Whenever I want or need water I know I can get it. All I have to do is turn on the faucet or go to the store. However, for billions of people in other countries, getting water isn’t that simple. Not only is it hard to get water in these other countries, but it is also difficult to get clean water. To solve this problem, countries around the world met to make a declaration for making water a human right, meaning that water should be made safe, affordable, and accessible to everyone. However, countries like the Unites States, Canada, and Russia refused to accept this declaration.
Some people wanted this declaration accepted because it could save a lot of people’s lives. Having clean water would reduce diseases caused by water-borne infections, which kill millions every year. Most of these people that die from these infections are young children. Those who wanted the declaration also said it would be beneficial to the whole world. This is because every country is not safe from climate changes, pollution, and population growth, and thus will someday have water problems because each of those changes could affect water. This is actually being true for the United States who is experiencing its greatest water shortages of all time.
I personally believe we should make a declaration for water being a human right. It would be hard for me to refuse someone clean water or water period even if I only had a little of it just like it would be hard to refuse someone food if they were hungry. I was thinking about why the United States would refuse such a declaration. If it is because they are currently feeling there is not enough water to go around, then I could understand. But if it is because of other reasons such as not making water a human right because it would put bottled water business out of business then I can’t understand. I think trying to make money from bottled water business then helping to save lives is wrong. You can read this article on ScienceDaily
Posted by Kayla Perry
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Water isn't a human right in any country that I can think of. Even in the U.S citizens pay for water. Although it is not much, there is still a water bill that will come every month. There is a need for water and a global shortage of freshwater is due to the increase in the human population. There is a lot of factors that will determine this, but for the time being I don't see this problem getting any better.
ReplyDeletePatrick Salome
This is important. I believe everyone should have clean water if it means life or death, and in many countries that is the case. I recently have heard a lot about this. Many people and celebrities have been donating money or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for cleaner drinking water. This will not be solved over night but every little bit helps and there is a tablet, that when dissolved, cleans filthy water making it drinkable. I think something should be done because billions of people are suffering because they lack the most crucial thing to sustain life, so I hope this helps the crisis.
ReplyDeletePosted by Amanda Makowski
I agree with you clean water should be a human right, there are a lot of deadly diseases associated with unclean water. Some contries can not even afford to have clean water for everyone and people with compromised immune system suffers the most, these are mostly children and elderly people.
ReplyDeletePosted by Anna Moreno.
One thing that comes to mind is what exactly are we spending our resources on. Not to sound like a peace junky but just imagine if all the countries in the world spent billions of dollars on research and relief aid instead of amassing weapons and waging war. Another thing that came to mind was hurricane Katrina and how long it took to get aid down there. What, we could fly B-52's overseas but we couldn't send a couple helicopters ASAP when Katrina struck? Until we get our priorities in line, unfortunately I too see no resolution in sight to this problem.
ReplyDeletePosted by Charly Almonte
There is always room for improvement when it come to clean water production in the United States. There is of course no denial in the statement that their in water shortages in the world. I just do not see how singning some meaning less declaration will do any thing except waste time. The idea of getting Government involved in my opinon is a bad idea, and a waste of time. Government involvement will only gum up the works. Government is slow and bloated, and clean water frankly costs money. The idea should be to get the private sector involved, and be allowed tax breaks in order to keep their water at a low affordable price. We as a society must realistic about this water problem, and not put our faith in the sighning of some declaration. Reasearch should be done in an attempt to find a low cost process for clean water.
ReplyDeleteCharly,
ReplyDeleteI also think our priorities are in spending money for weapons and war related things. I think until the water shortage problem really affects those who are of high status (such as those in government), foreign affair will always be a higher priority than anything else.
Ray,
I also think signing a declaration is meaningless and just wastes time. I remember in my history class on the Vietnam War that the government took years on coming up with a declaration to end the war because they took so much time in deciding things like where people should sit at the conference and what the best shape for a table would be while people were dying on the battlefield wondering when their commanders were going to tell them they finally came up with a solution and the war is over. It seems like the government is slow in a lot of things just like you said and I think if we want to get this problem solved we should get private sectors involved.
Posted by Kayla Perry