CLEAN WATER = CLEAN PLANET
Water is the basis of our nature: the most important liquor of life is the most precious agent also to mankind. Water has fundamental role in sustaining life on Earth being the bloodstream of the biosphere.
Nonetheless, there is ample evidence to suggest that we have reached a new situation in which our current way of governing and managing freshwater is becoming obsolete in relation to the social and environmental challenges facing humanity in the coming 50 years.
Water Resilience for Human Prosperity (2014)
Positive impact by Nanoresonance Industries on SDGs
The Economic Impacts of Pesticides on Wildlife Researchers have found that there is a steady decline in worldwide insects due to pesticide exposure. They estimate that the overall decline in biodiversity to include pollinator services, “beneficial” predators, birds and aquatic life costs over $100 billion annually. The role of soil biota in increasing agricultural productivity costs $25 billion annually. In 2009, the value of dependent crops attributed to all insect pollination was estimated to be worth $15.12 billion.
We are now at a critical point in our evolution and the future of our planet is in question. Nature is facing many serious challenges and the planet’s ecosystem is gravely compromised. The Planetary Boundaries are being crossed with a rapid speed.
Unless urgent action is taken, we face widespread species extinction, mass human migration, and destruction of our atmosphere. Land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change are three different faces of the same central challenge: the increasingly dangerous impact of our choices on the natural environment. Investing our efforts into environmental-friendly technologies that provide solutions to the current problems is crucial. Ignoring these issues is not only threatening to our future but also extremely costly.
Another growing concern is Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, including PFOA, PFOS, GenX), which are a group of man-made chemicals. They are found many industrial and consumer products, such as food packaging, nonstick cookware, polishes, and paints. These chemicals are very persistent in the environment and the human body; they don’t break down and accumulate over time. PFAS chemicals have been found in drinking water in locations where 19 million Americans reside in 49 states.
There is global evidence that exposure to PFAS leads to severe and adverse health effects in humans and other living organisms, including fish and animals. There are currently no effective treatment technologies to completely remove PFAS chemicals from contaminated water and land. Existing remediation processes and filtration technologies are limited and highly inadequate.
The planetary boundaries concept presents a set of nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come.
In January 2022, 14 scientists concluded in the scientific journal Environmental Science and Technology that humanity has exceeded a planetary boundary related to environmental pollutants and other “novel entities” including plastics.
Persson et al. (2022). Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 3, 1510–1521. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c04158
According to estimates, the lack of proper sanitation costs the world economy $223 billion every year. It has been estimated that every dollar spent on sanitation provides, on average, five dollars in economic return. Thus, by investing our efforts into sanitation solutions, we are not only improving the living conditions of millions of people but also saving billions on health-related expenditures and remediation of issues caused by lack of sanitation.
Land degradation is costing the world as much as $10.6 trillion every year, which is equivalent to 17% of global gross domestic product. Toxic herbicides and insecticides are accumulating in ground and surface waters with no efficient remediation solutions. Chemical run-offs pollute the water systems where they generate damaging blooms of oxygen-depleting microorganisms that disrupt ecosystems and kill off aquatic life.
The link between water-related carbon footprint and energy use presents the Climate Change community with a valuable opportunity to better manage two of the most valuable resources. A new approach is suggested by distinguishing water quality, quantity, and water state. So that beyond qualitative and quantitative goals, the physical state of water, which depends on hydrogen bonding, should help improve water management across scales. Understating water complexity shall facilitate communication raising awareness that every action creates a legacy.
Markelova E. et al., (2022). Regenerative water management across scales: a retrofit vision for biosphere sustainability. Arquivos de Ciências do Mar, Fortaleza, 2022, 55 (v. especial - 60 anos. http://dx.doi.org/10.32360/78190, ISSN 0374-5686, e-ISSN 2526-7639
“New knowledge is essential for new developments. Each experience enables us to deepen our understanding of science, which reshapes our awareness of how we can use technologies to interact with our environment.”
Athan Bloom