I knew very little about water security before I took this course and I’m sure there’s much more I still don’t know. One of my key takeaways from this course is how very close and real the water crisis is. I didn’t fully know or understand that drinkable water was less than 1% of the water available in the world or that we were using it so fast that we’re already seeing real significant problems. I think since I started from such an uninformed position, I really had several takeaways; including how many ways water is used. For example, how Lake Mead is used to generate power but that it stops generating power when the water reaches 1050 feet and it’s only a little bit above that at 1096 feet now. I didn’t realize the water crisis was so immediate that currently one of our rivers was at risk of being too low to generate energy. Another key takeaway for me is the issue with water in Las Vegas. I didn’t realize Las Vegas is so close to running out of water that it’s estimated to happen in less than three years. It’s incredible to me to think that a city would be so close to running out of water and this wouldn’t be common knowledge to most people. My main, and I think most important takeaway, is how crucial it is to raise the issue of water conservation so that it become something everyone understands and is committed to solving.
-Tyler
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Gaining knowledge should have an impact not just on yourself but on others too. We live in a truly global albeit uneven world, where the impact of excess water fountains and other waste in America impacts the water stress and water scarcity in Africa and Asia. This nonrenewable but limited resource is in everything that we do and ties us all together. As people we have to be stewards of the planet. But how do we achieve change? That was the most valuable takeaway for me; learning how we can make an impact by creating awareness to get people involved in furthering water security. The main issue is that there is a gap between the experts and the average Joe; those who are aware of water insecurity and those who are unaware but have a direct and significant impact on water security. If one can bridge this gap by creating a platform for easy exchange of ideas and raise awareness of issues we can make a significant impact in reducing global water insecurity.
– Judith
——————————————————————————————————————————-Prior to the start of this semester I envisioned water security as a problem in developing countries that lacked access to clean water, or possibly pollution caused by faceless corporations. In my mind I visualized how NGOs (non-government organizations) like Greenpeace were fighting for change while assuming that our government would draw-up policies to protect our natural resources. These visions, although partially true, represents only a fraction of the problem. Over the course of 4 months we were enlightened to a range of global problems that didn’t seem to be common knowledge, especially in a privileged society that takes these natural resources for granted. The lack of attention to these global issues drove our class to increase awareness by developing this website and the collection of water stories, facts, and figures embedded herein. To me, the most important ‘take-away’ is realizing how precious this limited resource is to our livelihood and how my family and I could become part of the solution by making marginal changes in our daily lives.
~Ryan
———————————————————————————————————————————–
I realized the importance of water at an early age. When I was six, my city was attacked by a severe flood which caused us to lose electrical power and clean water for several days. My family had to purchase bottled water. Unfortunately, the bottled water was contaminated which resulted in me being seriously ill. After that, I started to be more concerned with water, especially water’s quality. This class gave me further understanding of water through the many different speakers invited to lecture each class. I am always surprised by lots of new information and inspired by these people and organizations that are doing well by doing good. The most valuable takeaway for me is having a clearer view of how we can get more individuals involved in our march to save and protect water. The key is to reduce the communication gap between water experts and average people, building a water conversation that can be easily understood by anyone, using examples and figures that relate to daily life. You can show them clearly what they are able to do themselves and what others have already been doing.
Water in interconnected with all the other things in the world. Everyone should be aware of how essential water is and begin to change their behavior in order to save it. I sincerely hope our project can deliver the knowledge we learned to more people and, most importantly, motivate them to make a difference.
– Hui
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Water is essential to all human life. Yet, the value of this essential resource continues to be overlooked. There truly is a discrepancy between the value of water and the price that we pay to receive clean drinkable water. Throughout this initiative I learned that some companies have made great changes regarding water sustainability because they realize the value of water: Dupont, Campbell’s Soup, and Coca-Cola. These companies’ stewardship is the hallmark of progress being made in addressing the water security crisis. Clearly, these companies are shining examples of how to achieve a more sustainable environment through a proactive desire.
However, the responsibility of obtaining water security rests with more than businesses. Water security and sustainability involves a number of intersecting components: government, businesses, non-profits, and everyday people. When any of these components align in partnerships amazing things can happen. Sometimes it takes the partnering of an unlikely pair such as The Nature Conservancy and BP. Everyone should remember that thinking outside the box is when real change can occur.
In the end what truly matters is that water security is highlighted and change occurs. Throughout this initiative I learned that while sometimes businesses and non-profits can partner together to make change – so can average people. In fact that is how Connect4water was established: seven graduate students whose mission was to show the true value of water. I hope through our literature, website, Slideshare, and Twitter account that real change can occur in the minds of all of our readers.
-Adam
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Growing up on the island of Taiwan, I always had a special relationship with water. Water is the resource without a definite value. Often individuals will know how much their electric bill cost, how much their phone bill cost, but they will have no idea how much exactly their water and wastewater bill is. Water is essential; it is a vital part of urban growth. Dubai is the shining example of how mega cities can grow in any region when water is available. But is the growth healthy? The UN estimates that by 2050 there will be an additional 3 billion people with most of the growth in developing countries that already suffer water stress. World Business Council for Sustainable Development stated that, “The world is not ‘running out of water,’ but it may not always available when and where people need it.” As I continue to live in a world where water is available when I turn the faucet on, I know that there are many in the World where water means miles of walking or hours of waiting. What is the value of water to them? What is your value of water?
-Gordon
———————————————————————————————————————————–
I started a Save the Earth club at my school when I was in third grade. After college, I spent a year working for AmeriCorps in an environmental restoration program. Needless to say, I have always considered myself environmentally conscious. That being said, I was surprised at how much this class expanded my mindset regarding our dependence on water and the many ways in which it is woven into our daily lives. It is very easy to consider the value of water on a massive scale when you experience a flood or a drought. It is easy to consider the value of water in our daily lives when we take a shower or drink a glass of it after a run. What is not easy is to keep in mind the ways in which water plays its biggest roles: out of sight! I never knew how much water I was using just to eat food or turn on the lights or wear a pair of jeans. Almost everything we touch throughout the day required water in its making. That is a powerful thought to keep top of mind as consumers in our bustling society.
I also never realized that the oceans are responsible for our climate and the creation of oxygen, or just how little usable water we have on Earth. There are so many things we value in our lives. This class has ensured that I will never under-value water again and that it will remain top of mind in my daily actions – especially when purchasing food and goods. I hope that anyone visiting this website leaves with the same takeaways.
– Jenna
Connect4Water 