Water crisis doesn't care if countries are rich or poor

From Bad to Thirst

Water crisis: not just for poor countries anymore. Industrialized nations must make drastic policy changes if they wish to maintain water supplies, warns the World Wildlife Fund today. In cities from Seville to Sydney to Sacramento, water has become a hot political issue as supply declines thanks to everything from global warming to wetlands loss. A report by the International Water Management Institute, also published today, said that a third of the world faces water shortages; water use has increased by six times in the last century and will double again by 2050, mostly from agricultural use. WWF suggests a combination of solutions -- conserving, repairing infrastructure, reducing pollution, and requiring agriculture interests in rich countries to pay more for water and be held accountable for efficient use -- but noted that implementing common-sense measures "in the face of habitual practices and intense lobbying by vested interests has been very difficult." You think?

straight to the source: BBC News, Imogen Foulkes, 16 Aug 2006

straight to the source: Reuters, 15 Aug 2006

straight to the source: Reuters, James Grubel, 16 Aug 2006

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Comments: (1 comment)

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IMBY-wind

I have been to many energy fairs,such as The Midwest Energy Fair in or near Amhurst,Wisconsin;The Ogle county Energy Fair,Ogle county Illinois.There is another large energy fair in California,but it is too far away for me,but they do good work also.
It used to be,until the last 3 years,solar panels are it and the best way to get the most power for the buck.Now the cause has shifted and it is wind power this that and everything.One thing that I have seen to be the case is that the turbines have a penchant to break down.Remember that if you or you paid to have the turbine put up it will have to come down for repairs some time.Depending on the brand and type of wind generator that you have put up this will be an additional expense. There are wind generators that are easier to put up and take down. One that I have seen is on an L-shaped tube that you have to put a heavy winch or truck on to lower and raise it.At least with these you can do the job or for a much lower price hire it done.If you put it up or have it done on the regular triangular type tower you will have to hire a crane to do the job and it will be expensive which defeats having the generator because of extremely high maintanace costs which make the pay of time for the generator way into the future or maybe does not allowe you to pay it off and then the tower just sets there doing nothing as is often the case.Do your research or pay the price and a big one at that.
Don't forget that there is an additional cost and that is batteries to store the gold from the wind,because most appliances that you now have don't use direct current electricity and even if they do some times the wind is not there and some times it is too fast and the wind generator will cut out to protect itself from damage.You will also need to have a power distribution board.You should learn alot more about the process,because you are your own power company and if you have to hire everything done for you it will be very expensive and thus not cost effective. Take heart and study and learn,since when is that a bad thing.

Why not ask why!?

by usandthem at 8:11 PM on 17 Aug 2006

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