the covenant of water book review

the covenant of water book review

The Importance of Water Conservation

1. Introduction

When you look around your environment, I’m sure that water is the last thing you would be worried about. Water seemed to be everywhere. It is almost as if it is taken for granted. Since it is an infinite resource? This belief is a complete misconception. Water is a renewable resource, but time is necessary to replenish water; clean water is something that is finite. It will not last forever. It is important that we keep water clean, an essential resource for life. The central theme of this theme is to make an effort to participate in the tasks surrounding the conservation of water. Eventually, water recycling will be necessary for all cities. This is the passing of water from one state to another, from saline to fresh. Los Angeles has initiated a recycling waste water plan to purify waste water to create a new source of clean water. This advance can also lead to an increase of reclamation of waste water. The United States only reclaims 16% of waste water and this is a severe misuse of a valuable resource. Demand for these processes often links to health of the economy. When an economy is down, the first thing to be affected would be environmental programs not relative to health. A struggling economy may divert permit the delay in establishing and maintaining proper water treatment infrastructure or delay regulation implementation. With a lack of financial support, these programs may be performed inadequately. This will have a negative impact on the health of water resources. The public must believe that these programs are essential and be willing to finance the preservation and enhancement of water resources. This will ensure that the public has safe water now and in the future.

2. The Covenant of Water: A Synopsis

In Covenant of Water: A Synopsis, Griswold affirms that water is the element that sets the Earth apart from all other planets in the universe, as it is the essential element to sustain life. Without water, humankind and all biological life forms known to man would cease to exist. Next, Griswold introduces the alarming rate at which water is becoming an endangered resource. He notes that even the few accessible freshwater supplies are becoming polluted and toxic. A prime example is the recent toxic water ban in Ohio due to excessive algae growth in Lake Erie, which is caused by farm runoff pollution. Griswold also goes on to discuss the huge water usage increase in recent years, at a rate double the population increase. He points out emissions of carbon dioxide, which are up to 500 times the rate at which sea plants can remove it from our atmosphere. This is a cause of global warming, which is creating a greater rate of evaporation from our freshwater sources, causing them to run dry sooner. According to Griswold, unless we change our abusive ways to supply and demand of water, we are headed towards a waterless society. This means world wars for the control of water sources and expensive military protection for water supply infrastructure. Water will become a corporate commodity and certain third world countries will have no choice but to succumb to drinking rain or sewage water due to the lack of economical water purification processes. This section of the essay blends the scientific method into the global crisis of water conservation. Griswold does not focus on the symptoms of this global disaster, but rather the root cause of the issue and the possible devastating outcomes. His blend of imagery and logical arguments are the keys to persuading anyone that the world needs to make a serious commitment to the alteration of the water conservation status quo.

3. The Significance of Water Conservation

The significance of water conservation runs deeper than just the amount of money we spend on watering a garden. There are many immediate and long-term money-saving benefits for consumers, as well as for the country, in implementing a water conservation plan. Firstly, consumers will lower their water bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American household spends about $500 per year on water and sewer bills, and that can be cut by $200 if they used more water-efficient fixtures and appliances. Public and private money will be saved over the long term. It costs large quantities of money to pump water from a water source to a house. More water conservation means less strain on infrastructure and resources. This, in turn, leads to government-subsidized programs that can lead to more affordable means of water conservation for people to act upon. From a conservation standpoint, reducing our water usage will preserve a valuable resource for our children and our children’s children. The more water we use now, the less there will be in the future and the more scarce it will become. It is predicted that in the next 50-100 years, the world will be plagued by wars for water. This, in turn, reflects on the economy. Countries plagued by war will often find it hard to create a stable economy. With a lower rate of water usage, this will aid in the preservation of a stable economy.

Water is essential to life on Earth. It is a prerequisite for human health and well-being, as well as for the preservation of the environment. Any kind of conservation that the human race exercises will result in less consumption, meaning we will use less money. To change our water consumption, we must first change our understanding of what our water use provides for us and what the consequences of wasting this valuable resource are. Water conservation should not be considered an option, but should be thought of as a necessity. This is because it is one of the most effective ways to solve the ever-growing water problems. In most every place in the world, the war for water is becoming increasingly competitive. The truth is, most people don’t understand the absolute importance of water.

4. Strategies for Water Conservation

Agriculture is the largest consumer of freshwater resources in the United States, with increasing demand for irrigation to support production of the nation’s food supply. Inefficiency in irrigation methods is evident, such as the traditional method of flood irrigation. It delivers water and nutrients to the field over time through “controlled flooding”. Conventional furrow and flood irrigation that are still being practiced are only 65-70 percent efficient. This is due to topsoil runoff and evaporation, and it also depreciates the quality of the product. An alternative to these methods is to use new technology such as sprinkler systems and a method called center-pivot irrigation. These systems are over 90 percent efficient and will ensure that water is being put to better use. Unfortunately, the less efficient systems will still be slow to diminish due to the fact that they are cheaper, so policy would have to be put in place to provide incentive to make the switch to the more efficient technology. An example would be to set higher prices for water on the old irrigation technology. Another more simple approach to water conservation is for farmers to utilize the practice of growing crops that are more appropriate to the region. Certain crops are very “thirsty” and are grown in the wrong climate. This actually serves as a form of importing water which is not a productive use of a region’s water resource.

There are several water conservation strategies that have been found to be effective. Some of these require technology and equipment (which could be costly), some require institutional change and incentives, and others require awareness and public education. These are a few to consider.

Water Conservation Strategies

5. Conclusion: Embracing the Covenant of Water

Shaw, Ron. The Importance of Water Conservation. <http://theimportanceofwaterconservation.htm> pp 39-40. Reprinted from LakeLine, Fall 2003, pp 39-40. ©2003 by the North American Lake Management Society. This article may be reprinted for educational purposes. It may not be reproduced for resale without permission from NALMS.

I sincerely hope that the global message contained in “The Importance of Water Conservation” can significantly shape our future. We as North Americans need to build a water ethical society by embracing a value system that puts our global ecosystem health and our own well-being as the central reasons for managing our water resources. The foundation of a North American water ethic must be based on the following five principles: ecological integrity, people and water, equitable efficiency, valuing water, and written agreements. By internalizing and acting on these principles, it is possible to create a sustainable water future in which our ecological and human water needs are in balance. All levels of government water managers and policy makers as well as business and industry leaders would benefit from using these principles to guide their decision making. Remember readers, “While it is a good idea to have a win-win situation, in water, we must start with a lose-lose situation: if the ecosystem loses, humans will eventually lose.”