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Blue Gold (2008) Sam Bozzo

The film is about us saving ourselves not the environment. It talks about the importance of water to human survival. We as a whole are using up too much water and pollution it worldwide. The Mayan civilization died out because we believe that they used up all of the water in their environment. The same could be said about the Roman civilization. If we continue down the path we are following now then we will most likely head down the same path as the previously mentioned.
 * · __Ecological__ – We pollute our water through various methods such as agriculture, air pollution from cars and factories, and businesses dumping countless chemicals into the environment. In the US and Mexico border lies a river that is the most contaminated water in the US. The contaminates in the river are hazardous and will harm humans. In addition, this river is used to grow crops that are sold in Mexico.
 * · We are now literally mining water from the ground at a faster pace than nature replenishes it. We pump 3 billion gallons a day which is 15 times more than the water to is put back into the water table. The world is becoming more and more of a desert and the water is not having a easy time trying to enter back into the soil and water table. Desertification, soil erosion, forest removal are also causing issues with the worlds water supply. Urbanization is also a problem because we are replacing water permeable land with huge parking lots and houses which are not allow water to permeate the soil which causes large amounts of water runoff to enter the sewers instead of entering back into the water table.
 * · I believe that I heard that we lose around 70 cubic gallons of water per year since World War II. We have about approximately 50,000 dams worldwide to hold back water. As a result of these dams, water is no longer able to transport various vital nutrients downstream to support the ecosystems that rely those nutrients.
 * · __Political__ – Eventually the worldwide water supply will become privatized. For the most part, there are around 4 corporations that own the various water supply systems throughout the world already. So I would say that it could just be a matter of time before these 4 own all the water in the world. In France, the water is already privatized and the French president could do nothing about it at all.
 * · The UN turned water into a economic good instead of a resource that people rely on to survive. In addition the WTO forces countries to privatize the water within those countries. As previously mentioned, the corporations that own these water supplies own most of the water supply throughout the world including the US. The WTO also forces these countries to remove the tariffs on the goods that these countries export such as tie. It also forces them to export water in countries that need that very same water to survive. Someone in the film states that if there were tariffs on the exported goods then the people who produce the exported goods would be able to support themselves with the money gained by the tariffs.
 * · __Economic__ – The people who can afford water will be able to get the water, however at the same time the people who are unable to afford with will die without it. In Kenya, bottled plastic water costs more than double the cost of the glasses coke. The people are paying more for the plastic bottled water because the plastic bottle is being taxed.
 * · Companies want dirty water throughout the world because they will be able to sell that water at higher prices. In Africa you have water meters that report the water usage of a given person and at the same time, the water meter also makes you pay for the air that flows through the pipe when no water is flowing through the meter.
 * · The UN turned water into a economic good instead of a resource that people rely on to survive. In addition the WTO forces countries to privatize the water within those countries. As previously mentioned, the corporations that own these water supplies own most of the water supply throughout the world including the US. The WTO also forces these countries to remove the tariffs on the goods that these countries export such as tie. It also forces them to export water in countries that need that very same water to survive. Someone in the film states that if there were tariffs on the exported goods then the people who produce the exported goods would be able to support themselves with the money gained by the tariffs.
 * · __Economic__ – The people who can afford water will be able to get the water, however at the same time the people who are unable to afford with will die without it. In Kenya, bottled plastic water costs more than double the cost of the glasses coke. The people are paying more for the plastic bottled water because the plastic bottle is being taxed.
 * · Companies want dirty water throughout the world because they will be able to sell that water at higher prices. In Africa you have water meters that report the water usage of a given person and at the same time, the water meter also makes you pay for the air that flows through the pipe when no water is flowing through the meter.
 * · __Economic__ – The people who can afford water will be able to get the water, however at the same time the people who are unable to afford with will die without it. In Kenya, bottled plastic water costs more than double the cost of the glasses coke. The people are paying more for the plastic bottled water because the plastic bottle is being taxed.
 * · Companies want dirty water throughout the world because they will be able to sell that water at higher prices. In Africa you have water meters that report the water usage of a given person and at the same time, the water meter also makes you pay for the air that flows through the pipe when no water is flowing through the meter.
 * · Companies want dirty water throughout the world because they will be able to sell that water at higher prices. In Africa you have water meters that report the water usage of a given person and at the same time, the water meter also makes you pay for the air that flows through the pipe when no water is flowing through the meter.

The film was compelling in various ways in that it showed several examples that will stay with the viewer. A first example is that is showed that there have been various sink holes that have been formed through the removal of water from the water table. It also showed that all of Mexico City is in a huge sink hole. In addition, it showed an ancient city had also entered a sink hole.

Several other examples is that the filmed showed just how much water is required to produce the various products that we consume. I knew that water is needed to produce a great deal of the products we consume however I did not know that so much water is needed to do so. Two other examples is that a guy stabbed himself to illustrate the important of water in human survival. It also showed many so called religious wars that occur throughout the world are in fact caused by water related disputes.

Thankfully however the movie does give us several alternatives that we can follow to reduce the inpact we have caused to our water supply. One of the many options that people can do is that people can rally together and force changes in water policies to occur. The example of the Bolivia water revolt actually changed the water from being privatized to being back in public hands.

The movie also showed that we can return the water to its natural water cycle. It showed that Project Blue alternative is a simple way to try to return the water back to its natural cycle. It shows that one way to do so is to make small dams which will allow water to seep back into the soil. In addition, small dams will allow small ecosystems to form and develop.

Another alternative is that we can start to use Hydroponics. This process is 20% to 30% more efficient than the convention means that we are following now. We can also combine hydroponics with fish production. You will be able to use the fish waste to feed the plants. The plants in turn can put nutrients back into the water that the fish can use to survive.

Some other alternatives are that we cannot depend on global trade but instead rely on a local market that would be more sustainable. We can also remove lots of dams throughout the world and replace them with newer methods that won’t harm the environment or out water supply. Replace contentional road designs with designs that allow water to permeate the road surface and will also purify that water at the same time. Another suggestion is that we place population growth to various aspects of our lives. A town in California, known as Bolinas has done just that. The town limits the growth of the town to live in the limits of the towns own water supply.