Climate Change in Regards to Water

Article 1

"Pacific Institute - Bottled Water and Energy." Pacific Institute: Research for People and the Planet. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html.

The source lists several key facts that highlight the large carbon footprint that the bottled water industry leaves behind. Tap water is the alternative to bottled water.

Most households in the United States have access to purified drinking water that is supplied via faucets, however many Americans choose to buy bottled water rather than take a drink of tap, a decision that leaves behind a substantial carbon footprint.

In 2006, Americans bought a total of 31.2 billion liters of water. Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and 3 liters of water were required to produce 1 liter of bottled water. 3.4 megajoules of energy are required in order to produce a typical 1-liter plastic bottle, capping and packaging. 900,000 tons of Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), a type of plastic typically produced by natural gases and petroleum, were required to produce water bottles. Once a plastic water bottled has been produced it must be shipped to markets, further increasing its carbon footprint.

Articles 2 & 3

"Climate Change." California Department of Water Resources. Web. 11 Feb. 2010. http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/.

Uncertain Future; Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for California's Water. Rep. State of California | The Resources Agency Department of Water Resources, Oct. 2008. Web. 10 Feb. 2009. http://www.water.ca.gov/climatechange/docs/ClimateChangeWhitePaper.pdf.

These two sources host valuable pieces of information regarding California's increasing drought and how it is a result of climate change. They provide facts about the water that Californians receive from the Sierra Nevada snowpack and the San Joaquin Delta.

The effects of climate change can be felt in the form of California's current drought and projections for how it may worsen. "Sea level has risen about seven inches at the Golden Gate Bridge in the last century, and continued sea level rise could threaten many coastal communities as well as the sustainability of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta which supplies 25 million Californians with drinking water."

"The annual snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada snowpack currently releases 15 million acre-feet of water," with much of it eventually making its way into the San Joaquin Delta. "Based upon historical data and modeling, DWR [California Department of Water Resources] projects that the Sierra snowpack will experience a 25 to 40 percent reduction from its historic average by 2050." Rising temperatures in California will result in lower levels of fresh water collection in the future if nothing is done to counteract climate change.

Reflection

It is important that we make larger steps towards preserving the availability of water in the future by improving our water consumption habits and making a more conscious effort to understand how climate change jeopardizes water resources. Water is an invaluable resource essential to life on earth. The most critical effects of climate change will be felt in the form of future water shortages if strong efforts are not invested toward water conservation.

I plan to use the information that I have gathered from these articles to show the reasons why we must conserve water in order to preserve our water usage for the future. If we do not initiate stricter water consumption and conservation efforts Californians will not be able to guarantee a future with water.

These are some of the ideas that I have brainstormed for my video:

• A time lapse of a simulation of the increased snowmelt in the Sierra Nevadas over the next 100 years.
• The carbon footprint that bottled water leaves behind from its production and transportation to markets.
• The path that our water travels: from the Sierra Nevadas to the San Joaquin Delta and then to Southern California.