Water – Page 3 – The Green Tau

Windows of Opportunity

17th December 2023

Treat water as a common good

“Governments must urgently stop subsidising the extraction and overuse of water through misdirected agricultural subsidies, and industries from mining to manufacturing must be made to overhaul their wasteful practices, according to the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. Nations must start to manage water as a global common good, because most countries are highly dependent on their neighbours for water supplies, and overuse, pollution and the climate crisis threaten water supplies globally.” (1)

“”However, water is not just a casualty but also a driver of the climate crisis,” reads the report. “Extreme water events cause an immediate loss of carbon uptake in nature. Droughts lead to fires and massive loss of biomass, carbon, and biodiversity. The loss of wetlands is depleting the planet’s greatest carbon store, while the drop in soil moisture is reducing the terrestrial and forest ecosystem’s ability to sequester carbon… We will fail on climate change if we fail on water,”” (2)

We forget how much water is used by mining and industry (17% of the world’s freshwater use) and by agriculture (70%) – whilst domestic/ municipal use accounts for 12%. By 2030 demand is likely to exceed supply by approximately 40%. This is clearly a problem, and as with so many cases of shortages, it is likely that the poorest in society and the poorest nations will bear the brunt of distress.

The matter is further compounded because the source of a water supply may lay outside the user’s borders. Water from the Swiss Alps, feeds the River Po in Italy; the glaciers in the Himalayas feed four great rivers – Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, and Tarim. Other countries rely on ‘green water’ where water held in the soil and released through transpiration from trees and other plants, then condenses and falls as rain further down wind. Changes in land use up wind – such as deforestation – can reduce rainfall. (2) Again this can make one country dependent on another for its water. This is one of the causes of the drought being experienced in the Amazon basin (3).

These cross border issues have the potential for conflict as is already the case in the West Bank (4)

The Global Commission on the Economics of Water recommends seven steps that policymakers must take to avoid a water shortage by the end of the decade, including:

Manage water supplies as a common good by recognizing that water is critical to food security and all sustainable development goals;
Mobilize multiple stakeholders—public, private, civil society, and local community—to scale up investments in water through new
modalities of public-private partnerships;
Cease underpricing water and target support for the poor;
Phase out water and agriculture subsidies that “generate excessive water consumption and other environmentally damaging practices”;
Establish Just Water Partnerships to enable investments in water access, resilience and sustainability in low- and middle-income countries;
Move forward on steps that can be taken this decade to “move the needle significantly,” including fortifying depleted freshwater systems, recycling industrial and urban wastewater, reusing water in the production of critical materials, and shifting agricultural systems to include less water-intensive crops and drought-resistant farming; and
Reshape multilateral governance of water by incorporating new water standards into trade agreements and prioritizing equality in water decision-making. (2)

(3) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/08/green-water-climate-change-deforestation/

(4) see – https://theconversation.com/drought-in-the-amazon-understanding-the-causes-and-the-need-for-an-immediate-action-plan-to-save-the-biome-215650)

(5) see – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/17/how-israel-uses-water-to-control-west-bank-palestine?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Windows of Opportunity

16th December 2023

Use less water

“Water and climate change are inextricably linked. Climate change affects the world’s water in complex ways. From unpredictable rainfall patterns to shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels, floods and droughts – most impacts of climate change come down to water ….Only 0.5 per cent of water on Earth is useable and available freshwater – and climate change is dangerously affecting that supply. Over the past twenty years, terrestrial water storage – including soil moisture, snow and ice – has dropped at a rate of 1 cm per year, with major ramifications for water security” (1)

“[I]n the world’s push to achieve a low-carbon economy, water is often forgotten. The focus for decarbonisation often lies on transportation, manufacturing, or other industrial processes, but water utilities are responsible for two percent of total annual global emissions — about as much as the shipping industry. Water cannot be excluded when designing policies to reduce emissions. Water utility companies must make efforts to decarbonise their activities, especially through the energy-intensive process of treating and processing wastewater.” (2)

In 2019 the head of Environment Agency, Sir James Bevan said “We need water wastage to be as socially unacceptable as blowing smoke in the face of a baby or throwing your plastic bags into the sea …. the average person’s daily water use of 140 litres could be cut to 100 litres in 20 years by more efficient use in homes and gardens.” (3)

Tips for using less water – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/05/how-to-use-less-water-15-tips-beef-burgers-megabutts-clothes?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

And also https://friendsoftheearth.uk/sustainable-living/13-best-ways-save-water

For interest, I now only shower once a week, instead washing in a basin every day – and then using that water to flush the loo.

Proper 21, 17th Sunday After Trinity

1st October 2023

Reflection (readings are below)

Why do the people complain to Moses and not ask/ pray to God? Are they still at the learning stage and don’t yet know God?

It seems that they have not yet learnt that God is with them.

Later the Psalmist, will be able to write ‘Hear my teaching, O my people’. By the time the Psalmist is writing, God’s people have journeyed through the wilderness experiencing God’s presence in all aspects of their daily life. They will have been immersed in a time and space when they were ready and able to learn God’s teaching.

In Philippians we have a wonderful early creed that describes the nature and character of Jesus. Jesus is God-with-us in a unique way. Through our faith in Jesus, God is at work in us, enabling us ‘both to will and to work for his good pleasure’.

Both the Old Testament readings and the epistle are telling us that the source of instruction that we need to enable us to lead good and fulfilled lives, should come from God. God should be the source of authority in our lives – for us as individuals and as a people. If we believe that God is the origin of all that has been created, then it would seem logical that God would be the best source of information – the best authority – to show us how we can live most harmoniously, most profitably with creation. Here I use the word profitably to mean not financial greed but beneficial wellbeing. And that would be well-being not just for some individuals but for everyone, for the whole ecosystem.

Today’s gospel reading is also about authority. More specifically, what is the authority by which Jesus acts? What is the authority that allows him speak of what God wills? What is the authority that allows him to teach others? What is the authority that allows him to heal and to forgive sins? What is the authority that allows him to challenge existing traditions and laws, to contradict what is said by those in positions of power?

Does his authority come from his band of followers, or from family business, or from sponsors, or from a self confident egotism, or maybe – just maybe – from God?

Perhaps, in all honesty, the chief priests and elders are not entirely sure that they know the answer. The miracles and healings might suggest divine links, but how could that be squared with his pointed assertions that they, the public figures of the Law and guardians of God’s Temple, are wrong – that they have become entrapped in a false system that equates their human decisions with those of God? I can imagine it would be hard for them to see through the miasma of centuries old human-made traditions.

When we look at our own social, religious, and business structures, can we be sure that we can always distinguish between human preferences and God’s will, between what is expedient and what God desires?

Licensing new oil wells that will profit shareholders who vote for you, may seem expedient if you are after votes. But is spending money on such destructive projects that could otherwise be invested in climate friendly renewable energy projects, really what God desires? Surely what God desires is that the actions we choose should care for and benefit the planet, should provide for the wellbeing of the poor and the vulnerable in creation?

The people in Exodus quite rightly ask for clean drinking water. Water is essential for life. People need clean water to drink. Birds and animals need clean water to drink. Plants need water to grow. Aquatic creatures need clean water in which to live – if the water becomes polluted, they die. Why then is it that we allow companies to make profits out of selling water whilst at the same time polluting streams, rivers and, ultimately, seas on and in which so many plants and animal species depend? Why is it that farmers can profit from industrial-scale methods of production that release herbicides and pesticides and farm sewage into those same streams, rivers and oceans, without hindrance or reparations? Why is that industrialists can profit from producing aluminium and copper and lithium whilst polluting whole river systems? Or that oil companies can profit from extracting oil whilst polluting both rivers and oceans?

Surely what God desires are clean, biodiverse rich, flourishing streams and rivers, seas and deltas? Surely what God desires is that no one should make profits at the expense of anyone else’s (human or wildlife) wellbeing? That being so, by what authority do businesses and governments promote means of production and extraction and profiteering that kill off wildlife, damage ecosystems, and endanger the lives of millions of people across the world?

Conversely by what authority do climate activists, social reformers, naturalists and ecologist, call for an end of such practices? What motivates their actions? To win votes? For egotist reward? For fun? Or because they cannot stand back, and say and/ do nothing about what seems to be clearly unrighteous?

Exodus 17:1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.

4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
and the wonderful works he has done.

12 He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.

14 He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.

15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.

16 He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.

Philippians 2:1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death–
even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Matthew 21:23-32

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Counting on …day 1:030

30th January 2023

As climate change leads to more extreme weather conditions, it is not only droughts that affect us, but floods too, as we fluctuate from periods of no rain to sudden downpours. By reshaping and adapting our local environment, it is possible to mitigate some of the effects of heavy rain. For example replacing hard surfaces such as tarmac and concrete with soft surfaces such as gravel and grass, limits a rapid run-off of water that can overload drains and watercourses. Replacing grass with trees and bushy plants further slows the rate at which rain enters rivers and drains. Allowing rivers to both meander and to overflow into water meadows and areas of marshland, enables rivers to cope with excess quantities of water.

Even in our own gardens we can take evasive action – replacing hard driveways with soft ones, installing water butts – and ponds – and planting trees and shrubs.

For more ideas – https://greentau.org/2022/01/19/eco-tips-17/

The Green Tau: issue 49

19th August 2022

Conserving water effectively.

This year we are feeling the effects of climate change more acutely, with a series of heat waves, a lack of rainfall and now a drought. As hot and dry summers will be an ongoing feature of climate change, so too will water shortages and droughts.

Part of the equation lies with how much water we consume and when, and how much water we can store. Part of the dilemma is that the time when we consume most water is in the summer months when the chances of restocking depleted water supplies is most limited. When it is hot and there is no rain, we quickly use water we have previously stored to water gardens, to irrigate crops, to provide drinking water for animals and people, to fill swimming pools and paddling pools etc. And as many of us have experienced, the water we had stored (domestically in water butts) has not been enough to keep our gardens green. There has been much discussion in the press about water companies not investing enough in new reservoirs.

Is collecting and storing more water the only solution? Building reservoirs is expensive and happens at the loss of someone else’s ‘backyard’. Cleaning and distributing water (and subsequently treating what is discarded) incurs its own energy cost and the greater the volume, the greater the cost. Should we instead be looking to reduce the demand side of the equation?

According to CCW, the Consumer Council for Water, the average person in the UK uses 152 litres of water a day. A washing machine uses about 50l per load, a five minute shower 40l (more for a power shower), 10-14l for the dishwasher and each flush of the loo can use 10l. Very quickly you can see how that 152l of water disappears! And this is without including a sprinkler for the lawn, a hose to wash the car or a power jet to clean the drive.

Yes, we can reduce the amount of water we use. We can change to taps that use less water by produce a spray. Ditto for shower heads. We can adjust toilet cisterns to use less water per flush. We can opt for washing appliances that use less water. We can turn off the tap when washing hands and teeth. We can bathe less often and wash clothes less often – saving energy as well as water. We can plant our gardens with drought tolerant plants and cut the lawns less often. We can install more water butts, and even install systems to collect and recycle grey water.

Leaks from water pipes – whether that is within a property, or out in the street – account for 113 litres per property per day according to CCW. Thames Water puts its leakage rate at a staggering 24% of the water it supplies. Sometimes leak go unnoticed because the water is leaking into the subsoil. Keeping an eye on our water meter should alert us to any leaks that occur on the consumer side of the pipes.

Yet households only account for a small fraction of the water we consume in the UK. The data below ⬇️ comes from the WWF Water Footprint report https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Orr_and_Chapagain_2008_UK_waterfootprint-vol1.pdf

73.6% of the UK’s water is used in farming.

17.9% is used by industry, and

8.5% is used by households.

Many of us are probably not aware how much water is used in farming. About a third of agricultural water is used for livestock, primarily as drinking water. A lactating cow needs 100+ litres a day, a farrowing sow, 30l and a beef animal 20l. Further water is used for washing/ cleaning dairy parlours, stock sheds and yards; for processing and cooling milk; and for disease control such as sheep dips and foot baths. (https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/wcc/research/resources/wateruse/technology/livestock.pdf)

Water for arable farming is primarily used for irrigation of outdoors in-field crops and undercover or protected, crops. Field crops requiring irrigation are primarily vegetables including sugar beet, peas, beans etc (potatoes account for 54% of water consumption), sugar beet, orchards and other fruits such as strawberries. Grains and grasses only occasionally need irrigation. Protected crops include (edibles such as salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, peppers, herbs, celery, and aubergines; and ornamentals such as pot plants, bedding plants and indoor cut flowers. (https://www.nfuonline.com/archive?treeid=141830) Water is also needed for spraycrops with pesticides and herbicides.

Just as domestic users of water can make savings by using more efficient equipment and appliances, so too can agricultural users. Just as gardeners can reduce their demand for water by swopping to drought tolerant plants, so too farmers can look to grow less water-greedy crops or drought tolerant varieties. But when it comes to providing drinking water for livestock, the only way to achieve reductions in water consumption would be by reducing stock numbers.

A pressing issue both in the UK and globally, is food waste. In the UK WRAP estimates that 3.6 million tonnes or 7.2%, of all food harvested is lost each year. 4% is classified as surplus which is food that would go to waste were it not diverted for use as animal food or other bio-based products. 3.2% is pure waste, of which horticultural crops make up 54% of the total, cereals 30%, livestock 8% and milk 8%. (https://wrap.org.uk/resources/report/food-waste-primary-production-uk) Such food waste may arise became the crop is damaged whilst growing in the field (pests and/ or weather), because supply exceeds the market demand, or because the product is the wrong shape/ too large/ too small, or because there is a lack of available labour to harvest the crop.

On top of this primary level of waste, there are issues with food waste during processing, on the shop floor and in the home. WRAP estimates that a further 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted of which 70% is wasted in the home. The most frequently thrown away foods are potatoes, bread and milk, whilst in total fresh vegetables and salad makes up 24% of the total.

So far I have focused on the consumption of water in the UK, but as the WWF Water Footprint report goes on to demonstrate, when we import food and other items we are in essence importing the output of someone else’s water. There are some products that we cannot – climatically – grow in this country such as cocoa and coffee. There are others, such as strawberries and tomatoes which have a longer growing season when grown elsewhere – say in Spain – than if grown here. However if these products come from areas where there are water shortages, our consumption of the same may be exacerbating that problem. As consumers we need to be conscientious in understanding the environmental costs of what we buy. When we buy Spanish strawberries are we endangering ecosystems in Spain? There has been a number of reports this year about the extraction of water by some strawberry growers that is adversely affecting the wetlands in the Doñana national park. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/08/bitter-fruit-strawberry-boom-water-plan-raises-fears-for-spanish-wetlands?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other and https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/22/uk-supermarkets-urge-andalucia-against-huge-strawberry-farm-expansion?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other)

On balance, whilst we should certainly save water in the home, we can do far more to safeguard water supplies and thus avoid water shortages, by rethinking what and how we eat. Eating less meat and dairy produce. Eating what’s in season, including the small/ large or wonky. Buying and cooking only what we need.

Counting on …day 277

15th August 2022

For a while we lived through a drought in Zimbabwe where every household was rationed to 50l of water per day (we were a household of 5). Reusing the little water we had was key – you learnt to wash your teeth before you washed your pants. Officially we are now in a drought situation here and must make careful use of our water, using only what we absolutely need and collecting grey water to reuse. A small bowl collects hand washing water to flush the loo. A larger bowl to wash in serves the same purpose.

Counting on …day 255

24th July 2022

The more people use refillable water bottles, the less demand there will be for bottled water. The hot weather has reminded us of the importance of staying hydrated – can it also instil in us the habit of carrying a refillable bottle. Lots of cafes have taps or jugs of water for refills, many railway stations have water refill points, and there are a growing number of public water fountains around the country.

Refill has an app to help you find places to refill water bottles, cafes that give discounts for reusable cups, and places that will refill your lunch box (but not for free!) – https://www.refill.org.uk/

Counting on … day 239

10th July 2022

You see it in some cafés – for a cool drink, fill a jug with water and add strips of cucumber/ slices of lemon or orange/ sprigs of mint/ slices of root ginger/ even melon rinds. Keep the jug in the fridge – it will stand a few refills before the additions loose their flavour. (No sugar, and no bottles to recycle).

Counting on ..day 186

18th May 2022

This is Christian Aid week. The work Christian Aid supports includes projects to assist people affected by climate change and to make their communities more resilient. Their recent report Scorched Earth focuses on drought caused by global heating. Many large cities around the globe – from London to Cape Town, Phoenix to New Delhi – face running out of water. Whilst the problem is wide spread, the means for resolving it are not. “Cities in poorer countries are also far more vulnerable than those in richer countries as they have fewer resources to adapt to the water shortages. The lack of state funds and infrastructure makes it harder to import water and ensure it reaches those that need

it. Urban drought is yet another example of the injustice of climate change impacting most the people who have done least to cause it.” https://www.christianaid.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-05/Scorched-Earth-2022.pdf

Countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis are often the least well financed making the contribution we make all the more important. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/give/ways-to-donate