So this week we have been told that, despite it only being March, we are facing a water ban. Currently set at a hosepipe ban, however some "experts" are predicting we may face furthers restrictions.
We are being told that this is due to rain shortage and the fact that water companies don't know how use the snow which fell only very recently. The papers also printed pictures of rivers across the U.K which have run dry. Some people reacted with outrage; how much water is being used for the Olympic stadiums? What are water companies doing to prevent the leakages they encounter from which masses amounts of water seeps? How come countries across the world, mainly Europe, don't suffer from the same situation?
Well, I can't answer the first 2 questions, but with regards to the latter, it seems that countries all over the world are encountering low water resources. The EEA (European Environmental Agency) has admitted that pressure is mounting and it has called for further legislation on water usage to prevent further wastage.
Many are blaming dry seasons for our water shortage, but personally, I don't think this is the main cause. Our population is dramatically increasing and this will automatically lead to a greater water usage. And it's good to remember; it's not just our water which will be lost, but our fish stocks will suffer too - less water will ultimately mean less fish. Something which we are already struggling with.
So how does a government tackle this problem? What suffers through lack of water? If harsher restrictions are placed upon water usage, there are bound to be businesses that will suffer, should a country already in huge financial trouble be entertaining this idea? Are we REALLY using everything to our advantage? The technology we have available could lead to some relief on our resources, so why are some of these technologies still being ignored? Why hasn't reverse osmosis been pushed further? And there is Ocean Thermal Energy conversion (OTEC) which is, in my eyes, an incredible invention. It could lead to a reliable source of renewable energy AND fresh water as a by-product.
So why are we still ignoring it?
