Saturday, July 1

Water Use

Apart from the 70% of water used in agriculture, another 7% is consumed by Industry and despite reduced usage over recent years quantities used in manufacture for individual items remain subtantial as my poem indicates.

Water serves our nations folk
40litres to make one can of coke

It’s our lifeblood; in things so real
50 litres to make one kg of steel

Time to satisfy your sweet appetite
120 litres makes one kg sugars delight

Faithful newsprint records our daily fate
280litres makes one kg paperweight

Car tis freedom your travellers delight
300,000 litres to for fill delight

Based on these Facts
40 Litres of water is used to manufacture I can of coke
50 Litres of water is used to manufacture I kg of steel
120 Litres of water is used to manufacture 1 kg of sugar
280 Litres of water is used to manufacture I kg of paper
300,000 Litres of water is used to manufacture 1 automobile.

13 comments:

Ingrid said...

lindsay,
found you by way of CafeDa.. that is a great poem! Of all people I think (hope!!) that you know what it means when I say, I'm a 'permie' and I can sure appreciate your breakdown as to the high price we end up paying for so many materials. I'm originally from Holland and emigrated to Canada when I was 20. Now, I live in Texas, Austin to be exact..and for the most part, we can consider TX a desert with the lack of rain we've been having for so long. I forget which sociologist made this prediction but I read this years ago (because smart and responsible people have questioned for ages)that wars in the future would be about water, and not oil. Well, I guess we're not living in that future yet as the latter one applies but who knows how long the 'future' will take...
Ingrid

Granny said...

I see Ingrid found you. Ripples in a pond.

I suggested she'd like Dimitri and in turn she found you.

I like the poem. It tells the story better than an essay would have.

Val said...

Very interesting facts, and frightening!

lindsaylobe said...

Hi Ingrid, Granny & Val,
Thanks for your comments.

Ingrid-
I’m proud to say that it was an Australian horticulturalists who started the permiculture idea, which has spread like wild fire across the globe!! My daughter is also a bit of a permie, although only has a very small space to work with in her rented urban backyard see pics on
http://lessismoreblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-garden-before-after.html
It’s interesting that you have settled in Austin Texas, which I understand is a very progressive state in the middle of predominately ‘red’ states. Another Texan blogger you might be interested in is Dance of the Mind see http://danceofthemind.typepad.com/
See has just posted and article on Texan Mayors tackling environmental issues. She is a staunch democrat with similar views to you.

DA said...

Everyone finds "the lobes" when entering blogsville. Again a true post. Luckily we have rain almost every week in Holland. Unfortunately that doesn't go for many countries. Water will become the most scarce resource within a few decades..

Ingrid said...

lindsay, of course I know Mollison and Holmgren (well, not personally). I took a permaculture certificate course and the daddies of permaculture get full credit! Holmgren was in the US last year but on the 'wrong' side of the country so I could not see him speak. He's apparently more the intellectual. One of my fellow permies went to Australia (don't exactly know where) to finish his business degree and take the course over there that he managed to get paid for by UT.
I will check out your daughter's site (already checked rachel's mucic site), and other ones she suggested.
Ah, a big hellowww to Granny and DA. The world does become so much smaller online doesn't it? Well, lots of good recommendations of course! And it's funny how many Texans are online. It must be the frustration of living in a big sea of 'red' republicanism...
Ingrid

Vee said...

Eye-opening post Lindsay. Frightening as well.

On an unrelated note: you've been tagged.

Rachael Byrnes said...

Great poem Dad!! You'all might be interested in the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto & the photographs he has taken of water crystals. his research demonstrates the connection between our toughts and the shape and form of water molecules. See website: http://www.whatthebleep.com/crystals/

DellaB said...

Hi Lindsay,
On an unrelated note, but because you know things - can you help me out please with an economics question...

I read that there is a possibility of an interest rate increase (here in Oz) - because, they say, the cost of living has increased dramatically mostly due to the high cost of petrol - so we need an increase (pay more on loans and mortgages) - to slow things down...?

This doesn't make sense to me - I know there are theories about these things, but I don't understand this one...

lindsaylobe said...

Hi Vee DA Veronica Rachael
Thanks for visiting. Will check the site out Rachael.
DellaB
As you know there was no increase in official Rates to day by the Reserve Bank Board. They were left on hold. Their charter is to control inflation, to keep it in the range below 3%, about 2-2.5%. Any increase in the cost of living above that target range will cause them to increase official interest rates. The price of petrol is one of a basket of items that make up the cost of living index.

Even if the cost of living index does not rise to that level, they may take pre-emptive action to rise rates on the expectation conditions exist that are likely to lead to increased inflation ,such as an overheated Housing market where people are using the equity in their homes to borrow for purely consumption spending. These conditions may eventually cause the economy to overheat, for price increase, hence inflation to rise.
In the USA you have the Federal Reserve which acts in the same way.

Best wishes

DellaB said...

Thanks Lindsay... I guess it's my logical brain that doesn't understand - if prices are rising (increasing inflation) - how does adding more costs (increasing interest payments) - serve to bring inflation down?

I understand what you are saying - but does it work.. do you think?

I am losing confidence in the 'experts' - mind you, we are in good financial shape at the moment, I believe - except if you are a young or not-so-young person trying to buy a home these days...

JBlue said...

I loved the way you incorporated the facts into a poem. Very creative. And what a clever way to get people to pay attention.

lindsaylobe said...

Hi Jublu
Thanks for visting, and yes waters taken for granted, we use so much of it , a finite resource !!.