Written by Johnathon Watts
Tuesday 28 June 2011
Summary: In China the water table levels are dropping dramatically. China is very populated and and they grow a lot of wheat. They grow the wheat on top of the water tables and it is using up a lot of the water from the tables. The level is dropping 1 meter every year. They are being told that they have to be more conservative. Before the government starts to reduce the growing, they are trying to make a more efficient way to use the water and manage it more. They have also made it more expensive to dig down and use the water and put a limit on the amount your aloud to use it. They are trying very hard to slow down the use of the water tables.
Opinion/Reflection: I think that this is a very bad thing, and what they are doing should be done every where else around the world. If other places don't start to conserve the water in the water tables, they will start to deplete too. I know that I take water for granted because we have such easy access to it, but i need to change that. Everyone needs start conserving water so we don't run too low also.
Questions:
1) If it all disappears, how long will it take for all of the water in the table there to be totally gone there?
2) Because of the agriculture they do on the water tables which use fertilizers, is the water table getting polluted?
3) Should everyone start to conserve the water in the water tables before we start to run low?
Opinion/Reflection: I like the way China's government is trying to slow down the use of the water tables. Their attempts could actually make a huge difference, as long as the citizens of China listen to the government. And like Emmy said, our country should also learn from this and take precautions before our water tables start to deplete also. Even though water is a renewable source, we could eventually turn it into an nonrenewable source. So before we get to that point, we should all conserve it as much as possible-including myself. After reading these articles and learning about water in class, I am now more aware of how I use water.
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1. Are there any parts in our country that are having a similar problem with water tables as China?
2. When will the government decide to start to reduce the growing?
3. If they do reduce the growing, how will that affect China's agriculture and economy?
Opinion: I think it is a good thing that China is concerned and aware about their water usage. China has one of the largest populations so water consumption and usage should be closely monitored. Going back to using wells is probably the best way to increase the amount of water China has to offer. If this sort of thing can happen to China, it is not far fetched that it could happen in America.
ReplyDeleteExpansion: http://www.naturalnews.com/025917_water_food_production.html
This article says that there are droughts in China and how they're affecting food production and water supplies.
Answer one Question: #3. I think that everyone should monitor how much water they use. If everyone did, this problem would not be as common.
Other Questions:
1. Has a water shortage ever happened in the USA?
2. To what extremes will the Chinese government go to make sure China has enough water? (I know they can be a bit extreme over there)
3. How long does the Chinese government expect this shortage of water to last?
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI think that it is good that China is concerned about their water tables. It is good because if they dry out the water tables they aren't coming back. They definitely need to do something because if they were to run out of underground water it would be a disaster because China has a huge population. We have been learning the same thing in class and now that i know a lot about it i will try to do stuff to not use up to much of our water tables.
Other Questions:
If the level of the water tables gets very low, would it be possible to not use it and let it get higher?
What would happen if they had to economy if they had to move the farms because they are using too much water?
What would the Chinese government do if they had used up almost all of their water?
Opinion/Reflection:
ReplyDeleteI think its a very bad thing that the water in the water tables is decreasing this dramatically. After learning about how scarce freshwater is on Earth, I will do my part in trying to conserve the amount of water I use. I believe that if everyone does their part in conserving water, this problem will come to a halt.
I believe that the answer to Emmy's second question is that yes, the water is being polluted from the fertilizers that mix into the water.