Page 51 - The Celestia Project

MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE
By 2050, free-flow sprinklers could be found only in antique shops, and advanced septic transport and filter systems made
scenes like the annual visit from “the pump man” a distant memory.
years. Where will the water to sustain them come from? Futurist Lester and wasteful lifestyles. Add to this mix the certain uncertainty
Brown warns that much of Asia may be “headed for a Dust Bowl.”
Desert Planet. Desertification of arable land is increasing
rapidly in more than 100 places worldwide. Climate change is
likely to accelerate the problem.
Add to this list the pollution of fresh water from natural gas
fracking, the rising global consumption of water-thirsty beef,
the water waste associated with growing corn for biofuel and
the devastating impacts of the cotton industry, and you can
see why scientists are sounding the alarm. It’s not that water is
“disappearing.” We still have the same amount of water on earth as
we ever did, but human activities are making drinkable versions
of it less and less accessible.
The desperate scenarios in our future are not inevitable. They
assume the worst in human behavior—where current trends in
water use (and misuse) continue unchecked, including population
growth, meat consumption, consumerism, stormwater runoff
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of climate change, and you can see why the mood among many
scientists is generally bleak—and getting bleaker.
Water as a Human Right
It may not be on your radar here in the U.S., but much of the world is
engaged in what they rightly see as a life-or-death struggle to retain
control of local water supplies. The power of giant corporations and
their front organizations, including the deceptively named World
Water Council, should not be underestimated. Multinationals such
as Suez, Nestle and Pepsi hope to secure rights to fresh water
resources worldwide, then sell them back to the world—at a profit.
Until recently, this bizarre theft of essential regional resources
for sustaining life seemed to be unstoppable. But consistent efforts,
particularly by people in South America, are beginning to turn the tide.
According to Maude Barlow, at a recent U.N. Assembly, “One
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