A new age of water is dawning

Aug 04 2023 · 2 min read

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece in Time or enjoy below

🗞️ Driving the news: Humanity stands at the precipice of a pivotal era, facing a future that can either descend into ecological destruction and socio-economic inequality or ascend into a sustainable and equitable epoch
• The global water crisis, central to this duality, demands new, concerted, and sustained efforts

🔭 The context: According to the author, the First Age of Water, marked by natural progression from Earth's creation to the dinosaurs' extinction, transformed drastically in the Second Age due to scientific, engineering, and societal leaps
• This period saw remarkable hydraulic innovations, disease control through water, and extensive irrigation systems
• However, it also spawned enduring environmental and socio-economic impacts

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: The overutilization and contamination of water resources, conflicts over water access, and climate change-induced alterations to water availability are threatening ecological and human survival
• This necessitates, according to the author, a transition into a Third Age of Water - one that corrects the failures of the past and ensures sustainable water management for the future

⏭️ What's next: Scientists are orchestrating sustainable strategies for water and its interrelated domains, such as energy, agriculture, and climate
• The aim is to transition from acknowledging the benefits and drawbacks of the Second Age of Water to ushering in the Third Age, which emphasizes technological and social transitions towards sustainability

💬 One quote: "We stand today at the brink of a new age, at a fork in the road of our own survival. We can become another extinct species, or we can recognize that water is so vital to our continued existence that we must find a new way to live with it, manage it, and protect it." (Peter H. Gleick, U.S. National Academy of Sciences)

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