Just call it Liquid Gold or Blue Gold from now on...

Public fountains are dry in Barcelona, Spain. Cyprus will ferry water from Greece this summer. Australian cities are buying water from farmers and building desalination plants. 18 million southern Californians are bracing for their first water-rationing in years.

Dow Chemical Chairman Andrew Liveris told the World Economic Forum in February that water “is the oil of this century.” Developed nations have taken cheap, abundant fresh water for granted. Now global population growth, pollution, and climate change are shaping a new view of water.

Global water markets, including drinking water distribution, management, waste treatment, and agriculture are a nearly $500 billion market and growing fast. Governments pushing to privatize costly public water systems are colliding with a global “water is a human right” movement.

Will “peak water” displace “peak oil” as the central resource question? Some foresee exactly that scenario.

Oil is not the only precious resource being squandered by consumers, with bottled water 2500 times more expensive than the tap variety. We are spending absurd amounts of money for bottled water. Here is the REAL cost of bottled water...

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857841959.html


Sources:

 Christian Science Monitor May 29, 2008