the forecast? world water wars
Without water there could be no human life on earth. That is a simple, clear fact that is indisputable. It is so important, nations are willing to relocate hundreds of thousands of people to divert water to a new location. But what would happen if the earth no longer had enough freshwater to support the population, or corporate interests controlled the water that was available? War. At least, that’s the theory behind the documentary Blue Gold: World Water Wars.
Filmmaker Sam Bozzo and his team present the idea that future wars will be fought over water resources, just as wars today are fought over oil, gold, or diamonds. Narrated by Malcolm McDonald, and based on a book by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, Blue Gold is a shocking, engaging film full of expert opinions, historical references, and the politics behind water resources. The movie, which won the audience choice award for environmental films at the 2008 Vancouver Film Festival, documents our mismanagement of water resources and the rise of corporate control over them worldwide. Given the importance of the subject, this film should be high on everyone’s Netflix queue.
Here are some water facts from the film:
- 97 percent of the world’s water is salt water. Three percent is fresh water–and much of that is polluted.
- We are pumping out 30 billion gallons of water a day and depleting the earth’s groundwater 15 times faster than it can be replenished through natural systems.
- Dr. Michel Kravcik believes the earth’s water systems could collapse in just 50 years.
- Florida has giant sinkholes from over-pumping groundwater.
- Manufacturing a car takes about 335,000 liters of water.
- In much of Africa, Coca-Cola’s Dasani brand water costs more than the company’s flagship cola.
- The Aral Sea, a giant lake in the former Soviet Union, has been mostly drained to irrigate cotton crops being grown in the desert.
- To get water to some Southern California homes, it must be transported via pipeline from 1,400 miles away. That’s more than half the width of the United States.
- The world’s largest water resources are located in Brazil, Canada, and Russia.
- Most U.S. cities get water from private companies.
