out a way to take out the carbon in the atmosphere and store it underground, a system called Direct Air Capture (DAC). Now this technology isn’t as advanced as environmental scientist would like it to be and there is not enough government funding in sustainable technologies to implement or even test these ideas. Additionally, this might not be the most sustainable solution since it requires just storing the carbon rather than finding some use for it.
So, what we do need to focus on is the more pressing matters that we can fix now or at least try to, like the over pumping of aquifers. We use so much water, it is estimated that the average person uses about 80-100 gallons of water each day (Perlman) and that’s only in first world countries. People in some third world countries don’t have this kind of access to water, so they evidently use a lot less, and because of that most die from dehydration. That’s upsetting when you think about takes approximately 2,700 liters of water to produce the cotton for one t-shirt (WWF), and a person only needs a minimum of about 2.7 - 3.7 liters of water a day (Perlman). Also, the average shower uses up to 5 gallons of water per minute, so think about that the next time you’re taking that long warm shower.
Using this amount of water is unnecessary, especially for a lot of our luxuries, yes, your coffee, excessive clothing and soda takes a lot of water to produce and are considered luxuries. It ultimately comes down to what are we willing to sacrifice to save ourselves? Water is essential to all life; as our population grows we will need more of it. If we continue our lifestyles the way they are we will not have enough of it and you can guess where the fate of humanity will lie. I’m not saying that other aspects of sustainability are less important, I just feel it is necessary for us to focus on the realistic things we can fix because carbon stays in the atmosphere for 20,50,70 or 200 years it’s hard to tell with Co2 because it varies in when in gets filtered out through the ocean. To focus on technologies that are barely funded possibly won’t solve the problem and some government officials don’t even believe in climate change caused by rising Co2 levels; it is unrealistic to try and get these projects going. We need to show government officials what is right in front of them, which is water and get government funding for water conservation efforts and education. Support your local aquifer, you can do this by being mindful of how much water you are using everyday and try to make the best effort possible to only use as much as required. It is also important to use non-toxic cleaners and shampoos that will not be harmful to the earth, because although is goes to a waste water treatment facility it still takes a lot of processes to get the water clean. Save the water for generations to come.
other aspects of sustainability are less important, I just feel it is necessary for us to focus on the realistic things we can fix because carbon stays in the atmosphere for 20,50,70 or 200 years it’s hard to tell with Co2 because it varies in when in gets filtered out through the ocean. To focus on technologies that are barely funded possibly won’t solve the problem and some government officials don’t even believe in climate change caused by rising Co2 levels; it is unrealistic to try and get these projects going. We need to show government officials what is right in front of them, which is water and get government funding for water conservation efforts and education. Support your local aquifer, you can do this by being mindful of how much water you are using everyday and try to make the best effort possible to only use as much as required. It is also important to use nontoxic cleaners and shampoos that will not be harmful to the earth, because although is goes to a waste water treatment facility it still takes a lot of processes to get the water clean. Save the water for generations to come.
“11 Facts About Water in the Developing World.” DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-water-developing-world.Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
“About Direct Air Capture Technology.” Carbon Engineering, carbonengineering.com/about-dac/. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
. “California Drought.” California Drought Information | USGS California Water Science Center, ca.water.usgs.gov/data/drought/. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
Eubanks, William E. “How Long Does Carbon Dioxide Stay in the Atmosphere.” Green and Growing, 14 Sept. 2017, www.greenandgrowing.org/how-long-does-carbon-dioxide-stay-in-the-atmosphere/. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
“Overpumping Reduces California's Groundwater Storage.” NASA, NASA, 12 Apr. 2017, www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6810. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
Perlman, USGS Howard. “Aquifers and Groundwater.” USGS Water-Science School, 1982, water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwaquifer.html. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
Perlman, USGS Howard. “Water Questions & AnswersHow Much Water Does the Average Person Use at Home per Day?” Per Capita Water Use. Water Questions and Answers; USGS Water Science School, Dec. 2016, water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-home-percapita.html.Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
“The Impact of a Cotton T-Shirt.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, 16 Jan. 2013, www.worldwildlife.org/stories/the-impact-of-a-cotton-t-shirt. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
“Tragedy of the Commons.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
“What Is the Minimum Water Consumption Per Day?” Healthy Eating | SF Gate, healthyeating.sfgate.com/minimum-water-consumption-per-day-9415.html. Accessed, Dec 4, 2017
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