http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/tracking-the-water-footprint/?scp=2&sq=water%20footprint&st=cse
In March over 100 countries convened for the 5th annual World Water Forum. The Forum meets to discuss water issues and to develop means of planning for future demands. One concept floated around the conference is the idea of water neutrality. Essentially this concept is akin to measuring a carbon footprint so everyone from individual companies to cities and even countries can create an estimation of their water consumption.
The “Tracking the Water Footprint” article obviously fits within the realms of ecological footprint analysis and international planning. I selected this topic because I agree with Wheeler that “one of the most intriguing methods to quantify the environmental impact of human communities is the ecological footprint model.” I also find the topic interesting as living in the desert, I am keenly aware of the importance of water to the longevity of human existence. Further, this topic affects all of us, as in every last human on Earth, because water is a fixed resource in limited supply and completely irreplaceable.
However intriguing this concept is, Wheeler’s musing is apt, “the usefulness of such statistics is questionable.” Obviously the only way for humans to have zero impact on environments is to cease to exist. Further, understanding water needs only provides limited insight into future planning decisions. What ‘should’ reasonable water consumption be? Ultimately comparisons between entities of roughly equivalent size will be used. I am not sure how relevant even this would be. Calculating a sustainable and acceptable level of consumption will prove to be much more difficult.
Thus as Wheeler synthesizes, these descriptive analytical tools are much better suited for their public education efforts than policy making. Within this realm, there are merits for utilizing water footprints as an international education tool. Wheeler notes “as international institutions, trust, traditions of cooperation, and understanding become better developed, more can be done to plan for solutions to global issues.” Evident by the fact that over 100 countries attended the forum there is traction on the international institution level and hopefully a building of trust and a spirit of cooperation. Perhaps water footprints can serve as enough of an educating factor to push the integral nature of water planning to the forefront of future international planning efforts.
Science Adviser Lays Out Climate and Energy PlansPresident Obama’s science adviser, John Holdren, has been discussing various aspects of national sustainability issues. This article most centrally highlights the controversial concept of geo-engineering, a means to hedge climate change should decreases in greenhouse gas emissions not be realized. Holdren contents that even though geo-engineering is less than ideal, contingencies need to be developed to secure the future sustainability of the planet.
This and the other concepts of sustainability discussed in the article are matters of both national and international planning. As Wheeler notes “executive branch agencies implement and enforce policy, and carry out substantial planning activities in their own right.” Acting within the realm of the executive administrative level, Holdren is exploring the merits of various contingencies that can potentially become national policy.
It is both logical and necessary that Obama’s administration tackle these issues due to their magnitude. Wheeler points out that ‘National sustainability planning issues of great urgency tend to be those in which lower levels of government do not have the perspective, resources, jurisdiction, or political will to effectively bring about change. Certainly no single state posses the resources or reach to tackle national greenhouse gas emissions.
This is best highlighted in Holdren’s comments regarding the need to bring
