Sustainable Development and Water Supply

Throughout recorded history humans have used their surroundings to improve the way in which they live their everyday lives. In a very short time span, relative to the age of the earth, technology has advanced at unbelievable rate. With the incredible advancement of technology more resources are being used to create an environment that allows society to function and grow. People in a developed and technologically advanced society are living longer and healthier lives. Unfortunately this is increasing the population of the world; as the death rate decreases and the fertility rate around the world continues to increase. In society’s quest to become further developed, natural resources are being depleted at an uncontrollable rate that may be impossible to escape from. Humans have disrupted the balance that is essential for life. Humans have been taking advantage of the resources that have been given. With the ever increasing population society will become more dependent of the resources that the earth will not be able to provide one day. Water is the basis for life, but the earth only provides a small amount of fresh water. This water is being used in abundance for unnecessary utilities. Much of the fresh water is also being polluted as factories dispose of chemicals and garbage in and around fresh water supplies. In addition, agriculture is a necessity that people across the world take for granted. Almost all of the fertile land around the world has been used, creating problems for future food consumption. Energy is essential in developing a sustainable society. Oil is being used to create most of the world’s energy, but it is essential to switch to new methods as oil continues to be depleted. Developing and changing the ways in which society functions is imperative to develop a sustainable earth that generations will be able to inhabit.

The surface of the earth is covered primarily of water; almost seventy percent of the planet is covered in water. Within that seventy percent on two and half percent is fresh water while the other ninety seven and a half percent is undrinkable salt water. Nearly seventy percent of the fresh water is trapped in ice caps inaccessible to humans. Approximately only one percent of the world’s fresh water is readily available, being found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and underground sources that allow for easy and affordable access. There is only a small amount of fresh water that is available to humans, which is being used at a rate that is not sustainable for the amount of people on this planet. The water supply in countries all over the world is very low. In multiple third world countries, there is virtually no infrastructure to support the population of the country. They are not able to produce a sustainable way to provide water to citizens. The water that is available throughout the world is also being polluted on an unimaginable scale. Factories in less developed countries do not always following all safety regulations. Large amounts of pollution from these factories are being dumped into nearby rivers and lakes as it seems like an easy solution to unwanted chemicals and garbage. This does not necessarily only happen in third world countries, it occurs all over the world and it is becoming a massive problem that might not have a solution in a few years’ time. There is only a small amount of consumable water on the planet and if the actions of humanity continue, it will become increasingly difficult to reverse these disastrous outcomes. Massive amounts of eco systems are suffering due to the pollution that goes into the water each and every day. Humanity must change to ensure that fresh water is available for multiple generations to come. Water must be a sustainable resource in order for humanity to function properly. In the current situation, the fresh water resource will be consumed in a short period of time. It will become increasingly difficult to make changes after this resource is depleted, that is why changes must be made soon in order to ensure a successful future.

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The population is growing at a rate that will make it difficult to supply food to people across the earth. Across the earth millions are malnourished due to the fact that countries do not have land or fertile land to grow food to feed their people. With the growth of the population more land will be used to build homes to accommodate. Today almost all of the fertile land is already in use to grow food. Some countries have been purchasing land from other countries that have an abundance of land but they themselves are unable to provide for their own people. Agriculture is one of the most important factors that will determine if the earth will be sustainable for future generations to inhabit. It is important that humanity uses their resources properly and efficiently to ensure a future for multiple generations to come. One of the solutions that have arisen is the use of indoor crop production which would allow for maximum space efficiency. Indoor food production would allow for multiple floors to grow crops while still maintaining the normal size of a farmer’s field. “Fly over Holland and you’ll find yourself looking down on a sea of glass; here, hydroponic greenhouses account for 50 percent of the value of all fruit and vegetables produced in the country – a practical response to soil depletion, disease and salinization”(Riley, Tess). The process of indoor farming decreases the plants vulnerability to soil degradation and disease. Ideally through this method it becomes simpler in the means of irrigation. Pipes are run throughout the building allowing sprinklers to water the planets any time of the day. This is the most plausible solution to the agriculture crisis. It will be difficult for the world to continue down the path it is heading. Pollution and over population will continue to affect how agriculture will be seen over the next decade. New solutions will become increasingly sought after to help this global crisis. Developing a sustainable way to farm will be of the up most important. Indoor farming is only a small piece of the puzzle to creating a sustainable agricultural base for humanity.

In today’s world, energy has driven humanity to the point where it is dependent for that of the smallest tasks. It is difficult to reminisce about what the world would be like without the use of machines that convert energy into electricity. Oil, since its discovery has been one of the, if not the most important substance on the planet. It is used in almost everything; from paint to clothes it has touched humanity in a very strong way. However, oil is not a sustainable resource. It is currently running its path toward depletion. In due course there will be no more oil on the planet. Oil contains a massive amount of energy that is harnessed and used for the production of electricity. Over half of the world’s electricity is created through the use of oil. It will be difficult to find a replacement for this resource. As oil is being depleted the world must turn to other sources of energy that will allow for sustainability. Alternative methods of producing electricity include solar and wind but current alternative energy sources currently only supply twenty percent of the world’s electricity. These alternative methods must be considered to be the future of harnessing energy once the oil reserves have dried completely. These methods do take a lot of space to produce electricity efficiently, but it may be a price that is willing to be paid in the near future. Creating a sustainable way to produce energy and electricity is very important for future generation to strive like current society has. Energy goals of the future are based around the process of fusion reactions. If scientists and engineers are able to sustain a fusion reaction and harness the energy exerted by the reaction then the energy problems of the world would be solved. It is essential that humanity continues to develop and explore new ways to create sustainable energy resources. It is imperative that society changes the way it functions as not all resources in the future will be at human’s disposal. Change must be brought now in order to provide a sustainable society for future generations of humanity.

On the contrary to some beliefs, the world is not in a sustainable state for future generations to inhabit. Today’s society is on a course that will not end well. It is important for society to change their path towards sustainable development that would allow future generations to flourish. Current water situations should restrict the usage of certain tasks to help preserve what fresh water is available to us. Water is essential to all life, and as factories continue to pollute in what little fresh water is available it seemingly decreases a sustainable way of life for all. The advancement in the field of agriculture is important for humanity to survive. With almost all of the fertile soil already being used it is important to turn to other methods to create a yearly sustainable way to produce food. Indoor facilities will be depended heavily upon in the future for the production of the worlds food supply. Through the use of conventional oil, the world has become dependent on this substance. Alternative energy is the way of the future. One day it will have to replace oil because it is a sustainable way of producing electricity. It is important that humanity soon see how life cannot continue down its current path. New and improved ideas must be designed to create a sustainable environment that will allow for future generation to flourish as well as this generation has.

Works Cited

“Human Appropriation of the World’s Fresh Water Supply.” Human Appropriation of the World’s Fresh Water Supply. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

Riley, Tess. “The Rise of Indoor Cropping.” Triple Pundit People Planet Profit. N.p., 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.