Troubled Waters

Not to be a wet blanket or anything, because I know we already get enough depressing news every day, but these stats about how much water is used in various processes really blew me away. the first part is from wisegeek.com:

The recipe for modern Coca-Cola is still a closely held secret, but known ingredients include sugar, caramel coloring, caffeine, vanilla, and, of course, carbonated water. About 79 billion gallons of carbonated water are used worldwide each year to make Coke, while a further 8 trillion are used in manufacturing plants involved in the process of getting Coke to market.
   As Coke is bottled and sold in over 200 countries around the world, the company has come under severe criticism concerning its water use. Almost 800 million people in the world do not have access to clean water and this situation is exacerbated in regions where groundwater is used and polluted by industry.

More about water conservation:

• The Coca-Cola company is currently investing in water conservation projects with the goal of replenishing the same amount of water they use each year by 2020.


• It is estimated that a single cup of coffee requires about 37 gallons of water to produce (with the majority used to grow the beans).


• The UN estimates that around 90% of wastewater produced in developing countries is allowed to drain without treatment into natural water sources.

   But wait! There's more! According to about.com, "The average American uses around 150-250 gallons of water daily." Hard to believe. And then, there's this: "It takes about 26 gallons of water to produce one ear of corn while it takes about 2000-2500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. Around 120 gallons of water is required to produce one egg. About 300 gallons of water is needed to produce one loaf of bread, and it takes about 12,000 gallons of water to grow a bushel of wheat. Believe it or not, about 1,400 gallons of water are used during the final production of one fast-food meal including a burger, fries, and a soft drink": http://sustainability.about.com/od/Sustainability/a/How-We-Use-Water.htm
   But what about the water cycle? Doesn't what goes around come around? Yes, but deforestation and urbanization have altered the cycle and made less good-quality water available: http://www.coastal.ca.gov/nps/watercyclefacts.pdf