As a surgeon must see the human body in a totally different light than the rest of us, so earth scientists tend to see the planet. It’s difficult to convey to people the profound interconnectedness of our earth system and the magnitude of its complexity. Yet, we typically feel a need to do so, much more I imagine than a chemist or physicist feels the need to convey his understanding to those around him.
But, at times, even we get caught off guard by new information. I am always impressed when this happens, especially when the message is delivered through good science communication.
Case in point: Fresh water. Water is a life or death commodity, with seemingly increasing importance as population and climate changes play a tug of war for natural resources. Here in the U.S., we are as far displaced from this issue as we possibly can be. But knowledge of our actions is a shared responsibility. And some organizations really try to change the way we think.
Like this production from the World Wildlife Foundation. It’s an awesome video about how much water is used to make a single Latte. Crazy. How many times a week do I go to a coffee franchise? Many. But I never even considered the water issue.
Right now, take a guess as to how much water it takes to produce a your favorite caffeinated beverage. Just guess. Consider the coffee production, the sugar production, the milk production, the fuel used in transportation. The paper cup. Just guess!
Then watch and learn…
Source: WWF
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