Concrete rivers make Japan's water No. 5 ????

[Taro Toporific]

Water Crisis to Deepen as Supplies Dry Out - U.N. PARIS (Reuters) - World water reserves are drying up fast and booming populations, pollution and global warming will combine to cut the average person's water supply by a third in the next 20 years, a United Nations report said on Wednesday. The report, published ahead of the Third World Water Forum due to take place in Kyoto, Japan, from March 16 to 23...
Billed as the most comprehensive survey of the state of the resource, the report compared 122 countries for the quality of their water and their ability and willingness to improve it.
The report said Belgium's low quantity and quality of groundwater was combined with heavy industrial pollution and poor treatment of wastewater. Top of the quality ranking was Finland, followed by Canada, New Zealand, Britain and Japan.
Belgium got the lowest score, below less developed countries including India, Sudan and Rwanda, which also ranked among the world's 10 worst water providers. [[USA ranked No. 12]]

[Maciamo]

The article also says that, in 2050, 7 out of the then 9 billion people on earth could suffer from thirst if nothing is done. Quite worrying, as it's in less than 50 years. We'll be old, but justly that will that more difficult to fight for water, especially if youngers criticise us for not acting when we could in the early 2000's !

That reminds me that the US haven't ratified the Kyoto treaty, because it's actually related and coherent with their war in Iraq. The US don't want to reduce carbon dioxide emission, but justly to increase them and that's why they are fighting for oil. It wouldn't be difficult for the States to comply with new ecological rules. They have the scientific capacity and wealth necessary to adapt and even lead the market. They are the only modern nation to have refused their responsibility towards future genereration. Because that gives a clear advantage to the American industry, other nations feel ressentment against the arrogant American who don't need to care about the world eventhough they are the worst polluters, and only care about their economic benefits. Let's see what the US will decide about water this time.

[GuyJean]

That reminds me that the US haven't ratified the Kyoto treaty, because it's actually related and coherent with their war in Iraq.

I'm not sure if it's related, but not ratifying the Kyoto treaty is a real pisser! The man who actually got more votes in 2000, Gore, would have.. He flew to Japan in his jumbo jet to sign it..

I think the US's beef isn't that they WANT to spew MORE CO2. It's that the economy would actually have to constrict, while other developing nations wouldn't be bound to the same restrictions..

Also, the Kyoto treaty, in my opinion, was more an ideal, not reality. There's no way, realistically, to reduce CO2 within the treaty's specified time frame.. The US, along with most other countries, would always be breaking the treaty.

But I REALLY think Bush has no vision and is going down the wrong path. Gore, at least, had vision. He's very concerned about the environment.

Buuuuut... recently Bush alotted something like 4 billion dollars to promote Hydrogen powered transportation.. Do you know what the exhaust is on a Hydro-mobile? WATER!

Just imagine driving around in the future and pulling over to drink your exhaust! That's like killing 5 birds with 1 stone!..

GJ