Mexico is facing its worst drought in 69 years and a the lack of rainfall is depleting underground water reserves. Scientists say it's due to climate change, but others say water is being mismanaged and wasted, too. Now, Mexican President Felipe Calderon is asking Mexicans to cherish the resource as if it's a member of the family.
Calderon's water-saving campaign slogan is "The water is like your family, protect it!" He's urging citizens to start conserving the precious resource and using only what's necessary. The amount of water available per citizen has dropped dramatically. Half a century ago there was 18,000 cubic meters per citizen, now there's just 4,000 cubic meters. Scarcity of water is causing tensions in poor areas of the country and agricultural exports are dropping due to the impact that water shortages have on crops and livestock production.
In Mexico City, the problem is even worse with a population of 20 million and an overuse of water. There, Calderon says for every 10 liters of water 4 liters were wasted. Plus, rainwater doesn't get a chance to replenish the underground aquifers, instead it flows into drains. This is causing the city to sink up to a foot a year!
So something clearly has to change to slow the water scarcity issue in Mexico. If comparing it to loving and caring for your family helps drive the message home, how great. Shouldn't we all be protecting and nurturing Mother Earth and all of our natural resources? Maybe someone should ask Nestle execs if they think they're treating water as if it's a member of their family. Taking it from it's home, sending it away and selling it -- that doesn't sound like something you'd do to your family, does is it?
Image by dkmhl on Stock.xchng.
Calderon's water-saving campaign slogan is "The water is like your family, protect it!" He's urging citizens to start conserving the precious resource and using only what's necessary. The amount of water available per citizen has dropped dramatically. Half a century ago there was 18,000 cubic meters per citizen, now there's just 4,000 cubic meters. Scarcity of water is causing tensions in poor areas of the country and agricultural exports are dropping due to the impact that water shortages have on crops and livestock production.
In Mexico City, the problem is even worse with a population of 20 million and an overuse of water. There, Calderon says for every 10 liters of water 4 liters were wasted. Plus, rainwater doesn't get a chance to replenish the underground aquifers, instead it flows into drains. This is causing the city to sink up to a foot a year!
So something clearly has to change to slow the water scarcity issue in Mexico. If comparing it to loving and caring for your family helps drive the message home, how great. Shouldn't we all be protecting and nurturing Mother Earth and all of our natural resources? Maybe someone should ask Nestle execs if they think they're treating water as if it's a member of their family. Taking it from it's home, sending it away and selling it -- that doesn't sound like something you'd do to your family, does is it?
Image by dkmhl on Stock.xchng.
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