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[bangai-o]

This is scary.

I am not an agriculture major, but I did require to take a few of their classes. Basically, farmers are the only ones who seem to take this situation seriously. Especially since the Colorado River and the Rio Grande are year by year producing less water, which provides water for the farmland that feeds the WHOLE country. So, they tap into the aquifers more and more.

i think, if any Presidential nominee were to try to introduce water reforms for the sake of the future, he or she would never get elected. People vote for low gas prices, and same goes for water.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

Canada why so many lakes?

 

[pants]

Still suits.

on mars

 

[Piecake]

I am not an agriculture major, but I did require to take a few of their classes. Basically, farmers are the only ones who seem to take this situation seriously. Especially since the Colorado River and the Rio Grande are year by year producing less water, which provides water for the farmland that feeds the WHOLE country. So, they tap into the aquifers more and more.

i think, if any Presidential nominee were to try to introduce water reforms for the sake of the future, he or she would never get elected. People vote for low gas prices, and same goes for water.

What about phasing out inefficient shower/toilet/faucets/water heaters just like they are doing with light bulbs?

I doubt the whole light bulb thing passed through congress, so is it something that an agency or the president can simply do?

As for stricter uses, I'd imagine that will take place, and is already taking place at the local level. I really doubt we will see a national policy limiting watering the lawn or something

 

[Escape Goat]

In America we buy water. In bottles.

 

[Liberty4all]

I can't believe how detached many people seem to be about the North–South divide.

what is the north-south divide?

personally I'm not convinced there's going to be enough water to go around. In Canada there have been many articles about how nafta allows the US to take Canadian water resources.

 

[windowlurker]

I cant wait to be a member of the Great Lake Empire.

"Phoenix and Las Vegas will run out of water, Atlanta and Miami will be underwater, San Francisco will have suffered another huge earthquake/tsunami and people will be flocking to Cleveland to take advantage of our safe location and natural resources."

 

[Choke on the Magic]

what is the north-south divide?

personally I'm not convinced there's going to be enough water to go around. In Canada there have been many articles about how nafta allows the US to take Canadian water resources.

This. And we're taking all your water? Why doesn't Canada just sell it for a high price.

Also I never realized how many beautiful lakes you guys have. I need to visit. Does Canada let Americans hunt while visiting?

 

[Ether_Snake]

I don't think wars are likely on the big scale, but rather UN-organized resolutions requesting countries to give access to their water supply to the world for humanitarian reasons, economic agreements, etc, for that end.

It is inevitable that population growth cannot continue linearly as it has over the recent past. Which means reduced number of birth, higher number of child mortality rate (due to fewer resources available), higher number of abortions over the next few decades in developing countries.

Oh BTW, I'm sure we'll have cheap technology to turn sea water into drinkable water soon to solve the water issue. Won't be enough for all water usage though, but for drinkable water it would work. For industrial need though, we are fucked in the short term, and this is what people don't realize. People think water = drinking. You would be surprised how much water it takes just to produce a car.

 

[Raistlin]

As someone living in Buffalo ... I think it's time I build a bunker.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Once Phoenix dries up its gonna be an awesome fallout movie set

 

[Farooq]

Where do you think such a war would be fought? Between which countries? And in what way would one side be able to secure the water for their country?

Water desalination efforts are estimated to triple between now and 2020, and water purification technology will become cheaper and more ubiquitous as time moves forward.

There is no incentive to fight over water, when that money could be spend on just obtaining water.

Your questions are answered in the article in the OP.

Wars won't be fought between states (at least not yet) but within them. Water scarcity will be a source of great injustice.

Who will do the water desalination? Private utilities, who will sell it back to developing nations and the poor will be priced out of a basic necessity for life. The inequality is where the conflict will arise from. There is already evidence of this as outlined in the article from Al Jazeera.

what is the north-south divide?

personally I'm not convinced there's going to be enough water to go around. In Canada there have been many articles about how nafta allows the US to take Canadian water resources.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North–South_divide

 

[kingocfs]

This is about access, not supply. That is, how easily people can get water given where they are, not that we're running out of water.

 

[Liberty4all]

Ah ok I get the north south thing now. As a child of the 70s and 80s I still have the whole, first second and third world thinking engrained in me.

 

[Liberty4all]

This. And we're taking all your water? Why doesn't Canada just sell it for a high price.

Also I never realized how many beautiful lakes you guys have. I need to visit. Does Canada let Americans hunt while visiting?

from what I understand NAFTA doesn't allow us to sell our water at a high price.

not sure about hunting rules here. I'd imagine you'd need to license and register a hunting rifle.

 

[gutter_trash]

Invade Canada

 

[apesh1t]

fine by me, I'll just drink Mountain Dew

 

[bangai-o]

what is the farmlands like in Canada? The water from Canada could very well be providing for their own benefit. The Southwest USA and Northern Mexico have some of the best land for agriculture in the world. From what i understand, this breadbasket not only feeds North America, but major exports to China as well.

 

[sant]

what is the farmlands like in Canada? The water from Canada could very well be providing for their own benefit. The Southwest USA and Northern Mexico have some of the best land for agriculture in the world. From what i understand, this breadbasket not only feeds North America, but major exports to China as well.

There would be no farmland there without irrigation.

 

[Liberty4all]

what is the farmlands like in Canada? The water from Canada could very well be providing for their own benefit. The Southwest USA and Northern Mexico have some of the best land for agriculture in the world. From what i understand, this breadbasket not only feeds North America, but major exports to China as well.

a significant portion of the country is devoted to farmland. There's a reason its called the Prairies ... Farmland stretching on forever as far as the eye can see.

honestly though I have no idea if the articles I've seen are legit or not. Just that there has been some nervous talk about what might happen,if the US needed more of our water and we tried to say "no".

 

[piddledy]

a significant portion of the country is devoted to farmland. There's a reason its called the Prairies ... Farmland stretching on forever as far as the eye can see.

honestly though I have no idea if the articles I've seen are legit or not. Just that there has been some nervous talk about what might happen,if the US needed more of our water and we tried to say "no".

Read the article. This is specific to Africa and the Middle East, that is all. Water is a renewable resource. It doesn't run out.

 

[kittens]

Mos called it.

Love that song.

 

[Farooq]

Read the article. This is specific to Africa and the Middle East, that is all. Water is a renewable resource. It doesn't run out.

You still have to use water in a sustainable manner, or it won't replenish fast enough to meet the demands. That is when you have a shortage.

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

fine by me, I'll just drink Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew's first ingredient is water.

 

[CornBurrito]

Water is renewable. The Earth is a closed system. Water doesn't disappear. Whoever fights war over it instead of investing in technologies which allow water to be reused is stupid as shit.

The Earth isn't a closed system as far as I know. Doesn't the sun continually provide new energy?

 

[dragonelite]

Living on à planet covered in 70% water and only 0,2% drinkable is masterfull trolling God

Science will fix that.

 

[Chichikov]

Your post fails to take into account the cost of developing and maintaining an adequate water distribution infrastructure over the mountainous Afghanistan.

My post fail to take into account much more important things, but fine, if you must -

The WHO estimates that connecting a house to running water (by far the most expensive option) cost 90-130$ per person of initial investment with 5-20% reoccurring annual cost.
If we assume that no one in Afghanistan has running water (most definitely wrong) and that the cost of connecting them to running water is at the highest end (sounds reasonable) that it would cost two weeks of war to connect all Afghan houses with the extra cost of 3 fighting days per year for upkeep.

Again, this is not meant to be accurate but just to give you a sense of how amazingly cheaper it is to get people water than to kill them.

But that isn't my point. The thing is, the world at large is far, far poorer than the USA. Yes, Western nations will probably won't have many problems with water supply in the foreseeable future.

So you're saying they can't afford water but can afford a much more expensive war?
Yeah, I'm not seeing it.
And you need to remember war over water can't be some cheap skirmish, we're talking about occupying and controlling a piece of land, that shit cost a whole lot of money.
Could it be that some idiot dictator wouldn't figure it out and start a war over that?
Sure, assholes started wars over stupider things.
But for this global water wars scenario that has been prophesied at least since the 60s I think you need more serious reasons.

 

[Gorillaz]

So this is how WWIII starts.

Meh.

It sounds kind of funny but it could be an actuality. Down the road of course.

 

[Fusion Pizza]

Lockheed Martin has patened a technology using graphene to dramatacialy reduce the cost of desalination by an order of magnitude in comparison to reverse osmosis.

The tech is called Perforene, and it's designed to have holes in it that are small enough to stop salt, but just big enough to let water through.

Buisness Insider

Technology will save us.

 

[OldAsUrSock]

Water is renewable. The Earth is a closed system. Water doesn't disappear. Whoever fights war over it instead of investing in technologies which allow water to be reused is stupid as shit.

Spot on. Some countries have plants that convert ocean water into drinkable water.

 

[Synth_floyd]

75% of the world is water and we're fighting over it? Yes I know that it's undrinkable salt water but but future does seem to be in desalinization.

 

[RdN]

Brazil better prepare themselves.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

New cheaper desalination technology + cheaper energy (nat gas, sea bed methane, and renewables) will allow most developed and bric countries to produce all the water they need.

They just need an excuse to fight over something and charge a premium to make money from fear. Like the GFC.

 

[Dead Man]

Water is renewable. The Earth is a closed system. Water doesn't disappear. Whoever fights war over it instead of investing in technologies which allow water to be reused is stupid as shit.

Water reclamation is expensive, much easier just to damn up the river that goes through your country, and not worry about everyone downstream. Water also reallocates in a changing climate, some parts of the world are getting drier, others wetter.

Yeah, if people were sensible it wouldn't be cause for conflict, but if people were sensible nothing would be.

 

[Az987]

Mountain Dew's first ingredient is water.

Fine! Then we'll drink sunkist.

 

[Suikoguy]

New cheaper desalination technology + cheaper energy (nat gas, sea bed methane, and renewables) will allow most developed and bric countries to produce all the water they need.

Yeah, seriously. Thorium + Desalination = Unlimited Available Water.
But not quite as cheap.

The big advantage is the water can be prioritized to be produced during off peak usage since storing water is easier then storing power.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

So we'll start trading water for oil? Is this the new plan?

 

[Lonely1]

So you're saying they can't afford water but can afford a much more expensive war?

Countries that can't afford basic services for their citizens have gone to war before. So, yeah.

 

[MooseKing]

I live in Ontario, we have 250,000+ fresh water lakes in our province alone.

We are doomed to be invaded.

 

[sant]

GE or some other large firm will find a solution for this.

 

[Ostinatto]

Living on à planet covered in 70% water and only 0,2% drinkable is masterfull trolling God

GRAPHENE

 

[KillGore]

The planet needs to die if it can't handle us puny humans.

Humans need to die if it can't find a way to solve all these problems. You would think we'd figured it out by now.

Spoiler

lol

 

[Chichikov]

Countries that can't afford basic services for their citizens have gone to war before. So, yeah.

Not over things they could achieve more cheaply.
If Hitler could've bought Poland for a fraction of the cost of conquering it he would've done so.

And as I said, I do not doubt that wars can irrationally start, but irrational people who want to start war over random things will find something to start a war about even if they have all the water they could need.

 

[Eusis]

Mountain Dew's first ingredient is water.

I prefer the idea that Mountain Dew is some sort of horrific "water substitute."

 

[Choke on the Magic]

from what I understand NAFTA doesn't allow us to sell our water at a high price.

not sure about hunting rules here. I'd imagine you'd need to license and register a hunting rifle.

I'll have to look into it. It's too bad I don't have any canadian friends. Hopefully NAFTA at least lets Canada make a decent profit off of it.

 

[Madness]

Maybe those countries can focus on water conservation and recycling and environmental protection if they want clean water.

I live in Canada, and I thankful for it, but hell no if some other country decides they have a right to our water.

 

[Mikey Jr.]

I don't understand.

Why don't they just install Brita® filters in the oceans? Wouldn't that make all the water drinkable?

 

[PhoenixDark]

Glad I live in Michigan.

 

[neobiz]

Scientists are working on 'cleaning' certain fouled waters right now for consumption.

In two words. Poop water.

 

[el retorno]

I'm not worried either. This sounds like a lucrative market in about 15 years.

This is one of the problems capitalism will solve. I say that seriously. There will be a need and someone will fill it. The tech is there already. Its not really the same as other natural resources because there is quite a bit of salt water already, I don't think we risk running out.