Sao Paulo Brazil with 60 days of water

jfh

perpetual student
Joined
Dec 3, 2007
Location
Texas, USA
The city of Sao Paulo is home to 20 million Brazilians, making it the 12th largest mega-city on a planet dominated by shortsighted humans. Shockingly, it has only 60 days of water supply remaining. The city "has about two months of guaranteed water supply remaining as it taps into the second of three emergency reserves," reports Reuters.

Technical reserves have already been released, and as the city enters the heavy water use holiday season, its 20 million residents are riding on a fast-track collision course with severe water rationing and devastating disruptions.

But this isn't a story about Sao Paulo; it's a report that dares to point out that human societies are incredibly shortsighted and nearly incapable of sustainably populating planet Earth. In numerous regions around the world -- including California, India, Oklahoma, Brazil, China and many more -- human populations are rapidly out-growing the capacity of their local water systems. Even though keeping populations alive requires food... and growing food requires water... almost no nation or government in the world seems to be able to limit water consumption of local populations to levels which are sustainable in the long term.

Instead, the endless greed of the "grow-consume-profit" business model that dominates the global economy leaves no room for any hint of balance with nature. The overriding philosophy of modern business is to dominate nature with chemicals, mining and monoculture to maximize profit while kicking any really large problems down the road for the next generation to deal with.

The result is a world where nobody thinks about the long-term implications of today's trends because everybody's too busy trying to extract a buck or two out of the very system that will destroy their future.

Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson will also run dry read more at https://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2014/12/03/alarm-bells-toll-for-human-civilization-as-worlds-12th-largest-mega-city-to-run-out-of-water-in-just-60-days/

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Sounds like where I live. The Round Rock / Austin metropolis is in a severe drought. Yet more businesses are moving in.
 

Solstice Goat

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Location
Seattle, WA

knightofalbion

New member
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Jul 24, 2010
Location
Glastonbury, England
Ah! Man's cavalier disregard for the world we live in. If we did but realise how fragile our tenure here is ...

We need to learn to respect, honour and cherish the natural world before it's too late.
 

Solstice Goat

Frater Aegagrus
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Location
Seattle, WA
Ah! Man's cavalier disregard for the world we live in. If we did but realise how fragile our tenure here is ...
.
Indeed. Mankind is just another dead end cul-de-sac like the 90% of already extinct species to walk this planet. :D
 

Living Food

New member
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Location
USA
Indeed, and the Earth's resistance to such things is getting stronger.
It seems to be a popular idea that the Earth is "defending" itself against humanity and causing storms, diseases, and the like to fight back against us, but actually nothing could be further from the truth. The Earth has nothing but good intentions towards us despite how we treat it, it is humanity that is humanity's undoing. Natural disasters and all unpleasant conditions on this planet are a result of the mindset and collective negative vibrations of mankind. It is a dark world because we make it so.
 

jfh

perpetual student
Joined
Dec 3, 2007
Location
Texas, USA
Original Poster
Hail, Gaia, one of the Greek primordial deities.

And may Mother Nature be more kind to us in the New Year.
 

Solstice Goat

Frater Aegagrus
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Location
Seattle, WA
It seems to be a popular idea that the Earth is "defending" itself against humanity and causing storms, diseases, and the like to fight back against us, but actually nothing could be further from the truth. The Earth has nothing but good intentions towards us despite how we treat it, it is humanity that is humanity's undoing. Natural disasters and all unpleasant conditions on this planet are a result of the mindset and collective negative vibrations of mankind. It is a dark world because we make it so.

I totally agree. What appears to be nature or gods reeking vengeance on mankind, is merely mankind weakening himself.

The planet is quite young, which is why we have the volcanoes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.
 

larryz

Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2014
Remember that tv commercial here in the states "You can't fool mother nature..." than a loud bolt of lightening...? Forget the product name, but I think of that often when I hear of water droughts, people watering their lawns, etc.

The disregard and arrogance and selfishness is just crazy. It's a "free society" right? Or you're labeled a left wing nut job if you are a conservationist or care about the environment. I'm sick of it all.
 

jfh

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Dec 3, 2007
Location
Texas, USA
Original Poster
I remember a drought when I lived in California. We had to ration or pay a fine. The wealthy, in Marin county, watered their lawns and paid the fines. They could afford it.
 

Solstice Goat

Frater Aegagrus
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Location
Seattle, WA
I remember a drought when I lived in California. We had to ration or pay a fine. The wealthy, in Marin county, watered their lawns and paid the fines. They could afford it.

And somehow, water continued to flow from everyone's tap, didn't it? :D
 

jfh

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Dec 3, 2007
Location
Texas, USA
Original Poster
The Cantareira water system, largest of the six reservoirs that provide water to 20 million people living in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, Brazil is at 5.6% (as of January 20) of its capacity of one trillion liters (264 billion gallons), as reported by the water utility Sabesp. During the first two weeks of January 2015 rainfall totaled 7.1 centimeters (2.9 inches), well below the average 27.1 centimeters (10.7 inches). This comes as a result of the worst drought Brazil has faced in 84 years.
https://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2015/01/21/sao-paulo-largest-water-reservoir-cantareira-down-to-5-6/
 

jfh

perpetual student
Joined
Dec 3, 2007
Location
Texas, USA
Original Poster
Let's make sure to revisit this thread in February.

Water can be scarce in desert regions. Without electricity, Las Vegas would become uninhabitable in 48 hours. Hard to live 'green' in arid climates, but people do it anyway. :3stooges:
Well, here we are in March, and no mass exodus from Sao Paulo.

Now they are saying:

Simple calculations indicate that given the current level of consumption versus the predicted raining patterns there is only enough water on the system to last four to six months.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/feb/11/brazil-drought-ngo-alliance-50-ngos-saving-water-collapse
 

d0ug

Active member
Joined
Nov 29, 2013
Location
Dominican Republic
People need to plan some sort of self preservation and not depend on the utilities.
I live on the North coast of the DR where there is very dry climate most of the year and when the utilities that only give water every other day for about half an hour. That is the normal when they have problems it can be a week without water and the people take barrels and go to the river. Myself I collect all the rain water and have enough for three families because when it does rain we can see 2-3-4 inches of rain in a very short time. If you are prepared it is not a hardship it is a way of life.
 

jfh

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Joined
Dec 3, 2007
Location
Texas, USA
Original Poster
But d0ug, there are 20 million people in Sao Paulo. Even if water were to be delivered, only the rich would be satisfied.

I don't know how you do it with such little water. I feel like I need a shower at least 3 days a week, and every day in the summer. I'm sure my friends are please with that.
 

d0ug

Active member
Joined
Nov 29, 2013
Location
Dominican Republic
You might be surprised at just how much rain falls on your roof we have other people who are not even conected to the water system and only use rain water and have enough
 

bulrush

New member
Joined
Apr 9, 2016
almost no nation or government in the world seems to be able to limit water consumption of local populations to levels which are sustainable in the long term.
Let's translate it to what it really means: Almost no politician is willing to take the heat from an entitled population they've created.

I wonder if this area would benefit from the billboard that creates water.
 


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