water problems in far away Arctic Canada
just back from Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, close to the arctic circle: they also have a lot of problems with water, wastewater and garbage there. Even though there was about 40 cm of snow when we arrived, the amount of annual precipitation is very small and the area is categorized as a desert: water is scarce. Part of the town and most of the smaller communities do not get water through a pipe system. Each house gets it delivered by truck every day into a tank. If there is a snow storm, the truck often cannot ride, and you have to ration your water, very quick showers, or none at all, if the storm lasts another day or two. In the same way, the waste water is collected by truck from the houses and is driven to the sewage lagoon at the end of town. Not such a problem in winter, when this lake of shit is frozen, but in the summer it stinks. And the animals, birds, and in some communities even the bigger animals, Caribou, that are hunted for food, started to feed from the sewage lagoons. Garbage is another big problem: everything that is brought there stays there and ends on the dump (machines, cars, building material, packaging, paper, plastic, beer cans, you name it). Due to the climate, the breakdown even of biological material takes much longer than elsewhere. And the dump grows and grows. They are thinking of solutions, but until now, they haven’t found any they could afford.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:55 am
this is very interesting……it seems there is a world wide problem of water management…from the hot desert climates of Africa….to the ice plains of the Artic Canada…..this is really strange for me…..as one would think 50 years ago these problems would be addressed…because these problems probably did not happen all of a sudden…..also too….in canada…in the media …i have not heard of this…..and further that in politics…..the politicians do not seem to discuss this…..in a way ….i knew that canada actually has a really bad track record with the envrioinment…and pollution…yet i dont want to beleive this..or accept this…..this is humiliating….that our government can not find solutions…..and act in a way in accordance with nature….because….for many canadians the land…is our identity…..historically it …the landscape….has always been a part of our culutre…..we ( settlers) were fur hunters….and explorers…..and nature rellliant culture…..we fished…we hunted….we farmed….in a vast and beautiful landscape….now we have very little fish…. over fishing……now we have less forests……clear cutting….( also now unfortunately the pine beetle ) .instead of managing our resources…..we over used and exploited them or almost have,…..like America……which should of been an example of how not to work with the environment…..the americans have always been brutally ignorant in this…..wiping out there ancient red wood forests……
and polluting their rivers…….america is one huge “love cannal” in the name of industry and progress……in some ways they had to …becasue of thier respopnsiblities in WW2…..however i think they could have managed better…….
with this knowledge……i think that art can illuminate the problem…and make people see……..and also art can energize people to change……in this i would like to change….
first…..no bottled water…..2 i will buy a refillable coffe/tea cup so when i go to the cafe…..no more wasted cups…….3. i will recycle what i have……first sd cards for my camera……and video tapes……4. not drive as much……5. wash clothes in cold water only….6. turn off lights ..which i have been for decades…….7. save paper……8. not waste food….which i dont…yet its good to think about…….8. write letters to my government…MP’s……9. short showers….which i do already…….
Canda was almost in line with the Kyoto Protocal….yet we backed out…..these conservatives are wrong……i wish the LIberals were back in power……however i do understand some environmental change has to be slow……for economic stability…..yet there must be genuine efforts to change our lifestyle……..start small i guess……