In rather dramatic fashion,
Future Earth 2025 takes us on an extraordinary CGI journey into the future offering a vision of what the world might be like if we continue to deplete one of our primary resources – water. Los Angeles consumed by raging firestorms, Rome under attack from billons [sic] of locusts, Washington DC flooded, massive dust storms engulfing Las Vegas, nations suffering drought as rivers dry up, forcing conflicts over water. Just the stuff of apocalyptic Hollywood movies?
Its [sic] estimated the world’s ever growing propulation will need 50% more water in the next 20 years. Future Earth 2025 creates credible disaster scenarios based on changing weather and rain patterns, and uses the testimony of world leading scientists and engineers to project the future, and explore how these disasters can be diverted by adopting new technologies and making changes to the way we live.
The documentary is available online and is well-worth watching. As the blurb states, it is all based on respectable science and the “disaster scenarios” are credible. I didn’t find the CGI particularly gripping – this is no Avatar – but viewers will certainly get the idea.
Scientists have been voicing concerns about water shortages for some years now, but like everything else the scientists tell us, we tend to ignore it if it requires any sort of change. We can ignore reality for only so long, of course. The blurb above only hints at conflict over water, but water wars seem almost certain as upstream countries divert water for their own use.
Think about how long you can go without water, and that’s how long there will be peace if there are water shortages. Any country facing mass starvation because an upstream country has diverted a river will be forced to go to war very quickly.
Current attempts by various corporations to privatise water are also likely to be violently reversed very quickly, although this issue is not covered. The excellent series Water for Profit: How Multinationals are Taking Control of Public Resource, also from the CBC and in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists shows how privatisation has been a disaster in many cases and caused riots in some.
Some of the pending calamities have actually started to make the U.S. mainstream media, such as the drying up of Lake Mead – and with good reason. At the current rate, Lake Mead will fall below a critical threshold by 2021 – only 11 years from now. At that time, the level will fall below the sluice gates and there will be no water for Las Vegas and millions of other Americans – and Mexicans, under an international water-sharing agreement – and the damn will cease to provide power for Los Angeles.
Perhaps the most chilling takeaway is how soon some of these rather major disasters could occur; 2025 is only 15 years away.
6 comments ↓
I have heard this a long time ago and it just makes sense. If we don’t do something where will the future be. Very valid points made here!
i think if we do something right now, we could certaintly be able to decrease the outcome of the effects of these important factors of the water crisis. I think if we could encourage and educate the ‘right people’ we can pursue better positive outcome for our children and their children children’s.
it has been perdicted for thousands of years that the world must come to an end now that the apoclyptic signs are just upon us we must prepare for what is about to hit not towns, citys, nations or lands but our world is on a ticking countdown to the great tribulation as recorded in the book of Revelation concerning loucus and wars and the earth burning with fire etc. But there is hope in Christ and the word of God clears says a man sees trouble coming and he prepares himself we must help ourselves as well as others in these times and come togather not to run from danger but pertect what is at stake.
I think this is very easily preventable, and all we have to do is plan for the future. Scientists have started to research a water purifier type thing that will turn saltwater (or any water) into drinking water. That might help a little bit with the proposed crisis. However, I think that the public needs to stop and think for a minute. With the growing populations of India and China, the world will end up being overpopulated. Unless we can have the massive skyscrapers from the movie Fifth Element, we will have to populate other planets. It’s not that hard of a concept, yet people are either having a hard time grasping the concept of leaving planet earth or they just don’t want to change. I think that the idea of going to other planets will help with the proposed problem of no water.
No matter how much we plan, there are always certain things way beyond our control. No humans can ever fight against the nature. Nature is always the prevailing one…
Very informative document. helped me for an assignment .
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