A friend of mine is terrified because she believes mankind will soon be wiped out by a lack of potable water. She claims that even though we can purify water, the material costs of doing so entail causing yet more pollution. She sent this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikb4WG8UJRw
And this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0&NR=1
I argued that although a couple billion unfortunates may parish, this is far from an actual existential danger to mankind due to simple supply and demand politics; if water becomes more valuable, there is funding for all sorts of technology to purify or create H2O, meaning as soon as lots of people start dying rich people who don't want to die will solve the problem. She "countered" that water shouldn't be a commodity to be bought and sold like that, but I'm not gonna start arguing down that kind of sentiment... Anyway, what is you spags' take on this? Is this really such a major future problem or is my friend just fretting over a couple of YouTube vids?
1) Have her watch Steven Colbert's interview of Dean Kamen: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/164485/march-20-2008/dean-kamen
But don't tell her about the woman in Utah who was told by a court she doesn't have water rights to her roof.
Thanks. This other segment from that episode (apparently all about water) is hillarious: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/164482/march-20-2008/aqua-colbert
(http://homepage.mac.com/ozarkmatt/fark/waterworld.jpg) ??
Water might stop running out of taps. Tough shit domesticated primates :lulz:
Water will still be there but I'm guessing without 'H' and 'C' signs a lot of people are going to get real thirsty. They're welcome to use mine. I'll even write 'CAUTION: CONTENTS MAY BE WET' on it so they don't have accidents but it's gonna fucking cost 'em :ECH:
Lack of existential threat, yes.