Most people don’t even give it a second thought, but that will change drastically within the next few decades.
About 71 percent of the earth is covered in water, so what’s the big deal?
The issue is that only about 2.5 percent of that water is freshwater and 1 percent is readily drinkable.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 30 percent of the water which we use is taken from underground aquifers.
And in Florida—a state which is responsible for 40 percent of the world’s orange juice supply—90 percent of all water comes from aquifers.
These aquifers are necessary for the survival of over 40 percent of the world’s population.
In 2010, the United Nations recognized access to clean drinking water as a basic human right.
Unlike other commodities, water is necessary for life.
I believe that it is one of the most pressing and difficult issues which our generation will have to face, as water is such an integral part of life on Earth.
If we don’t make some breakthrough in how we are able to create water efficiently or make some drastic policy changes in the next few years, we will likely be looking at a crisis which will push the extremes of poverty and further the disparity between the rich and the poor.