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Manufacturing thirst: The hidden water costs of our industrial economy

Posted by: Maven on October 24, 2008 at 5:25 am

From AlterNet:

The rampant waste of freshwater for general public use — lawn watering, the creation of suburban fake lakes, excessive bathing and household washing — has been well documented, as has the politically charged use of water in US agriculture. But the use and abuse of water in various parts of the global industrial economy is often overlooked. From the mining of raw materials for manufacturing to energy production, to the manufacturing process itself, the US industrial economy uses a significant amount of water every year.

Exact numbers for the amount of water used outside of agriculture or home consumption are difficult to come by. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that industry uses about five percent of all the water in the US, but does not include mining or electricity generation in that figure. A report from Dow Chemical puts the figure much higher, at around 20 percent. And perhaps more importantly, neither number takes into account the volume of water pollution that occurs in the course of industrial processes. At the very least, it’s clear that every year, billions of gallons of water are used — not to grow food or to meet physical human needs — but to quench our society’s thirst for the modern conveniences and technological devices we have come to rely on.

Read more from AlterNet by clicking here.

October 24, 2008 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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