"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Month: October 2020
Aquifer Overdrafting
10/31/20
“What happens when enough water is siphoned from an aquifer to permanently damage it?”
Groundwater is taken from aquifers for a variety of human purposes. However, when too much is taken out, it can lead to permanent damage and even destruction of the aquifer. Aquifer Overdrafting is something that needs to be actively monitored and acted upon to avoid such catastrophic impacts.
Forced Water Utility Disconnection
10/30/20
“What happens when a water utility customer cannot pay their bills?”
Water utility customers are expected to pay their bills at the end of each period to keep their service. However, if they cannot keep this up, then they could risk having their service shut off. This Forced Water Utility Disconnection can be disastrous for people and should be avoided as much as possible. Existing programs may be in place to help subsidize rates for lower-income customers.
Climate Epidemiology
10/29/20
“How will studying climate change and epidemiology become linked in the future?”
Global warming is going to make the world more habitable for disease-carrying vectors such as mosquitos and rats. This population multiplication is going to lead to these creatures spreading all over the globe and more interaction between humans and these species, giving rise to new diseases and epidemics. To prevent these disasters from getting out of control, researchers are going to need to yield the power of Climate Epidemiology to research what makes all of this tick.
Unsafe Drinking Water
10/28/20
“How can drinking water be unsafe?”
Drinkable water is one of the foundations of a habitable human civilization. However, in many places in the world, the local water may be unsafe to drink. This could be due to a variety of regions, ranging from a parasite infestation to pollution runoff. In any case, Unsafe Drinking Water is a global problem that requires an interdisciplinary thinking process to solve.
Desalination for Agriculture
10/27/20
“How can we use desalinated water for agriculture?”
Agriculture is one of the most if not THE most water-intensive industrial sectors. With the advent of climate change and depletion of freshwater resources, this resource is only going to become more and more scarce. One solution for this can be to use Desalination for Agriculture. Desalinated water can be pumped to agricultural centers, where they can replace other freshwater resources.
Image credit http://www.europenowjournal.org
Permanent Emergency Housing for Wildfire Disasters
10/26/20
“How could we build permanent emergency housing for wildfire disasters?”
When wildfires occur, mass evacuations may need to happen. However, if there is little-to-no available living spaces nearby, then this could lead to severe housing crises. Preemptive of this, governments and developers could build Permanent Emergency Housing for Wildfire Disasters. These spaces will be reserved for residents who are either currently experiencing houselessness or evacuated from a wildfire.
Weather Derivatives
10/25/20
“What are financial products that are dependent on weather conditions?”
Although usually thought of as two independent factors, weather can have a massive impact on finances, whether (pun intended) it be through floods devastating homes or wildfire-prone weather making agricultural insurance riskier. As a result, financial institutions have created a series of financial products known as Weather Derivatives. These can come in many forms, such as changing electricity prices based on weather or looking at long-term climate projections to calculate hurricane insurance.
Agricultural Damage From Wildfires
10/24/20
“How can agriculture be damaged by wildfires?”
Agriculture is one of the most foundational sectors to human society. However, it is also one of the most reliant on environmental conditions. So when wildfires strike, it is only understandable that.it would be heavily affected, whether it be farm fields being destroyed, water sources for crops being polluted, or ash settling on fields. This is why Agricultural Damage From Wildfires needs to be taken seriously.
Why Recycled Water Could Be Vital for Conflict Zones
10/23/20
“How can recycled water be vital for conflict zones?”
In conflict zones, water can be hard to find. Either infrastructure has been damaged or rationing has been instituted or both. However, if there is local and portable water recycling technology, then water can be supplied and lives saved. This is Why Recycled Water Could Be Vital for Conflict Zones.
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