushing.pdf

[9] Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2010. Water Works!

http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=en&n=00EEE0E6-1

[10] The Pembina Institute. May 2006. Troubled Waters, Troubling Trends: Summary Report.

http://www.pembina.org/reports/TroubledW7_Summary.pdf

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