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The Forum > Article Comments > Water scarcity: a threat to global food supply > Comments

Water scarcity: a threat to global food supply : Comments

By Mark Rosegrant, published 17/8/2006

Water is not like oil - there is no substitute. If we continue to take it for granted, much of the Earth will run short of water or food - or both.

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"Asked what concerned them most, respondents rated water shortages equal last with overcrowding."

"http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/the-water-we-take-for-granted/2006/08/18/1155408025290.html

This SMH article represents a typical lie based on Howard spin and riddle.

Only an unsatidfactory poll mechanism would put Overcrowding and Water shortages last on that poll list. I mean for water and overcrowding to be last, there had to be a list. That list HAD to have been pre-itemised, and anyone who thinks Howard would not arrange the list so Water and overcrowding would be last still believes in Santa.

Further, the poll was another one of those Nation-wide ones when it should have been based on Sydney alone because Sydney has 25% of the population and is being singled out with around 100,000 immigrants and more than 50,000 of their cars as an extra load on Sydney every year.

The real questions of relevance here should have been:

*Do you think Peak Hour Times are getting longer in the main focus of immigration, Sydney, because of too many cars and thus too many people settling in Sydney. And trains, police, hospitals?

* Do you think Water restrictions in Sydney are unfair when they are purely related to Government and corporations unsustainably profiteering from focusing immigration in Sydney.

*Do you think the above concerns are top of the list, bearing in mind Australia is ONE NATION where we should be 'all for one and one for all', when corrupt forces are clearly perpetrating commercial injustices against our fellow citizens of Sydney.

I think all Australians would tell the truth and answer positively on those concerns.

Additionally the poll should have at least had a quarter of respondents chosen from Sydney to reflect the population balance! I mean they probably asked 2000 of the 3550 people from elite Melbourne Suburbs to enforce their desired media propaganda.

God help us all when New Media Monopoly laws get passed. I can see the first poll now:

" Australians, in a new Federal Poll (1000 people in Wahroonga!) agree that all traffic offenders and abusers of water restrictions should be transported to New Zealand Penal Colonies"
Posted by KAEP, Saturday, 19 August 2006 7:42:29 AM
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The author got one thing right: water is nothing like oil. The supply of water is many orders of magnitude greater. Other than the article seemed to be saying *we* have to do this this and this because of some problem *they* are having over in the third world. Seems an odd basis for a discussion of policy in Australia.
Posted by Disputur, Saturday, 19 August 2006 8:37:52 AM
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Water and its infrastructure should not every be privatised. It must remain in the hands of the people.

Australian's are too urbanised to fully understand the effects of the drought and just how serious it is. I have quite a few who think the water crises is a government conspiracy to charge us the earth...that there is no real shortage. Have they visited a dam? Nope.
Posted by Spider, Saturday, 19 August 2006 5:10:29 PM
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“Yes Ludwig, but what do you suggest about the populations?”

It’s a good question Miacat.

I think you are on the right track – education, especially for women and girls, family planning, the provision of basic necessities and an overall raising of standard of living. If the will was there these things could be implemented by the UN and governments around the world.

If Mark Rosegrant was arguing for improved water-provision and water-use efficiency as part of a sustainability program, in which the continuous growth factor was addressed just as vigorously, then fine. But he, like so many other writers of similar articles on this forum, is not doing that…. and is therefore rather blindly (but inadvertently) facilitating unending population growth, or I should say; population growth that will end pretty soon, in an almighty crash.

Okay, so there have proven to be significant downsides to concerted efforts to control population growth, especially in China. But as bad as they may be, they are nothing compared to the prospects of our global population continuing to grow much beyond its current level.

Unfortunately I believe that it is too late. Even our best efforts are only going to result in a reduction of the growth rate, not a stabilisation of population, let alone a total reduction, which is what we rather desperately need and in a pretty short timeframe.

But this is no excuse for not putting the maximum effort that we can into it, or for imploring good people like Dr Rosegrant not to just accept that our population will continue to increase.

The whole purpose of their jobs, careers and lives is lost if they just accept this continued increase as inevitable.
Posted by Ludwig, Sunday, 20 August 2006 12:08:23 AM
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Well put Ludwig and especially the last point. "The whole purpose of their jobs, careers and lives is lost if they just accept this continued increase as inevitable"

And so goes for all of us "by standers" er?

Reply 1:

I wonder though when it comes to population control - if there is one thing in common... it is the historical or even transmissive descent of the ethical and moral. Be it allowing water to waste ie: leaving taps on - allowing the hose or farm bore to leak.... then it is a similar problem with population control. False ideation of "affluence" which seems to appear with capitalism in all cultures.

I feel it needs to be a global thing, to care more about the "rights of children", their livehood in the future... through the way we socialise as adults, (ie: not to carelessly procreate... which involves the minds - body and souls of both men and woman).

I can't stand blaming the undeveloped world... when we (the so called developed world ) are so obviously wreckless.

For me it comes down to (wait for it... ) "how civilised who"?

I see the populations of yester-year in Europe and England took their fair share of hardship... before these governments and industries built their capital... from the resources of the poorer now underdeveloped nations.

Fear of sickness, disease and the need for family labour were the issues then as they are now, everywhere where there is poverty. You'd think we could get round this eh... having the knowledge to know better?

We are no where unless we keep flagging the issues, badger the officals, and anyone else "acting" deaf... inspiring all to work together.

For me it is about transfering our knowledge - even though I do know it is all going to possibly make things increasingly difficult because we need these hard new sustainable development policies... because people unforunately won't use disscretion on their own.
Posted by miacat, Monday, 21 August 2006 12:09:40 AM
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Reply 2:

I wish the mums and dads of Asia - Africa - the small Island states did not have to go through what many of previous generations went through... be it lack of drinking water, lack of food or others survival issues.

I wish our lot would be a wee bit smarter in the ethical sense than fight so hard to be so reckless.

Moreso, I wish the government would work from the ground up... include people in these sustainable polices... it might be the "who, what and when" in the why being the gift behind the way... these strategies work.

Social inclusiveness has to be the next step for both communities and governments!

People need to be part of the process if we need them to own it's outcome.

www.miacat.com
Posted by miacat, Monday, 21 August 2006 12:14:57 AM
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