D
Dervish
Guest
There's the same amount of water on Earth now as there was millions of years ago, that point isn't in contention.
My point about clean water not always being around forever is because the more pollution increases and water tables and sources aren't protected, it's possible to deplete groundwater sources and make surface water pretty much untreatable to the point of being rendered non-potable. It's not unlike air quality; there's always going to be air, but if we aren't careful with our industry, we can all end up like Bejing where cardiovascular issues are the norm because the smog is super thick.
I work in the industry, and I have to deal with a lot of ignorance about water from entire communities, so if I'm being sharp tongued it's because honestly, it's the only way it sinks in people's head's that you have to be mindful of your habits, because while one household isn't going to make a spitball of difference, the accumulated effects of several households can make all the difference in the world. It's also expensive to treat water, so the more pollution or strain on a water source means the larger and more complicated the facilities have to be, often necessitating upgrades, and in extreme cases, finding entirely new water sources. Ontario's lucky because it's surrounded by the Great Lakes and has numerous smaller ones to draw from that can support the population, but in a lot of places, including the Great Lakes, the water level in the lakes is dropping, both from the climate, destruction of wetlands, and overuse. As well, if treatment processes aren't done properly, a lot of the effluent leaving wastewater facilities increases the nutrient loads on lakes, which cause algae blooms, which kill fish and choke out other life in the lakes. Ecosystems are incredibly fragile things, and overuse and improper conservation practices are huge contributors to strain on the water resources. If you don't think that 12 million people, nearly one third of the population of the country and a huge percentage of it's industrial base, in South Ontario isn't causing a large strain on the fresh water sources, think again. The Great Lakes are literally disappearing. And it's not just Ontario, it's all the Northeast American states, as well.
So sure, you aren't in California, but you're helping contribute to a looming catastrophe in your own backyard without even being aware it's happening, and Ontario doesn't have a 3-year drought as an excuse.
As for targeting you, it was because you were the first person to use specific examples of knowing waste, and I was explaining how much was actually being wasted, which applies to anybody reading it. Look, I know it sucks being called out on bad habits (lord knows I have my fair share), but seriously, I can't stress enough that every single person's habits can make a difference, and people really need to understand that just because it reliably comes out of the tap doesn't mean there's a lot of it to go around. Unless society and industry as a whole gets their heads out of their asses, there's going to be huge water shortages, which will lead to increased costs, some communities shutting down, crop failures, and massive hits to the economy since you can't use the water systems anymore for shipping.
So no, it's not just you. It's a lot of people, and that's the problem. Most people aren't even aware there's a problem or where their water comes from or where it goes and consume it at exponential rates while the population starts to boom.
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