Water Quality Degradation as A Major Threat to Ground Water
Click image for larger view
The US Geological Service identifies 3 major long-term threats to sustainable groundwater:
As their list of concerns indicates, the various sources of significant disruption of the hydrologic cycle can reduce freshwater water availability for both surface water and groundwater. But the other two concerns matter equally insofar as what matters is availability of usable freshwater.
Water quality matters, not simply as a matter of retaining potable water in our reservoirs and sustainable habitats for aquatic life, but for the hidden threat to the quality of water in our deep aquifers that eventually replenish our lakes and streams or for which we must tap by way of deep drilling techniques as surface water sources recede from easy access. Water quality issues include not only inorganic and toxic chemical compounds but organic matter and overgrowth of nutrients that can produce algae build-up and rob estuaries of vital oxygen levels.
In addition, changes in the depth at which ground water reserves are found - not just the presence of contaminants - can bring about changes in the plant and aquatic life that is supportable in a region.
This brief description of groundwater threats is based on more detailed (but very accessible) discussions of the issues on the USGS Website.
- Long-term availability of ground-water supply (and surface-water supply),
- Protection of ground-water quality, and
- Environmental effects of ground-water development.
As their list of concerns indicates, the various sources of significant disruption of the hydrologic cycle can reduce freshwater water availability for both surface water and groundwater. But the other two concerns matter equally insofar as what matters is availability of usable freshwater.
Water quality matters, not simply as a matter of retaining potable water in our reservoirs and sustainable habitats for aquatic life, but for the hidden threat to the quality of water in our deep aquifers that eventually replenish our lakes and streams or for which we must tap by way of deep drilling techniques as surface water sources recede from easy access. Water quality issues include not only inorganic and toxic chemical compounds but organic matter and overgrowth of nutrients that can produce algae build-up and rob estuaries of vital oxygen levels.
In addition, changes in the depth at which ground water reserves are found - not just the presence of contaminants - can bring about changes in the plant and aquatic life that is supportable in a region.
This brief description of groundwater threats is based on more detailed (but very accessible) discussions of the issues on the USGS Website.
Survey of the Major Varieties of Water Contaminants
On the website of the Safe Drinking Water Foundation, you can find a great elementary account of the main types of water pollution in Canada, showing some of the differences in the contaminants and the differences in their known and possible environmental and human health effects. Among the key facts they recite are the following:
- Over 360 chemical compounds, including lead, DDT and mercury, have been identified in the Great Lakes.
- Between 1950 and 1975, Lake Erie experienced the process of eutrophication, due to excess phosphorus and nitrogen.
- Some 70,000 commercial and industrial compounds are currently in use in Canada, and there are estimated 1,000 chemicals that are introduced each year.
- Just one drop of many household chemicals can render large amounts of water undrinkable
- More than one trillion litres of untreated sewage are dumped into Canadian waters every year by 21 cities.
Progress Toward Millennium Development Goal 7: halving the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation
click image for full report
The most recent WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) biennial report on the progress towards the drinking-water and sanitation target under Millennium Development Goal 7 - halving the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation between 1990 and 2015 - . was met in 2010, five years ahead of schedule.
However, an estimated 780 million still lacked safe drinking water in 2010, and the world is unlikely to meet the MDG sanitation target. While there is much good news in this 2012 report, the fact remains that severe water stress affecting 1/3 of the world's population is expected to double to 2/3 by 2025.
However, an estimated 780 million still lacked safe drinking water in 2010, and the world is unlikely to meet the MDG sanitation target. While there is much good news in this 2012 report, the fact remains that severe water stress affecting 1/3 of the world's population is expected to double to 2/3 by 2025.
Who Uses the Most Water Per Capita, For What, and with What Consequence?
click image for larger view
A very comprehensive and unusually insightful feature story in Wired by Matthew Power surveys many issues of water access on a global scale. Some issues are familiar (by now, at least) to those who had followed water issues for several years, but some are far less familiar. The story traces issues and challenges specific to three geographic regions, the Arizona desert, the London Thames valley region, and Australia. Here is a crisp summary of some of the main problems on a global scale:
"Freshwater is the ultimate renewable resource, but humanity is extracting and polluting it faster than it can be replenished. Rampant economic growth — more homes, more businesses, more water-intensive products and processes, a rising standard of living — has simply outstripped the ready supply, especially in historically dry regions. Compounding the problem, the hydrologic cycle is growing less predictable as climate change alters established temperature patterns around the globe."
One keen observation by Power is that for some companies, the price may matter very little, simply because the cost of water is a relatively small component of their business expenses. On the other hand, the political capital that is necessary to influence government officials in order to guarantee priority for their water access rights against competing claimants is among their most valuable corporate assets.
"Freshwater is the ultimate renewable resource, but humanity is extracting and polluting it faster than it can be replenished. Rampant economic growth — more homes, more businesses, more water-intensive products and processes, a rising standard of living — has simply outstripped the ready supply, especially in historically dry regions. Compounding the problem, the hydrologic cycle is growing less predictable as climate change alters established temperature patterns around the globe."
One keen observation by Power is that for some companies, the price may matter very little, simply because the cost of water is a relatively small component of their business expenses. On the other hand, the political capital that is necessary to influence government officials in order to guarantee priority for their water access rights against competing claimants is among their most valuable corporate assets.
Crop Irrigation as a Percentage of Freshwater Use
Source: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)
|
Agriculture as a Percentage of Total Water Use
Source: UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) |
A Vivid Portait of Some of the Primary Sources of Deterioration in Water Quality and Quantity
Poisoned Waters, A PBS Frontline special report
This PBS film examines a host of issues of ground water quality and availability using the Puget Sound and the Chesapeake bay as cases studies. It documents the biological transformation of two major estuaries by the increased concentration of chemicals such as estrogen from birth control pills, commonly prescribed anti-depressants, rocket fuel, and especially, the large volume of agricultural pollution that includes animal waste, fertilizers, animal growth hormones, and antibiotics.
The film also examines the causes of significant loss of groundwater availability, including the role of hardscape in exacerbating urban water run-off, the stress on water resources created by suburbanization, and the effect of deforestation on regional watersheds. The film can be seen online, along with useful supplemental materials at the PBS Frontline website.
The focus of the film is on the US, but many of the lessons are applicable to other developed nations and lesser developed nations where land use decisions are being made under conditions of rapid transformation from mainly rural population centrers to new mega-city environments.
This PBS film examines a host of issues of ground water quality and availability using the Puget Sound and the Chesapeake bay as cases studies. It documents the biological transformation of two major estuaries by the increased concentration of chemicals such as estrogen from birth control pills, commonly prescribed anti-depressants, rocket fuel, and especially, the large volume of agricultural pollution that includes animal waste, fertilizers, animal growth hormones, and antibiotics.
The film also examines the causes of significant loss of groundwater availability, including the role of hardscape in exacerbating urban water run-off, the stress on water resources created by suburbanization, and the effect of deforestation on regional watersheds. The film can be seen online, along with useful supplemental materials at the PBS Frontline website.
The focus of the film is on the US, but many of the lessons are applicable to other developed nations and lesser developed nations where land use decisions are being made under conditions of rapid transformation from mainly rural population centrers to new mega-city environments.
Animal Waste in Rivers and Streams: The Impact of CAFOs
River of Waste is a film about factory farming and its environmental impact. It is a vivid portrayal of the enormous impact that large poultry and hog farms have on the land, air, and water. The narrator - Don McCorkell, a former member of the US Congress from Oklahoma - asks the viewer to think of the challenge of waste disposal that these large facilities face in comparison to similar challenges that would be faced with large concentrations of human beings in comparable circumstances. US factory farms are responsible for 1.3 billion tons of sewage per year. That's 5 tons per person annually in the US, or more than 100 times the quantity of human waste produced by entire US population each year.
We have long ago learned the health hazards of not dealing effectively with human sewage, but we have not done a very good job with animal waste. By comparison, the EU regulations are much stricter. Concentration of animals, spreading of waste by-products and run-off into streams is carefully monitored and limited. Chemical additives to food in the US result in massive air pollution (ammonia) and water pollution (phosphates and arsenic).
We have long ago learned the health hazards of not dealing effectively with human sewage, but we have not done a very good job with animal waste. By comparison, the EU regulations are much stricter. Concentration of animals, spreading of waste by-products and run-off into streams is carefully monitored and limited. Chemical additives to food in the US result in massive air pollution (ammonia) and water pollution (phosphates and arsenic).
Gray Water from Agriculture vs. Gray Water for Agriculture
Click FAO graphic for larger view
There are three types of water footprint (WF):
"The WF consists of 3 components: the green WF, the blue WF, and the gray WF. The green WF refers to rainwater that evaporated during production, mainly during crop growth. The blue WF refers to surface and groundwater for irrigation evaporated during crop growth. The gray WF is the volume of water that becomes polluted during production, defined as the amount of water needed to dilute pollutants discharged into the natural water system to the extent that the quality of the ambient water remains above agreed water quality standards.”
We also want to know more about the gray water components of various biofuel crops and crops of all kinds. Gray water has taken on positive connotations in the context of "green" household reuse of domestic water from laundry and other routine activities might have suitable agricultural uses.
But in the agricultural context, gray water production can be quite ominous. The authors of the 2010 article in Biofuels (cited above) added the following observation at the end of their paper: "Pesticides, including atrazine, alachlor, glyphosphate and 2,4-d, are commonly used for dedicated crops used for biofuels. The use of glyphosphate on corn is growing rapidly owing to the switch to over 50% of corn acreage being planted with ‘round-up-ready’ corn (glyphosphate is the active ingredient in this commercial herbicide). Herbicides are also used for switchgrass, especially in the first couple of years of the perennial cycle to kill broad leaf weeds as the grass plants are established. The impact of these agricultural pesticides on water quality continues to be studied, although there are limited data to estimate leaching rates and the resulting impacts are often hotly debated."
The pyramid representation above is from the introductory chapter of the FAO's Control of Water Pollution from Agriculture. The chapter provides a useful introduction to the types of agricultural pollutants in water. But note the inclining arrow on the right marked as "decreasing efficiency in producing information." It seems obvious that information is difficult and costly to obtain, and there are many reasons why this is the case. It is an important question to ask, whether over time, the failure to collect and analyze such information before widespread use might be deemed a missed opportunity to identify problems that end up being very costly because the effort to collect information was not pursued. At the end of the chapter, a reference is made to the "data problem" and the resistance to its collection.
"The WF consists of 3 components: the green WF, the blue WF, and the gray WF. The green WF refers to rainwater that evaporated during production, mainly during crop growth. The blue WF refers to surface and groundwater for irrigation evaporated during crop growth. The gray WF is the volume of water that becomes polluted during production, defined as the amount of water needed to dilute pollutants discharged into the natural water system to the extent that the quality of the ambient water remains above agreed water quality standards.”
We also want to know more about the gray water components of various biofuel crops and crops of all kinds. Gray water has taken on positive connotations in the context of "green" household reuse of domestic water from laundry and other routine activities might have suitable agricultural uses.
But in the agricultural context, gray water production can be quite ominous. The authors of the 2010 article in Biofuels (cited above) added the following observation at the end of their paper: "Pesticides, including atrazine, alachlor, glyphosphate and 2,4-d, are commonly used for dedicated crops used for biofuels. The use of glyphosphate on corn is growing rapidly owing to the switch to over 50% of corn acreage being planted with ‘round-up-ready’ corn (glyphosphate is the active ingredient in this commercial herbicide). Herbicides are also used for switchgrass, especially in the first couple of years of the perennial cycle to kill broad leaf weeds as the grass plants are established. The impact of these agricultural pesticides on water quality continues to be studied, although there are limited data to estimate leaching rates and the resulting impacts are often hotly debated."
The pyramid representation above is from the introductory chapter of the FAO's Control of Water Pollution from Agriculture. The chapter provides a useful introduction to the types of agricultural pollutants in water. But note the inclining arrow on the right marked as "decreasing efficiency in producing information." It seems obvious that information is difficult and costly to obtain, and there are many reasons why this is the case. It is an important question to ask, whether over time, the failure to collect and analyze such information before widespread use might be deemed a missed opportunity to identify problems that end up being very costly because the effort to collect information was not pursued. At the end of the chapter, a reference is made to the "data problem" and the resistance to its collection.
More on the "Data Problem" in Assessing the Impact of Farm Contaminants to Water
click on this tiny chart from the FAO to see it
Water pollution is divided between point source and non-point source contaminants. For example, "point source" is defined in section 502(14) of the Clean Water Act. It states:
"The term "point source" means any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft, from which pollutants are or may be discharged. This term does not include agricultural storm water discharges and return flows from irrigated agriculture."
Nonpoint source pollution is whatever else that does not meet the point source definition. Nonpoint source pollution, as the EPA puts it "generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification."
Now, the EPA's statutory definition is not simply a quirk of US law, or a definition gerrymandered to suit the industry. On the other hand, the wholesale lack of regulation of non-point source pollution is an artifact of political influence. For example, OMB Watch reported that in July, 2012, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that it was withdrawing a proposed rule that would have required Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to report basic information to the agency."
The chart above is from the UN's World Water Assessment Programme. You can see from the chart (once you click the little image) some of the reasons that make assessment so difficult. The source of agricultural runoff is difficult to trace to specific farms or feedlots. The pollution that comes from farms is also found in natural settings, for example, from animal wastes in the wild or from chemicals that are used in fertilizers but also are components of unamended soil. There are flow variabilities triggered by severe weather events, for example, and traditional efforts to quantify the 'dose" of individual pollutants and estimate the health or other "response" for that particular concentration level are made more difficult because of their dispersion. They are made more difficult to monitor for other reasons as well, in particular the opposition of agricultural industries to monitoring programs. Some of these issues are nicely described in two documentaries annotated on this page, River of Waste and Poisoned Waters.
"The term "point source" means any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft, from which pollutants are or may be discharged. This term does not include agricultural storm water discharges and return flows from irrigated agriculture."
Nonpoint source pollution is whatever else that does not meet the point source definition. Nonpoint source pollution, as the EPA puts it "generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification."
Now, the EPA's statutory definition is not simply a quirk of US law, or a definition gerrymandered to suit the industry. On the other hand, the wholesale lack of regulation of non-point source pollution is an artifact of political influence. For example, OMB Watch reported that in July, 2012, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that it was withdrawing a proposed rule that would have required Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to report basic information to the agency."
The chart above is from the UN's World Water Assessment Programme. You can see from the chart (once you click the little image) some of the reasons that make assessment so difficult. The source of agricultural runoff is difficult to trace to specific farms or feedlots. The pollution that comes from farms is also found in natural settings, for example, from animal wastes in the wild or from chemicals that are used in fertilizers but also are components of unamended soil. There are flow variabilities triggered by severe weather events, for example, and traditional efforts to quantify the 'dose" of individual pollutants and estimate the health or other "response" for that particular concentration level are made more difficult because of their dispersion. They are made more difficult to monitor for other reasons as well, in particular the opposition of agricultural industries to monitoring programs. Some of these issues are nicely described in two documentaries annotated on this page, River of Waste and Poisoned Waters.
Eutrophication and Nutrient Pollution from Agriculture
click image to enlarge
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) offers a map (shown on your right) showing the changes in water quality due to nitrogen between the period of assessment conducted between 1900 and 1999 and the more recent assessment period 2000-2007. The map showing levels of nitrate concentrations at river mouths is taken from Vital Water Graphics. UNEP.
The importance of assessing nitrate levels globally is summed up in the following claim:
"Globally, the most prevalent water quality problem is eutrophication, a result of high-nutrient loads (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen), which substantially impairs beneficial uses of water. Major nutrient sources include agricultural runoff, domestic sewage (also a source of microbial pollution), industrial effluents and atmospheric inputs from fossil fuel burning and bush fires. Lakes and reservoirs are particularly susceptible to the negative impacts of eutrophication because of their complex dynamics, relatively longer water residence times and their role as an integrating sink for pollutants from their drainage basins. Nitrogen concentrations exceeding 5 milligrams per litre of water often indicate pollution from human and animal waste or fertilizer runoff from agricultural areas."
The importance of assessing nitrate levels globally is summed up in the following claim:
"Globally, the most prevalent water quality problem is eutrophication, a result of high-nutrient loads (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen), which substantially impairs beneficial uses of water. Major nutrient sources include agricultural runoff, domestic sewage (also a source of microbial pollution), industrial effluents and atmospheric inputs from fossil fuel burning and bush fires. Lakes and reservoirs are particularly susceptible to the negative impacts of eutrophication because of their complex dynamics, relatively longer water residence times and their role as an integrating sink for pollutants from their drainage basins. Nitrogen concentrations exceeding 5 milligrams per litre of water often indicate pollution from human and animal waste or fertilizer runoff from agricultural areas."
Several Useful Publications with Information on Nutrient Pollution and Animal Waste Issues
Click image to see this 2011 report on CA
- The Pew Environmental Group's Animal Agriculture and Water Pollution provides state level information about Animal waste and water pollution's effects on health
- The Environmental Working Group's 2012 Report, Troubled Waters: Farm Pollution Threatens Drinking Water "focused on four states in the core of the Midwestern corn belt - Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Nutrient overload in surface and groundwater is a significant water quality problem for these states, making nitrate and phosphorus levels higher and algal blooms more frequent compared to national averages."
- The National Resource Defense Council's website has quite a bit of information in Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms
- The FAO's primer on nutrient pollution and eutrophication is available online in a chapter from its Control of Water Pollution from Agriculture
- The World Resource Institute's website provides a basic primer on agriculture and other sources of nutrient pollution and the causes and consequences of eutrophication and hypoxia
- The USDA databases can be found online at its Water Quality Information Center. They contain all sorts of agricultural information resources, including information on water
More on the Overall Impact of Agriculture on Water Quality
- The USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program has published key findings from the first decade of the program on water quality and nonpoint sources in agricultural watersheds - contains data on nitrogen, pesticides, and fertilizers which they say has "degraded the quality of streams and shallow ground water in agricultural areas, which make up more than 50 percent of the continental United States."
- A report with similar estimates of non-agricultural versus agricultural-related water pollution, with non-point source agricultural and household non-point source contributions analysed by type and environmental impact, is available from the Ministry of the Environment of Australia
- The EPA's own Fact Sheet on Agricultural Runoff contains quite a bit of information collected in various research settings
- A 2012 OECD report, Agriculture and water quality: Sources, Trends, Outlook, and Monitoring concludes that the "impact of agriculture on water quality is either stable or deteriorating, with few cases where significant improvements are reported across OECD from the mid-2000s to 2010... The outlook over the next ten years for agriculture and water quality suggests that the growth and intensification of agricultural production could further heighten regional pressures on water systems in some countries."
- The FAO's World Agriculture: Towards 2015/2030. Summary Report contains a chapter on "Agriculture and the environment" and it surveys water quality issues, the connection between climate change and agriculture and water, issues of agriculture's impact on biodiversity, and many more topics. This is a shorter version of the full FAO report.
Urban Runoff as Another Major Contributor to Non-source Water Pollution
click image to read
The National Resources Defense Council provides a useful primer on non-point source water pollution attributable to runoff created by and exacerbated by the design of urban and suburban population centers and their reshaping of the regional watersheds in which they are sited. The preamble of Stormwater Strategies: Community Responses to Runoff Pollution notes that farm runoff is a very significant part of the non-point source water pollution, but the report "however, focuses on runoff pollution from developed areas, which occurs when stormwater carries away a wide variety of contaminants as it runs across rooftops, roads, parking lots, baseball diamonds, construction sites, golf courses, lawns, and other surfaces in our cities and suburbs. The oily sheen on rainwater in roadside gutters is but one common example of urban runoff pollution."
The documentary, Poisoned Waters, offers two contrasting accounts that display the variety of non-point source water pollution, the agricultural-related problems of the Chesapeake Bay and the urban runoff problems of the Puget Sound (and Tyson's Corner, Virginia). See the annotation above on this page describing the film).
The documentary, Poisoned Waters, offers two contrasting accounts that display the variety of non-point source water pollution, the agricultural-related problems of the Chesapeake Bay and the urban runoff problems of the Puget Sound (and Tyson's Corner, Virginia). See the annotation above on this page describing the film).
Global Water Quality Surveyed in The GEO-5 Report: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released the GEO-5 report as one of the most comprehensive scientific assessments of contemporary trends in climate change, chemical and waste treatment, and water, land, and natural resource management. Viewed as a preliminary measure for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (better known as the Rio+20 Conference) that took place two weeks later, the report serves as a literal report card for global progress towards 90 of the UN's most important environmental objectives. The results are discouraging, if not shocking - "significant progress" has been made only with respect to eliminating ozone-depleting substances, eliminating lead from gasoline, increasing research related to marine pollution, and, to a lesser extent, increasing equitable access to better quality water.
Chapter 4 provides an extensive survey of how water quality issues are being addressed, and chapter 6 supplements that discussion with a survey of how chemicals and wastes are being handled.
For more information on the report and its findings, please see the corresponding UNEP website.
Chapter 4 provides an extensive survey of how water quality issues are being addressed, and chapter 6 supplements that discussion with a survey of how chemicals and wastes are being handled.
For more information on the report and its findings, please see the corresponding UNEP website.
Unconventional Natural Gas Extraction (Fracking) as Another Threats to Groundwater
Gasland: The HBO Special Report 2009
This documentary emerges out of one Pennsylvania man's concern for the reports of nearby contamination of wells and streams where hydrologic fracturing techniques - fracking - for the extraction of unconventional gas sources such as shale has increased.
The focus is two-fold. On the one hand, there is an exploration of the possible impact on human health, water, air and wildlife from both the escape of the gas and the use of fracking fluids used in the process of extraction. On the other hand, there is an exploration of the combination of state regulatory inefficacy and federal exemption from the major environmental laws.
The story unfolds as a kind of one-man road trip through the heartland of America's gaslands, where well platforms are growing at an exponential rate. As the film's maker, Josh Fox, observes, he sees the same pattern repeating everywhere: contaminated and indeed flammable water supplies, clusters of unusual health problems such as neurological disorders, and dead animals. The film makes no causal claims - in fact, the point is that we lack scientific evidence and systematic investigation into the impacts.
Here is where the second theme comes into play. At the federal level, the 2005 Energy Policy Act exempts oil and gas production facilities from the reporting requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the regulation by either the Clean Water Act or the Clean Air Act, and many other environmental laws. Simultaneously, the record of state level regulation is one of agency inaction, political influence, and budget cuts of key regulatory agencies.
The film also provides a vidid picture of how the production process works, the nearly 600 non-degradable chemical compounds used in the process, but are not legally required to be reported and not likely to be known by workers and residents in affected areas. The circumstances that provoked the film remain much the same today, except for the fact that the number of unconventional gas wells is increasing and, as the film predicted, the territory of gasland is expanding across the US and the world.
This documentary emerges out of one Pennsylvania man's concern for the reports of nearby contamination of wells and streams where hydrologic fracturing techniques - fracking - for the extraction of unconventional gas sources such as shale has increased.
The focus is two-fold. On the one hand, there is an exploration of the possible impact on human health, water, air and wildlife from both the escape of the gas and the use of fracking fluids used in the process of extraction. On the other hand, there is an exploration of the combination of state regulatory inefficacy and federal exemption from the major environmental laws.
The story unfolds as a kind of one-man road trip through the heartland of America's gaslands, where well platforms are growing at an exponential rate. As the film's maker, Josh Fox, observes, he sees the same pattern repeating everywhere: contaminated and indeed flammable water supplies, clusters of unusual health problems such as neurological disorders, and dead animals. The film makes no causal claims - in fact, the point is that we lack scientific evidence and systematic investigation into the impacts.
Here is where the second theme comes into play. At the federal level, the 2005 Energy Policy Act exempts oil and gas production facilities from the reporting requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the regulation by either the Clean Water Act or the Clean Air Act, and many other environmental laws. Simultaneously, the record of state level regulation is one of agency inaction, political influence, and budget cuts of key regulatory agencies.
The film also provides a vidid picture of how the production process works, the nearly 600 non-degradable chemical compounds used in the process, but are not legally required to be reported and not likely to be known by workers and residents in affected areas. The circumstances that provoked the film remain much the same today, except for the fact that the number of unconventional gas wells is increasing and, as the film predicted, the territory of gasland is expanding across the US and the world.
The Global Scope of the Issue - "Are We Entering a Golden Age of Gas?"
A source of much discussion globally is the special report from the World Energy Outlook 2011, produced by the International Energy Agency (IEA) provocatively named "Are we entering a golden age of gas?" Even as the report inserts the obligatory question mark, the Report triumphantly concludes:
"The future for natural gas is bright. Demand has experienced a strong post-crisis recovery, while the North American shale gas boom and expansion of LNG trade have made ample supplies available in the near-term and bolstered future gas supply prospects. With mounting concerns over energy security and global climate change, and renewed debate surrounding the future role of nuclear power, these developments merit a deeper investigation of the prospects for, and the implications of, a golden age of natural gas."
The sequel is "Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas" (Released 29 May 2012). The entire World Energy Outlook 2012 report will be released on November 12, 2012. Here is what you can expect: "Drawing on the latest data and policy developments, the 2012 edition of the World Energy Outlook presents analytical insights into trends in energy markets and what they mean for energy security, environmental protection and economic development. It sets out updated projections of energy demand, production, trade, investment and carbon-dioxide emissions, broken down by country, fuel and sector, to 2035."
"The future for natural gas is bright. Demand has experienced a strong post-crisis recovery, while the North American shale gas boom and expansion of LNG trade have made ample supplies available in the near-term and bolstered future gas supply prospects. With mounting concerns over energy security and global climate change, and renewed debate surrounding the future role of nuclear power, these developments merit a deeper investigation of the prospects for, and the implications of, a golden age of natural gas."
The sequel is "Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas" (Released 29 May 2012). The entire World Energy Outlook 2012 report will be released on November 12, 2012. Here is what you can expect: "Drawing on the latest data and policy developments, the 2012 edition of the World Energy Outlook presents analytical insights into trends in energy markets and what they mean for energy security, environmental protection and economic development. It sets out updated projections of energy demand, production, trade, investment and carbon-dioxide emissions, broken down by country, fuel and sector, to 2035."
Estimated Gas Reserves, Conventional and Non-Conventional
click image for a larger view
The special report in the 2011 World Energy Outlook contained some blockbuster predictions. For example, it estimated that the share of gas in the global energy mix will rise from 21% today to 25% in 2035. In case you are wondering what the big deal is about such a seemingly small growth in proportionate share of the total energy market represented by gas, that would require a rise of 50% in global demand for gas between 2010 and 2035.
Where might all that gas come from? Take a look at the IEA's map to the right for some clues. If, as the IEA projects, worldwide production of unconventional natural gas could triple to 1.6 trillion cubic meters by 2035, it would require “more than one million new unconventional gas wells worldwide between now and 2035, twice the total number of gas wells currently producing in the United States.”
Gas generated electricity is often described as a “low-regret” option. They are relatively cheap to build, especially compared to nuclear power plants, and the process of generating electricity from gas has been estimated to release up to 50% less carbon dioxide than coal in the best case scenario (AKA Golden Rules in the IEA 2012 special report).
But what would that achievement on its own contribute resolution of the greenhouse accumulation problem? Not so much. The long term trajectory of the Golden Rules case would be consistent with stablizing the GHG concentration levels at around 650ppm with a probable rise in temperature of around 3.5 degrees C. The 2011 Golden Age of Gas report made the point quite clearly that natural gas can be but a small part of any solution.
Where might all that gas come from? Take a look at the IEA's map to the right for some clues. If, as the IEA projects, worldwide production of unconventional natural gas could triple to 1.6 trillion cubic meters by 2035, it would require “more than one million new unconventional gas wells worldwide between now and 2035, twice the total number of gas wells currently producing in the United States.”
Gas generated electricity is often described as a “low-regret” option. They are relatively cheap to build, especially compared to nuclear power plants, and the process of generating electricity from gas has been estimated to release up to 50% less carbon dioxide than coal in the best case scenario (AKA Golden Rules in the IEA 2012 special report).
But what would that achievement on its own contribute resolution of the greenhouse accumulation problem? Not so much. The long term trajectory of the Golden Rules case would be consistent with stablizing the GHG concentration levels at around 650ppm with a probable rise in temperature of around 3.5 degrees C. The 2011 Golden Age of Gas report made the point quite clearly that natural gas can be but a small part of any solution.
Water.org: A Source for Key Water Facts
Water.org is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing equitable access to safe water and sanitation throughout the developing world. Its featured projects span three continents from Haiti to Ethiopia to India, focusing on improving livelihoods for the poorest, most marginalized communities. These projects follow a time-tested formula based on community ownership, appropriate technology, and measurement of results. Of particular interest is the WaterCredit program, which seeks to utilize microfinance as a tool towards greater improvements in water and sanitation.
As an educational tool, Water.org provides an overarching analysis of water facts that outline the global crisis, including a more specific focus on the special status and considerations for women in affected societies. The website also boasts visually-striking breakdowns of water facts related to children, disease, and economics, among other topics. The site also provides a very useful list of other web resources.
As an educational tool, Water.org provides an overarching analysis of water facts that outline the global crisis, including a more specific focus on the special status and considerations for women in affected societies. The website also boasts visually-striking breakdowns of water facts related to children, disease, and economics, among other topics. The site also provides a very useful list of other web resources.