Two interesting articles about water stress that underscore the omnipresence of water in aspects of our lives from fundamental to recreational - although I know that golf is very fundamental to many of my friends!
The first, BBC article discusses food production and mentions water stress.
UK food experts are claling for food audits by water. The UK imports half of its vegetables and many come from water-stressed nations. This will need to change to accomodate an exploding global population and water scarcity.
The second describes the challenges golf courses face, especially in water-stressed areas like the the American southwest. In Las Vegas, its 57 courses use 7.6 percent of water expended. But according to the Aguanomics blog, "the $7 billion golf industry uses one percent of California's water while the $32 billion agricultural industry uses 75 percent of the State's water."
Water districts throughout Nevada and California are paying golf courses as much as $3 per square foot to replace turf acreage with water-efficient landscaping, and have begun imposing financial penalties for any water used over budgeted amounts. The result may be fewer golf courses in the future, and those that are left may look radically different from the ones that exist today.
1 comment:
One of my friends who lived in Dubai told me about playing on sand courses there -- looser sand on the fairways and packed sand (like a pitcher's mound) for the greens. She really enjoyed it. Maybe that's the wave of the future in water-stressed areas, although sand courses might not be as relaxing an atmosphere for doing a business deal, entertaining a client, etc.
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