Presentation Outline November 8, 2010
Posted by alexh1992 in Assignment 6.3 comments
The purpose of this assignment is to choose and expand upon a topic for a presentation that can be related to a subject in our textbook.
The topic I chose: The Rise of Water Scarcity and How it Should be Counteracted
Molles (2010) states that “water plays a central role in the lives of all organisms” (p. 126). This means that without water the survival of organisms would be impossible. Water was previously considered a renewable resource. Though, with the increase of the human population and water pollution, this is no longer the case. Molles (2010) remarks that less than 1% of the world’s water is freshwater (p. 45). Therefore, water availability is decreasing and devastating effects are starting to occur.
The average person needs to drink about eight 8-ounce glasses (or 1.9 liters) of water daily. So, water is a daily necessity for people. However, water is limited. The growing human population and water pollution has become an enormous stressor on water availability.
Fig. 1
Water Availability Map
“Source”
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41997000/gif/_41997832_stockholm_water_main.gif
This is an extremely urgent issue because water is a resource that people need every day. Strict measures of water conservation should immediately be taken if we want current and future generations to have access to freshwater.
Here is a video that explains how in 2050 India’s water demand will be noticeably larger than its availability. It also describes ways in which they can possibly combat this situation.
Vid. 1
Acute Water Scarcity by 2050
“Source”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjG5zmIrXUI
“Population and the Future of Renewable Water Supplies” discusses how water scarcity is climbing due to the escalation of the human population. The article states that water stress in 2050 will be five times what it is now in countries who are already experiencing water stress. Even though population growth is increasing, it is increasing at a slower rate than what was predicted in 1994. Even though population growth is still occurring, slower population growth will give countries more time to “develop alternate sources of water, to switch to more efficient irrigation techniques, and to implement water conservation plans” (Population and the Future of Renewable Water Supplies).
I believe this site is very credible. Firstly, it’s domain is “.edu” therefore it’s an educational site. Also, it has numerous sources on its reference list that are from many prestigious new papers and journals. An author is not provided, but writer constantly gives proper citations throughout the article. The author also speaks with much knowledge while still staying objective.
References
1. Molles, M.C. (2010). Ecology. Concepts and Applications. 5th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.
2. Population and the Future of Renewable Water Supplies (1998). Retrieved November 8, 2010 from http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/PopFreshwaterSources.html
