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nuts4chic - current affairs
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by Vicky Hales-Dutton Despite the grim prospect recently raised by the Environment Agency of queuing for water at standpipes in the street this summer, many people are not worried enough to change their wasteful behaviour. Most rainfall occurs between October and March and that’s usually enough to recharge reservoirs. But after two dry winters levels of ground water in London and the Home Counties are low -and any rainfall is soaked up by thirsty trees and shrubs before it reaches the water table. Climatology expert from the University of Reading Dr David Stephenson said: “The ground water is very low and water capacity has gone down. This is particularly bad as extended dry periods like this are quite rare” The dry conditions prevalent in the South East are spreading north east to Norfolk and Suffolk - and could potentially spread to the Southern Midlands as well. Fears that the demand for water could outstrip supply prompted the Government to grant the UK’s first Drought Order in 11 years, to Sutton and East Surrey Water. This allows for a curb – or ban – on the ‘non essential’ use of water via car washing, filling swimming pools and watering parks and sports grounds. Further Drought Orders could be on their way. The South East is already subject to hosepipe and sprinkler bans which, in one area, has already led to a two per cent reduction in use in less than a month. There is no doubt, though, that the weather has got hotter in recent years. The Agency points to 2005 and 1998 as “probably the warmest years of the last millennium”, with the 1990s the warmest decade, and the 20 th the warmest century. Freak weather has been occurring around the globe too, with water levels rising in some areas due to hurricanes, floods, melting glaciers and permafrost. Water levels in other areas are dropping, resulting in increased desertification in areas like Southern Spain. The once majestic Lake Chad, which used to be visible from space, has now shrunk to a fraction of its former size. Clearly the global climate is changing and the build-up of greenhouse gases which has accelerated over the last 25 years must take their share of the blame. But, warns Agency spokeswoman Catherine Henwood, it’s difficult to see where normal weather patterns end and the impact of the rise in greenhouse gases begins. “Weather patterns are built up over tens of years,” she says. We’ve just had two dry winters, and although this is quite rare, it’s not unheard of historically.” Friends of the Earth to estimate that that: “the proportion of the world's population living in countries of significant water stress will increase from approximately 34% to 63% - some six billion people, the same number of people that are currently living on Earth.” That’s a sobering thought – and one we should all be concerned about. In areas where water is scarce, each of us can and should do our bit to help, even if it’s simply turning off the tap while cleaning our teeth. Just one behavioural change from everyone will make a vital difference. |
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They should be, says the Agency, given that the UK, and especially the South East, could face the worst water crisis in 100 years.
The Environment Agency says that such measures are standard, given that water companies reckon on the need to impose hosepipe bans every 10 years, and plan for serious drought every 50 years.
But if Professor Sir David King, the Government’s chief scientist, is right and carbon dioxide emissions cause global temperatures to rise by three degrees centigrade, this must seriously affect the world’s climate, and the abundance, or lack, of natural resources.
