Education
for Sustainable Living, Environmental Respect, and Celebrating the Quality of
Life.
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Signs of Progress As we look around at the state of water resources, it could be easy to get frustrated and pessimistic. But, there are some real signs of progress as well. Time for a Blue Revolution Basically in order to produce the required food we will need in the world, Sandra Postel has suggested that we need to effectively double water use efficiency in the world. Currently 90% of the water applied to fields is furrow irrigated (highly wasteful). Only 45% of the water applied with this irrigation method is utilized by the plants. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), water transmission to the field accounts for 15% is loss, field water loss (25%) and another 15% is lost within farm distributing the water. So, there is a great opportunity to improve what we are doing. Since "there is no such thing as a post-agricultural society" (Wiskel), it is time to find ways to improve water use methodologies. Methods to get there: 1) Reduce water loss below irrigation ditches; too many ditches are poorly constructed or constructed to save money, and the ditches leak water. 2) Reduce water loss from dammed water resources; through better international cooperation, dams could be constructed in one country to serve reduce evaporative loss. For instance, damming the Nile in the Sudan River causes much more evaporative loss than one in the Highlands of Ethiopia. More work is needed for these types of arrangements. 3) Breeding crops for improved water use efficiency and salt tolerance; conventional breeding methods take time, but are probably the safest way to breed plants to more effectively use water and tolerate higher levels of salinity. 4) Crop selection for site: to avoid irrigation disasters like the Aral Sea disaster, better crop selection for the site is necessary. For instance, wheat is more water efficient than cotton. 5) Take advantage of low-technology water sources such as treadle pumps, rainwater collection systems, and drip irrigation.
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of Maine System In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and in pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veterans' status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Questions and complaints about discrimination in any area of the University should be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens, (207) 581-1226. Information in this web site is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned in this web site. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied. |
