Water, a luxurious resource

Last Call at the Oasis

Time and time again the media reminds us of how big of a problem the contamination and lack of fresh water is across the world. What might not be as commonly known is that this problem is not exclusive to developing countries, but in fact affects, amongst others, the USA. Changes are needed in order to solve this global issue, and the movie “Last Call at the Oasis” displays these very well. When looking at the globe from outer space you might laugh at people claiming we must conserve the water we consume in such a massive degree, however only one per cent of this water is fresh water.

Conflicting interests often come in the way of progress. The needs of the few might cloud our vision, and prevent us from moving and looking forward. Farmers in Midland, Texas, don’t see how the extinction of an “insignificant” species of fish will affect anyone in the long run. They spray their crops with chemicals and fresh water that spreads in the ground water and affects ecosystems. Humans have built cities in desserts, like Las Vegas, and consume the fresh water sources a lot faster than they regenerate. We didn’t anticipate this happening before, but now we know and risk being out of fresh water some places. The amount of water on planet earth is constant, but when we pollute and consume such amounts of pure and fresh water by watering the lawn, breeding kettle for steaks, and filling our pools, we will face a shortage of fresh water somewhere down the road.

If we can´t see past our own needs, how will our grandchildren have their covered? Finding new sources of fresh water and consuming them at the same pace as before will not last long, so how about recycling the water we´ve already used? Desaltation of water is very expensive, but there are several examples of sewage water being “recycled” and used again. The problem may be that people are repelled by the fact that the water has been used before, and after seeing the sewage treatment plant in New York, I realize why. Nevertheless, I believe in recycled water, or “future water” as it is campaigned.