Water Everywhere and not a Drop to Spare?‏

Image via WikipediaAccording to a team of international scientists, the present levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing a decline in Arctic Sea ice and a worldwide retreat of mountain glaciers.

These two sources provide fresh water to hundreds of millions of people from rivers in the Himalayas, Andes and Rocky Mountains. To lower carbon dioxide levels the scientists propose phasing out coal-fired power stations by 2030, scaling down the use of unconventional fossil fuels like tar sands, increasing forest restoration and using natural fertilizers. If we wait, protecting clean water could be water under the bridge.

Clean water is defined as water that is suitable for drinking, bathing and cooking. At the beginning of the decade 1.1 billion people lacked sufficient access to clean water. This is because global warming has disrupted water flow patterns and increased the severity of floods, droughts and storms.

According to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, half the world's population could face a shortage of clean water by 2080. Asia is the most vulnerable region, with China's and India's booming populations placing tremendous stress on water sources. However, no region is clean water waterproof.

As an example, the destruction of wetland regions is not the only reason there are fewer frogs. Scientists at the University of South Florida have discovered that atrazine - a weed killer that is used by farmers - sets off an ecological chain reaction. Although atrazine killed the floating algae in test tanks, algae at the bottom of the tanks flourished because it got more sunlight. More algae meant more food for the snails. More snails meant more food for the frogs; but because snails carry a flatworm parasite, the snail-feasting frogs died. The EPA requires testing for direct toxic effects of atrazine, but has never tested its effect on the food chain. That is ecological food for thought.

Four hundred years ago little thought was given to beavers in Great Britain. Because beavers were valued for their pelts, they were hunted into extinction. In 2008 four wild beaver families were brought from Norway to be reintroduced into the British countryside. After being quarantined for 6 months, the beavers were released in Western Scotland, where conservationists and wildlife advocates hope they will create new wetland habitats which, in turn, will attract other native species. The reintroducing of beavers is a much needed example of people giving a damn about their environment.

Knight Pierce Hirst takes a second look at what makes life interesting and it takes only seconds at http://knightwtch.typepad.com