Water, Food & Climate Wisdom, March 7th at the Schubert Centre, Vernon.
“The Okanagan is the driest watershed in Canada”, world acclaimed water research and planning expert, Dr. Hans Schreier, affirmed Monday evening. Praising Vernon & Coldstream for their progressive performance in water management, UBC Professor Schreier warned an overflowing audience at the Schubert Centre; “Politicians at all levels must do more to control urban & agricultural water waste and prepare for climate change”.
“It is critical for governments to achieve better balance in water, food & energy accounting, conservation & management”, he said.
“70% of municipal water in the Okanagan is used for agriculture. The majority of that is irrigated to low value forage for livestock. It makes more sense to direct scarce water supplies to more value added crops such as grapes”, he recommended. Noting that the number of retention dams has grown 10 times since the 1920s, Dr. Schreier doubted that more storage capacity is possible, “especially when climate change predicts the Okanagan will become drier”.
“Planners must regulate consumption to match capacity. A 30% reduction in urban and agricultural water consumption is quite possible”, he suggests, “with modern irrigation, livestock management, low flow toilets & landscape techniques”
“The time has come to consider processing farm sewage as seriously as city sewage. Livestock produce seven times more toxic nitrogen than humans. Once teeming with fish, Lake Winnipeg is turning into a dead algae swamp, from the effects of manure and excess fertilizer runoff.”
Professor Schreier stated that fresh water is so scarce around Singapore that it is now re-processing treated sewage for its drinking supply.
A 50% increase in world food production will be needed over the next 10 years, to satisfy a 2 billion increase in population, rising demand in emerging economies, and diversion of edible crops to bio-fuels, which absorb 40% of current corn production. At the same time, climate uncertainty is leading to destructive drought & flooding. Water is basic to food production. Noting that it takes 15,000 litres of water to produce 1 Kg of meat but only 1,000 litres to produce 1 Kg of crop food, Dr. Schreier suggested that reducing meat consumption may be the only way to achieve future food requirements.
“We must invest in innovation, but unfortunately, business as usual keeps going faster” Dr. Schreier lamented. “30,000 new homes were constructed in BC last year but only 15% included low flush toilets. Quoting high volume water consumption in the tar sands and fracking, he called on politicians to reflect new water, food and energy realities in building codes and best practice regulations.
The next presentation in the GUEST PROFESSOR Speaking Series hosted by the Green Party, will be UBC Professor Ross Hickey speaking about economic adjustments required to create post-OCCUPY equity in taxation, corporate governance & income.
Hear Professor Hickey at 7:00 pm Monday, March 12 at the Schubert Centre.
Vernon ♦ Schubert Centre (3505 30th Ave) ♦ 7pm ♦ Admission by donation
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