Next target is your water footprint

Article taken from the Times. To view article, click here

Environmentally conscious consumers already fret about how to cut their carbon emissions. Now Whitehall officials plan to urge the public to reduce the amount of water they use because of worries about the West sucking up supplies from some of the world's driest countries.

The government has commissioned research to audit everyday items from a morning cup of coffee to a bag of carrots according to the volume of water used in their production. Eventually products could be labelled with this number.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which has set up a water footprint steering group, wants to broaden public awareness of climate change to include water supplies.

Defra believes consumption could be cut if shoppers were aware of how much is used to produce common items. A takeaway latte, according to figures already gathered by officials, requires 200 litres (44 gallons) to grow the coffee beans, transport them and serve the coffee in the cup. It takes another 2.5 litres to make the plastic lid for a takeaway latte. A cotton T-shirt with a slogan on the front uses an estimated 4,000 litres.

The new research will assess items both for how much water they use and for the impact on the country where they are produced. This could mean, for example, that a product imported from a dry country would be rated worse than one from a place where water was plentiful.

In Morocco, for example, irrigation for exported products has lowered the water table so much it could reduce future supplies. Beans grown in Kenya, where supplies are short, take up water that could otherwise have been used for local food production.

An internal Defra report says world water security is a big concern for the future and could one day affect Britain's food supplies.

"There is already sufficient evidence for water-scarce regions (Spain, North Africa, South Africa, Australia) to suggest current production levels for export of many commodities are unsustainable," says the report.

Rob Lillywhite, an environmental scientist at Warwick University who has been commissioned by the government to conduct the two-year study, said: "Labelling products would be a useful way of informing consumers of the water used in production. Defra are taking this issue very seriously."

The government is also looking at water security in Britain. Southeast England is so densely populated that it has less water per person than Morocco, Sudan or Syria.

Your Feedback

Other Users Feedback

Much of the UK population finds it difficult to relate to water scarcity stories and policies other than where they blame inadequate infrastructure investment for water shortages experienced in the last hosepipe ban era.
We also must be careful when urging changing habits to reduce food imports from drier countries who rely heavily on their exports to the UK for their economic viabilities. Where should our priorities lie?

Peter Roberts, Peter R Consulting Ltd - 16/11/2009
We were able to provide you with some of the facts above but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.cheapcarhireguide

cheapcarhireguide, cheapcarhireguide - 02/02/2013
Two words: good design. Simple and clean design and with a good attention to details, flash photos on the front of homepage make the whole page active.Rolex Replica Orologi

aiain, Ychuang - 22/03/2013
This is a blog about how to turn a tumultouos shopping time into a fun time for family and friends... Tips are also suggested to help find all your holiday gift giving needs. kidsshoppingstore


kidsshoppingstore, prada - 02/04/2013
But other pleasures of which moralists may disapprove can prove profitable for the Chancellor and shareholders alike, because of what economists call 'inelastic demand'. In plain English, the punters will pay up - come what may creditcardforstudents101


creditcardforstudents101, prada - 02/04/2013
In a quest for a healthier lifestyle, women know that fitness and exercise are important. Exercise can improve your health, increase your energy level, relieve stress, and help you to sleep better lemondtrainer


lemondtrainer, prada - 02/04/2013
I wonder if company productivity is function of diminishing returns with more guaranteed days working at home, or if it is the style of the policy itself? For example if employees are allowed to flex work from home days and the policy does not specify how many per week bloghostingproviders


bloghostingproviders, prada - 02/04/2013
Your metabolism is the measure of how much energy you burn over a period of time. While we often think of exercising as burning calories, the effect of exercise is small compared to the total calories you burn. food nutrition


food nutrition, prada - 02/04/2013
Water scarcity is one of the most serious issues faced by the world today. This post certainly throws light on the depth of the issue. Thank you for sharing this post here. Hoping to read more stuff about the issue on your blog. visit the site

christina Blender, Reo Consulting Ltd - 02/05/2013
Thanks for taking this opportunity to discuss this, I appreciate with this and if you have some more information please share it with me.
statement of academic intent


Drake, Home - 08/05/2013
Thanks for taking this opportunity to discuss this, I appreciate with this and if you have some more information please share it with me.
statement of academic intent


Drake, Home - 08/05/2013
There are some interesting points in time in this article but I don't know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as well| madeira plastica | plastic lumber | Ssangyong | Hyundai BH20S


Cordelia, Jaime - 09/05/2013




Related News



• How much do you contribute to world water shortages?
• WWF and SABMiller unveil water footprint of beer
• Water Footprint: from awareness to policy