Date/Time
Date(s) - 5th March 2012
12:00 am

Location


Not just an interesting title, but what promises to be a great discussion by the Water Related Livery Companies.

NULLA VITA SINE AQUA; SINE CLOACIS VITA BREVIS*

The speakers are Sir John Beddington, Government Chief Scientist and Baron Redesdale.

First there is the decline in water resources in many parts of the world due to over-abstraction. Internationally we are seeing the virtual disappearance of major rivers such as Colorado and Jordan and of seas such as the Aral Sea. At the same time we are seeing mining of ancient ground water (which will not be replenished) in North Africa and Middle East and severe lowering of the water table in such areas as south west USA. The UK is not immune to this issue with increasing water stress in south east of England likely only to be aggravated by climate change.

Secondly, there is inadequate sanitation in many parts of the world. 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water and 2.6 billion, 40% of the world’s population, do not have access to proper sanitation. Every six seconds a child dies of water related illness.

Thirdly, water supply in developed economies is a major energy user and contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The water industry on its own accounts for 2% of the UK’s energy use whilst more than twice that amount of energy is used on heating water by domestic users. Bottled water in particular can have significant adverse environmental effects because of the energy used in producing bottles and in transporting them – the average bottle in the UK is transported 900 miles. For these reasons the Wet 10 are committed to the use of tap water wherever possible at our events.

*Without water there is no life; without sanitation life is short