Erkin | August 4, 2011
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Are There Psychoactive Drugs in Your Drinking Water?

Americans ingest more that 200 million prescription drugs like antidepressants every year. Between women seeing gynecologists and their children seeing obstetricians, over 210 million antibiotics were prescribed. Internists generate nearly 1.5 million antibiotic prescriptions per week. In the UK, the number of antidepressant prescriptions is 24 million.

Photo: Alex Anlicker

Add to this the use of medicines for family pets and in agriculture, and the amount of pharmaceuticals used in the US and UK runs into the hundreds of thousands of tons. What happens to these pharmaceuticals once they’ve been ingested and have accomplished their task? Read more

Category: Article |
Erkin | July 29, 2011
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Will the Aral Sea come back?

This video was prepared by Toprak – Su – Enerji (Soil – Water – Energy) Study Group in Turkey. The video consists of sections of interviews with the local community and representatives during a journey to the Aral Sea Basin in May 2011. Existing situation of the water problem of the Aral Sea is described and key suggestions for the solution are given in the video.

As a result of the studies carried on for saving the Aral Sea, the North Aral Sea partially came back and water level reached to 42 meters. After the completion of the second phase of the project, water level will increase to the level of 46 meters. But, the Aral Sea will not reach to the level of 53 meters in 1960s. Solution for the South Aral Sea seems to be difficult. The South Aral Sea is almost completely dried up and and remaining water level is at 29 meters. Read more

Category: Video | Tags: ,
Erkin | July 28, 2011
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UNECE helps Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to cooperate on water management

Video shows the work of the Chu Talas Rivers Commission which is responsible for the management of the canals, reservoirs and dams along the Chu and Talus rivers.

The Commission, established in 2006 with the support of the UNECE, created a mutually beneficial way for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to share responsibility for water infrastructure used by both countries. Read more

Category: Video |
Erkin | July 26, 2011
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The Water Cycle

Viewed from space, one of the most striking features of our home planet is the water, in both liquid and frozen forms, that covers approximately 75% of the Earth’s surface. Geologic evidence suggests that large amounts of water have likely flowed on Earth for the past 3.8 billion years—most of its existence.

Believed to have initially arrived on the surface through the emissions of ancient volcanoes, water is a vital substance that sets the Earth apart from the rest of the planets in our solar system. In particular, water appears to be a necessary ingredient for the development and nourishment of life.

 Earth is a water planet: three-quarters of the surface is covered by water, and water-rich clouds fill the sky. (NASA.)

Water, Water, Everywhere

Water is practically everywhere on Earth. Moreover, it is the only known substance that can naturally exist as a gas, a liquid, and solid within the relatively small range of air temperatures and pressures found at the Earth’s surface. Read more

Category: Article, Facts and figures |
Erkin | July 22, 2011
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Did you know…? Facts and figures about water footprints and virtual water

  • The water footprint of an individual, business or nation is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the foods and services consumed by the individual, business or nation. A water footprint is generally expressed in terms of the volume of water use per year.
  • Since not all goods consumed in one particular country are produced in that country, the water footprint consists of two parts: use of domestic water resources and use of water outside the borders of the country. The water footprint includes both the water withdrawn from surface and groundwater and the use of soil water (in agricultural production).
  • Virtual water is the water ’embedded’ in commodities. Producing goods and services requires water; the water used to produce agricultural or industrial products is called the virtual water of the product.
  • The global volume of virtual water flows related to the international trade in commodities is 1,600 Km³/yr.
  • About 80% of these virtual water flows relate to the trade in agricultural products, while the remainder is related to industrial product trade. Read more
Category: Facts and figures |