>Subject: Meat-Eaters - Using Up the World's Water.
>From: (know buddee)
>Date: 8/24/2004 3:02 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>Meat-Eaters Soaking Up the World's Water
>
>A change in diets may be necessary to enable developing countries to
>feed their people, say scientists
>
>by John Vidal
>Guardian/UK
>
>
>Governments may have to persuade people to eat less meat because of
>increasing demands on water supplies, according to agricultural
>scientists investigating how the world can best feed itself.
>
>They say countries with little water may choose not to grow crops but
>trade in "virtual water", importing food from countries which have
>large amounts of water to save their supplies for domestic or
>high-value uses.
>
>With about 840 million people in the world undernourished, and a
>further 2 billion expected to be born within 20 years, finding water
>to grow food will be one of the greatest challenges facing
>governments.
>
>Currently up to 90% of all managed water is used to grow food.
>
>"There will be enough food for everyone on average in 20 years' time,
>but unless we change the way that we grow it, there will be a lot more
>malnourished people," said Dr David Molden, principal scientist with
>the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), which is
>part-funded by the British government and is investigating global
>options for feeding growing populations.
>
>"The bottom line is that groundwater levels are plummeting and our
>rivers are already overstressed, yet there is a lot of complacency
>about the future," the IWMI report says.
>
>"Western diets, which depend largely on meat, are already putting
>great pressures on the environment. Meat-eaters consume the equivalent
>of about 5,000 liters[1,100 gallons] of water a day compared to the
>1,000-2,000 liters used by people on vegetarian diets in developing
>countries. All that water has to come from somewhere."
>
>The consensus emerging among scientists is that it will be almost
>impossible to feed future generations the typical diet eaten in
>western Europe and North America without destroying the environment.
>
>A meat and vegetable diet, which most people move to when economically
>possible, requires more water than crops such as wheat and maize. On
>average, it takes 1,790 liters of water to grow 1kg of wheat compared
>with 9,680 liters of water for 1kg of beef.
>
>In its report, the IWMI says it it unlikely people will change their
>eating habits because of concerns about water supplies. "And in many
>sub-Saharan countries, where the pressure on water will increase most
>rapidly in the next 20 years, people actually need to be eating more,
>not less," the report says.
>
>Anders Berntell, the director of the International Water Institute,
>based in Stockholm, said: "The world's future water supply is a
>problem that's ... greater than we've begun to realize.
>
>"We've got to reduce the amount of water we devote to growing food.
>The world is simply running out of water."
>
>Research suggests that up to 24% more water will be needed to grow the
>world's food in 20 years, but many of the fastest-growing countries
>are unable to devote more water to agriculture without sacrificing
>ecosystems which may be important for providing water or fish.
>
>
>The option of increased world trade in virtual water seems logical,
>the scientists say, but they recognize that it depends on countries
>having the money to import their food. "The question remains whether
>the countries that will be hardest hit by water scarcity will be able
>to afford virtual water," the report says.
>
>The best options for feeding the world, it says, are a combination of
>hi-tech and traditional water conservation methods. Improved crop
>varieties, better tillage methods and more precise irrigation could
>reduce water consumption and improve yields.
>
>Drought-resistant seeds, water harvesting schemes and small-plot
>technologies such as treadle pumps [simple foot pumps] all have the
>potential to boost yields by 100%, the report says.
>
>The scientists did not examine the use of GM foods which have been
>hailed by some companies as the way to avoid big food shortages.
>
>"Even without GM foods, in many parts of the world there is the
>potential to increase water productivity. Even without them there is
>hope," one of the report's authors said.
>
>Another option considered is that of farmers using more urban waste
>water for irrigation. It is estimated that up to 10% of the world's
>population now eat food produced using waste water from towns and
>cities.
>
>Cities are predicted to use 150% more water within 20 years, which
>will be both a problem and an opportunity.
>
>"This means more waste water but also less fresh water available for
>agriculture. In the future, using waste water may not be a choice but
>a necessity", the report says.
>
>The authors say western governments need to change their policies:
>"Agricultural subsidies keep world commodity prices low in poor
>countries and discourage farmers from investing [in water-saving
>technologies] because they will not get a return on their investments.
>
>"Land and water rights are also needed so people will invest in
>long-term improvements."
>
>© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
>
>
>Published on Monday, August 23, 2004 by the Guardian/UK
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,38...103681,00.html
>
>pub'd here too:
>http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0823-02.htm
>
>===============
>
>"Man must change or die. There is no other course."
>The World Teacher
>http://www.share-international.or

Or we could stop overpopulation...DUH