I've wanted to write about water for a long time. My first prompt was seeing a woman outside of Whole Foods giving bottled Fiji water to her dog. You really can't make this up.
Most recently, I spent the summer in France where many regions faced water restrictions due to droughts. It was saddening to see the Loire at such low levels, reflecting France's worst drought recorded since 1958.

Pierre-Louis Godin

<h1>Opening the floodgates for important conversations</h1>
I&#x27;ve wanted to write about water for a long time. My first prompt was seeing a woman outside of Whole Foods giving bottled Fiji water to her dog. You really can&#x27;t make this up.
Most recently, I spent the summer in France where many regions faced <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220726-record-number-of-french-regions-face-water-restrictions">water restrictions</a> due to droughts. It was saddening to see the Loire at such low levels, reflecting France&#x27;s worst drought recorded since <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/temperatures-rise-france-tackles-its-worst-drought-record-2022-08-07/">1958</a>.
As the physical impacts of climate change increasingly affect humans, you could hope it will influence us to focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Maybe I see the glass as half full!
While earth is <a href="https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/facts-and-statistics#:~:text=How%20Much%20Water%20do%20We,is%20in%20lakes%20and%20rivers.">70%</a> water, only <a href="https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/facts-and-statistics#:~:text=How%20Much%20Water%20do%20We,is%20in%20lakes%20and%20rivers.">2.5%</a> of that share is freshwater. Someone <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/31/opinion/climate-change-glasgow-united-states.html">once said</a> climate change is already here, although it is not equally distributed. I find it a strong quote to share with people who downplay the climate crisis.
Water itself is not equally distributed as over <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water">2 billion</a> people live in water-stressed countries, and <a href="https://www.wateraid.org/facts-and-statistics">771 million</a> people do not have access to clean water close to their homes.
This socio-economic and environmental issue is at risk of being <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/how-climate-change-impacts-water-access">exacerbated by climate change</a> as melting glaciers and aquifer contaminations become more frequent, reducing the world&#x27;s access to freshwater.
As I read more about climate change, I&#x27;m walking a fine line between cautious optimism and defeatism. However, the latter can never be an option, as every <a href="https://careclimatechange.org/care-on-ipcc-every-fraction-of-a-degree-matters-to-those-already-on-the-frontlines/">fraction of a degree</a> makes it more challenging for vulnerable communities to escape cycles of poverty.
<h1>Water footprints are no drop in the ocean</h1>
Globally, water use, distribution and treatment, or lack thereof, contribute to <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/research/global-reports/global-water-report-2020">10%</a> of annual greenhouse gas emissions. This is partially due to the high energy demand at <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291728/scho0708bofv-e-e.pdf">each stage</a> of the industry:
<ol><li>Water sourcing: Water is collected from rivers or pumped from aquifers. Infrastructure such as canals and aqueducts must be built.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Water treatment: Once sourced, water must be brought to potable standards, requiring desalination, disinfection and filtration.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Water distribution: Water is pumped circularly through pipelines from treatment plants to households &amp; businesses.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Water consumption: If consumers desire hot water, this leads to energy consumption from boilers, most often powered by fossil fuels.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Wastewater treatment: Sewage emits greenhouse gases from the aerobic decomposition of organic matter and its biological treatment.</li></ol>
Given that we expect the world population to grow to <a href="https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/population#:~:text=The%20world%20population%20is%20projected,surrounding%20these%20latest%20population%20projections.">9.7 billion</a> in 2050, the challenge is then to increase the number of people with access to clean water while decoupling this growth in access from the rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
<h1>Drowning in solutions</h1>
This requires reducing both the environmental impact of the water industry and water consumption wherever possible. Starting with decarbonization, many opportunities arise:
<ol><li>As water infrastructure requires construction and maintenance, the water industry should consider the environmental stewardship of suppliers throughout the <a href="https://aecom.com/without-limits/article/how-the-uk-water-sector-could-further-address-whole-life-carbon/">procurement process</a>. For example, firms can reward vendors for having set <a href="https://sciencebasedtargets.org/">Science-Based Targets</a>.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Plants can procure renewable energy by entering <a href="https://www.engie.com/en/news/ppa-power-purchase-agreement-what-is-it">Purchasing Power Agreements</a> with energy firms, ensuring the provision of reliable green energy at <a href="https://www.engie.com/en/news/ppa-power-purchase-agreement-what-is-it">stable rates</a>. Solar panels and wind turbines can be installed on-site, or firms can leverage the <a href="https://www.ciwem.org/assets/pdf/Policy/Reports/A-Blueprint-for-carbon-emissions-reductions-in-the-water-industry.pdf">hydraulic flow</a> in distribution networks to generate clean energy.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Energy can be recovered as wastewater if treated through <a href="https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?dirEntryId=340010&amp;Lab=NRMRL#:~:text=Anaerobic%20digestion%20is%20the%20biological,management%2C%20and%20food%20waste%20management.">anaerobic digestion</a>, ensuring that organic waste such as sludge can be converted into <a href="https://www.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/technologies/anaerobic-digestion-treatment">biogas</a> which can then be reused to produce electricity or heat.</li></ol>
Beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions and generating renewable energy in the water industry, we should focus on reducing water consumption.
As companies, by:
<ol><li><a href="https://www.watertechonline.com/water-reuse/article/15550499/5-strategies-to-lower-your-companys-water-footprint">Measuring</a> water consumption and setting targets at a company and location level, empowering teams to find cost-saving solutions.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Investing time to <a href="https://www.source4b.co.uk/water-tips-guides/leaks-and-allowances">detect leakages</a> in pipes or equipment and resources to ensure maintenance teams fix them.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Installing <a href="https://www.h2obuildingservices.co.uk/news/rainwater-harvesting/benefit-business-rainwater-harvesting/">rainwater harvesting</a> systems on-site reduces the emissions of sourcing and transporting water.</li></ol>
As individuals, we can:
<ol><li>Reduce our intake of foods with a high <a href="https://waterfootprint.org/en/water-footprint/product-water-footprint/water-footprint-crop-and-animal-products/">water footprint</a>, such as meats and dairy.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Ensure that our <a href="https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/households/conservingwater/watersavingtips/">washing machines</a> only run on full loads and use colour-catchers to avoid running separate machines for our clothes.</li></ol>
<ol><li>Upgrade our household equipment for <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-20/water-shortage-drought-puts-low-flow-showers-back-in-spotlight-best-brands?leadSource=uverify%20wall">water-efficient models</a>, such as installing low-flow faucets and showerheads.</li></ol>
There are thousands of solutions to reduce water consumption, varying by industry and with the constraints faced by individuals wishing to implement them.
More importantly, conversations we have about water with our governments, companies and close ones can create ripple effects of climate action.
<h1>Full steam ahead for people and the planet</h1>
The world needs solutions to decarbonize the water industry and provide water to communities lacking access. This is where <a href="https://www.source.co/bottled-source/">Source</a> comes in with its mission to ensure that people in all geographies and of any economic status have access to the same high-quality drinking water.
Source manufactures <a href="https://www.source.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SOURCE-Tech-Spec-Sheet.pdf">solar-powered hydropanels</a> that provide drinking water to homes, schools or hospitals without the need for complex infrastructure.
The panel collect water vapour from filtered air and converts it to liquid water with the heat from the sun. The water is then mineralized for taste while sensors monitor that the water meets quality standards.
<blockquote>“Source panels run independently of any other source of energy to create distilled water that is treated with calcium and magnesium, making drinkable water where it may be a scarce resource.”</blockquote>
From an environmental point of view, groundwater reserves are untouched, no pipes or energy are required to transport the water, and water bottles are displaced. Source estimates that one panel removes <a href="https://www.source.co/source-mineralized-water/">54,000</a> plastic bottles throughout its <a href="https://www.source.co/source-mineralized-water/">15-year</a> lifetime.
One of the benefits of being off-grid and not requiring water or electricity infrastructure is that through renewable energy, water can be provided to remote communities.
The perfect example of how Source supports people is the <a href="https://www.source.co/resources/case-studies/indigenous-philippines-community-receives-renewable-drinking-water/">Binta&#x27;t Karis</a> community in the Philippines, living 5 hours away from the nearest major city. People had to dig into river banks for water, a task complexified in the summer when the river dries up.
More than 100 members of the community lacked access to a clean and reliable water source, with dehydration endangering the health of individuals. In partnership with an NGO, <a href="https://www.source.co/resources/case-studies/indigenous-philippines-community-receives-renewable-drinking-water/">40</a> Source hydropanels were installed, providing <a href="https://www.source.co/resources/case-studies/indigenous-philippines-community-receives-renewable-drinking-water/">40,000 litres</a> of water to the community.
As a Certified B Corporation, Source is leading the way in demonstrating how companies can tackle global challenges to benefit both people and the planet. In my eyes, it doesn&#x27;t get much better than that.
Future Thought Leaders is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of rising Sustainability &amp; Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

Water We Doing to the Planet?

2019 was a simpler time, blissfully unaware of the subsequent pandemic and lockdowns. Heck, the year started with an egg setting a world record.
On the 4th of January, an egg was posted on Instagram. Today, this picture has more than 56 million likes, beating the 18 million like record previously set by Kylie Jenner.

<h1>Cracking through egg history</h1>
2019 was a simpler time, blissfully unaware of the subsequent pandemic and lockdowns. Heck, the year started with an egg setting a <a href="https://time.com/5641700/viral-eggs-history/">world record</a>.
On the 4th of January, an egg was posted on Instagram. Today, this picture has more than <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsOGulcndj-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">56 million likes</a>, beating the 18 million like record previously set by Kylie Jenner.
Imagine being an influencer, thriving to have the most likes and internet attention, only to be beaten by an egg. Ha! While eggs have recently been part of popular culture, they have been in the human diet for ages.
Fowl were domesticated in East India more than <a href="https://www.incredibleegg.org/about-us/us-egg-farming-history">5000 years ago</a>, while Egyptian and Chinese records indicate that fowl eggs were consumed by humans as early as <a href="https://www.incredibleegg.org/about-us/us-egg-farming-history">1400 B.C</a>. Egg production has increased exponentially over time, with the egg industry today being worth more than <a href="https://sentientmedia.org/egg-production/">$200 billion</a>.
1.64 trillion eggs are produced annually, implying an average annual consumption of 206 eggs per person. With an average consumption of <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/food-supply">2928 calories</a> a day and an egg providing <a href="https://www.nutritionix.com/food/egg">72 calories</a>, this would amount to eggs providing nearly 1.4% of our annual caloric intake.
<h1>The environmental impact and welfare considerations are no yolk</h1>
As you could expect with any industry of this size, there are massive climate implications to producing <a href="https://sentientmedia.org/egg-production/">1.64 trillion</a> eggs. Eggs are the 9th most carbon-intensive food, emitting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-10-foods-with-the-biggest-environmental-footprint-2015-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">4.8 kg CO2</a> per kg consumed.
Indeed, the egg industry emits approximately <a href="https://www.wattagnet.com/articles/42950-good-manure-management-raises-egg-sectors-sustainability">300 million tons</a> of CO2e. A single ingredient emits more emissions yearly than <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/co2-emissions/co2-emissions-by-country/">Poland</a>, a country that gets <a href="https://ember-climate.org/countries-and-regions/countries/poland/">72%</a> of its energy from coal.
One of the most significant sources of emissions in the egg industry is the feed provided to hens, making up for <a href="https://poultry.network/6514-feed-accounts-for-close-to-90-of-carbon-emissions-on-egg-farms/#:~:text=POULTRY%20FEED%20is%20by%20far,farm%2C%20new%20analysis%20has%20revealed.">85%</a> of total emissions. This is due to the presence of soy in poultry diets. Often, this crop is imported from South America, leading to high emissions from deforestation and transportation.
Alongside the environmental impact, we must take a deeper look into the welfare of animals. Every year, <a href="https://demeter.net/chick-culling">7 billion</a> male chicks are slaughtered, either shredded alive or suffocated. This arises as male chicks are not considered a viable economic investment.
Most of the chicks that survive will spend their life in a cage. In the United States, <a href="https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/">74%</a> of hens live in battery cages. That’s <a href="https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/">243 million</a> birds! Their <a href="https://www.peta.org/features/egg-industry-cruelty/">beaks are cut</a> to prevent them from hurting themselves when crammed into the cages, often stacked on top of each other.
<h1>Hatching a plan to reduce emissions</h1>
Well, that was grim! Nevertheless, there are options for the industry to decarbonise its operations and supply chain:
<ul><li>Alternative feed: Peas, beans, algae or even insects could be favoured to <a href="https://www.poultrynews.co.uk/production/egg-production/analysis-cracking-down-on-the-carbon-footprint-of-eggs-to-reach-net-zero.html">replace soya</a>. However, farmers need to ensure that they contain similar protein content. At times, it may come at a premium.</li></ul>
<ul><li>Cleaner and lower energy consumption: The first thing farms can do is partner with renewable energy providers or produce energy <a href="https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2021/10/22/Before-the-chicken-and-the-egg-came-the-planet-Meet-the-company-selling-the-UK-s-first-carbon-neutral-eggs">on-site</a> with wind farms or solar panels. Insulation and ground source heat pumps can reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption, saving costs.</li></ul>
<ul><li>Getting our shit together: Chicken manure can be collected for <a href="https://www.epa.gov/agstar/how-does-anaerobic-digestion-work">anaerobic digestion</a>, breaking down the waste to produce biogas or natural fertiliser. This could be an additional source of income for farmers.</li></ul>
<ul><li>Better animal husbandry: Ensuring that birds stay <a href="https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/poultry/9-steps-to-cutting-carbon-emissions-on-poultry-farms">healthy</a> reduces mortality and lower outputs. As the bulk of emissions come from feed, we need to ensure that chickens that are fed are in a position to produce eggs.</li></ul>
We’ve seen that yes, we can reduce the emissions from the production of eggs. However, that won’t stop the suffering felt by the animals. If only there was a solution that could reduce emissions and animal cruelty!
<h1>Boiling it down to one solution</h1>
In comes <a href="https://www.ju.st/">JUST Egg</a>. The company is on a mission to build a more just food system that nourishes, strengthens the planet, and is accessible to all.
<blockquote>“The evidence is clear: Our food system needs to be transformed for the sake of our planet and the future of humankind.” Marco Lambertini, General Director, WWF International</blockquote>
It’s natural to question how one could do so. The world population is expected to reach 10 billion people by 2050 and our food system is not fit for purpose in the face of climate change which accelerates crop loss and makes agriculture more challenging for farmers.
Their vision for a just food system starts with a better egg. For Just Egg, attaining this is no chicken or the egg dilemma. They have removed the chicken from the equation!
Their star ingredient is the mung bean, a 4,400-year-old legume with a protein that scrambles like an egg. This discovery enables them to provide eggs made from plants.
Their vegan eggs require <a href="https://www.ju.st/">98%</a> less water, emit <a href="https://www.ju.st/">93%</a> fewer emissions and require <a href="https://www.ju.st/">86%</a> less land than chicken eggs. From a health perspective, their eggs have zero cholesterol. <a href="https://www.ju.st/">69%</a> less saturated fat than chicken eggs and an equal amount of protein. That sounds like a win for the planet and your body!
As of 2020, they had sold <a href="http://content.ju.st.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/EatJust-ImpactReport-2020.pdf">40 million</a> eggs, saving <a href="http://content.ju.st.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/EatJust-ImpactReport-2020.pdf">1.48 billion</a> gallons of water and <a href="http://content.ju.st.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/EatJust-ImpactReport-2020.pdf">6 million kgs</a> of CO2e. That’s equivalent to the annual water consumption of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/infographics/food-water/water_use.htm">52659</a> French citizens and <a href="https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator#results">24 million km</a> driven by an average passenger car. To date, they have sold 250 million eggs and are just getting started.
I heard about the company through a Serena Williams advert. It’s hilarious, and I’d encourage you to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uxHNrb69_k">watch it</a>. Plant-based eggs for Madama la G.O.A.T. On a more serious note, this story says a lot about how companies can disrupt established industries, providing better alternatives for people and the planet.
Future Thought Leaders is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of rising Energy &amp; Sustainability writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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Pierre-Louis Godin

Pierre-Louis Godin

Water We Doing to the Planet?

Being a good egg through climate action

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