Water the New Gas
This is a great technology given that we are trapped in the midst ever rising prices of gasoline. This technology provided us relief from the crisis that is breaking our back.
So with this new discovery, would water be the next oil? There are people who see water as a future commodity. Therefore it could be as profitable in the same prospect as oil. There are people who sees that the diminishing certain water bodies is similar to the depletion of oil reserves. While there are some environmentalists that see environmental abuse of water the same as the abuse and waste of oil. Even if 70% of Earth is covered with water, only 3% is fit for human consumption. With this 3%, 2/3 if this is frozen and largely glaciers and ice caps. Only 1% then will be available for human use. The rest of 97% is sea water which is not fit for drinking nor for agriculture.
The world is facing an oil crisis, we are facing the exhaustion of oil reserves. Water is slowly experiencing the same kind of exploitation. Water bodies are being contaminated and polluted by various industrial plants. Water bodies are drying up in certain nation, resulting into thirst and drought. Ironically, the uncontrolled use of oil and other fuel is ensuing into water crisis. Burning of fossil fuels led to global warming, the melting of glaciers and early snowmelts. It also led into climate changes that brought too much rain some places and little in other locations.
Water is becoming a very hot- commodity. It even snagged attention of the big equipment companies like General Electric. Water markets include driking water distribution, management, waste treatment and agriculture. It is nearly a $500 billion market and is growing very fast. Another company who sees big potential in water-related businesses would be the Zurich –based Sustainable Asset Management. Japanese- Dutch consulting firm Japan Insite is putting together an 80 million Euro water fund.
But privatizing water is colliding with global “water is human right movement”. Because water is essential for human life, its distribution should be made readily available for the public and not just for those who can afford water. The poorest might not even have safe drinking water if the water would be privatized, as the water warriors would say. Drinking water would become a luxury and dominant image in advertising.
Affordable water is not only a problem for developing countries such in India and China. Southern Europe, Israel, the western part of the United States, the Middle East, and areas in Southeast Asia such as Singapore all suffer from scarce water resources (www.redherring.com).
Running your car with water as supplement for gasoline also reflects a deeper conflict between gas, oil and water. Whether water is being considered the “blue oil” or the new source of gas, one thing is important, that we take care of this as a one of our primary source of life. Surely, we do not want to experience what we are experiencing now in the gasoline industry.
We know how difficult it is to battle high prices of commodities. Hopefully water will not be one of them.
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