Water Exports
...become a reality with the discussion of Great Lakes water exports. Water is a necessity for life and the environment. In previous years, oil and global warming have been the major world issues, however water will be the world issue of the future. Water is now up for consideration as the new oil, especially in Canada. Did you know that Canada has 1% of the world's population but has 20% of the world's freshwater resources? This fact has led to discussion of water exportation to the southern United States and the Middle East. Manitoba has talked about exporting their water to Texas. It will cost 9 billion dollars to construct the pipeline but it will lead to a 7 billion dollar income for the province (Francis 1). Although Canadian water exports could create enormous economic benefits, it will negatively affect ecosystems and the local population and is not a solution to fresh water shortages.
One of the first times water exportation was used in our "time" was when the United States exported water to their troops during the Gulf War from Turkey. The Middle East is another one the imports fresh water. (Wikepedia) The first time water exportation was talked about within governments was late in the 1990's. With the talk of global warming around the world, leaders of countries with insufficient amounts of water, were forced to take action and make a plan to allow their country to survive in the future in case of water shortages. The first time Canada talked about exporting water to the United States was in the 1960's when the southern part of the United States experienced their first water shortage. In the 1960's, the North American Water And Power Alliance scheme was proposed to divert water flow down to the United States and parts of Canada. Canada would've been at a disadvantage here because the United States would be the largest user. At first it...
View Full Essay
