in my own words Peter H. Gleick, PhD

in my own words
Water, Water, Not Quite Everywhere
Peter H. Gleick, PhD
Co-founder and President
The Pacific Institute
As an internationally recognized water expert, Dr. Peter Gleick has made it his
mission to make our planet healthier and our communities more sustainable. He
is a MacArthur Fellow and an Academician of the International Water Academy in
Oslo, Norway. In his latest book, Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession
with Bottled Water, he challenges us to reconsider a seemingly ubiquitous resource.
A Meandering Path
CARL GANTER, CIRCLE OF BLUE
I’ve always loved the outdoors. I grew
up in New York City, but even in this
big urban area I was able to find bits
and pieces of natural beauty. I learned
to watch birds in Central Park with my
father; I explored beaches and forests
during the summer. Later, I discovered
the wonders of this nation’s national parks,
forests, and preserves. As I got older,
I kept finding myself drawn to issues
around freshwater.
I studied engineering at Yale and
hydroclimatology at the University of
California at Berkeley, but I knew that the
work I really wanted to do went beyond
building dams and wastewater treatment plants. Engineering taught me how
to satisfy the needs of a hundred thousand people by
pouring concrete; I was never taught to think about the
ecological, social, or political consequences of that path.
Then, a grant I received after graduate school gave me
the opportunity to study global conflict, climate change,
and natural resources, and that confirmed my conviction that water would be our most significant long-term
concern. I could already see that our infrastructure-heavy
20th-century water solutions were not the answer to the
looming water crisis. Nothing short of a new age for water
use was needed, and I wanted to work on that.
Vital Signs
From rapid climate changes to water contamination to
political conflict over shared water resources, there are
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plenty of different kinds of water problems in the world
today. But my biggest concern is the failure to provide
safe drinking water and sanitation to everyone on the
planet. Of all our water problems, this one is the most
inexcusable because the technology exists to provide
safe water and the cost is not excessive.
Despite the remarkable technical and social revolutions of recent decades, 900 million people lack safe
drinking water; 2.5 billion lack adequate sanitation.
Millions die from preventable water-related diseases—perhaps as many as 2 million children a year.
Water-related conflicts are on the rise. And new threats
such as climate change are altering the global water
cycle. An adequate supply of safe, clean water is closely
connected to every vital resource issue of our time:
human and ecosystem health, escape from poverty,
resolution of conflict, sustainable energy, adequate food,
and strong communities.
World Health Organization statistics show that there
are 4 billion cases of diarrhea and millions of other
cases of illness caused each year by unsafe water—
water that isn’t clean enough for safe drinking. Every
year 2.2 million people die from diarrhea and most of
them are children under five. The places most in need
of improved water and sanitation are in sub-Saharan
Africa, and also in Western Asia and Eurasia. And overall, rural areas have further to go than urban areas.
Even here in America, the groundwater wells of some
rural communities are contaminated by industrial or
agricultural waste. If there is any country that should be
able to meet basic needs for safe water and sanitation
for 100 percent of its population, it is the United States.
No Peace in the Valley
We have a wonderful water system in the U.S., with great
tap water delivered to many of our homes seven days
a week, 24 hours a day. So it’s hard to believe that there
are still communities in this country with unsafe water.
In the San Joaquin Valley in central California, there
are communities whose drinking water is contaminated
by nitrates, which have seeped into the water from
manure from farm animals, fertilizer for agriculture,
and leaking septic systems. These rural areas
Jan/Feb 2011
water bills, and you even can figure out your water use online.
My organization, the Pacific Institute, has a free online tool called
WECalc (www.wecalc.org) that can help you figure out your
home water use and how to save water and energy.
Making Waves
The Good News
We have known for a long time that the U.S. Safe Drinking
Water Act—the nation’s law regulating contaminants in our tap
water—is in need of updating and reform. We have also known
for a long time that research into the health effects of many
chemicals released into our water has not been adequate. The
Environmental Protection Agency and Congress need to update
the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the government must do more
research into the safety of chemicals so we can regulate the
dangerous ones. We also need to upgrade our water systems
with the latest, most sophisticated technologies for treating
and cleaning water. We know how to purify water, even badly
contaminated water. Let’s do it!
Of course, having enough money to make these changes is
always a problem. But here is where I think the money can come
from: first, from you and me, in our water bills. Our water bills are
actually pretty low when you consider how very important water
is. Think about how much money we spend on cell phones, or for
300 cable channels. The water bill is usually lower than that.
Also, industries that release harmful chemicals into the water
should pay to help clean the water and keep it safe. We call this the
“polluter pays” principle. When polluters have to pay for their pollution, they often find smart and effective ways to clean it up.
Most of us have no idea how much water we use
every day. One of the most important things we can
do to help make our water sustainable into the
future is to understand our water use and to care
about using it wisely. The information is on our
Singapore is an example of a country making smart, progressive moves when it comes to water. They have been working
for years to do two key things: reduce the demand for water by
improving efficiency and cutting waste; and expand alternative
sources of supply. One of the first things they did was to price
water properly, so that people were encouraged to use it wisely.
With aggressive conservation and efficiency, there is less water
that they need to supply. They also capture rainwater to use and
collect wastewater, treat it to a very high quality for reuse, and
have considered new supply options, such as desalination when
it can be done economically and in an environmentally acceptable manner.
The good news is that more and more attention is being paid
to water around the world. In September the United Nations
Human Rights Council adopted a resolution recognizing the
human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. This resolution
is a great victory—and it’s been a long time coming.
www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine
Ways You Can Help
Every little bit helps. Use water carefully at home by making sure
that water-using appliances are efficient. (Toilets, showerheads,
and washing machines can all be water-efficient.) Work in your
local community to help restore a watershed or creek, or to elect
good people to local water boards. Help national or international
charities raise money for water projects overseas, or volunteer
your time for these groups. Campaign for government officials
who care about water and the environment. Make good personal choices: drink tap water and carry a refillable bottle.
Even small actions can have big positive effects!
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shutterstock, International livestock research institute
are served by small water systems, and it is the low-income and
Latino communities that are most affected by this contamination.
The nitrate-contaminated water can make people sick, especially
babies, so people have to either buy water or use less water.