Lake Titicaca evaporating away

[ensho]

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/11/20091127103346800918.html


Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America ... but for how much longer?

Located nearly 4,000 metres above sea level on the border of Bolivia and Peru, Titicaca has sunk to its lowest levels in 60 years and is believed to be evaporating at a rate of two to three centimetres a week.

Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo travelled to the lake to find out what the change means for the community who live around it and if anything was being done to deal with the problem.
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there is a video of her report

it means no water for crops, animals or humans

it means population movement

[no_hypocrisy]

1. The Sahara used to be the most fertile farmland in Africa.

Not anymore . . . .

[FarCenter]

True, but Europe and North America were covered with glaciers and tundra

There are always trade-offs.

[Whisp]

2. F.L.O.W. (for love of water) - a documentary

recommended to watch.
one of my heroes - Maude Barlow, puts together a great information piece about corporate greed in regards to water rights and sales and alerts us to the fact that we are in very deep trouble with fresh water supplies around the world.

The human virus we are becoming on this planet is inteferring with the natural process of rain and evaporation - concrete and huge cities have a part in this (water goes down to sewers which eventually make their way to the oceans instead of back to local water tables - in fact one scientist on the show suggests that this could be part of what is causing climate change) and the greed of corporations like Pepsi and the many water bottlers like Suez - they milk an area of their natural water supply and export this water around the world thereby disturbing a natural precipitation and evaporation cycle.

It takes 6 bottles of water to make one bottled water.

insanity.

[amborin]

3. much due to insane army corps projects, too! root cause==humans!

[FarCenter]

6. Humans aren't viruses; they are cancers

Cancers are cells which have an unconstrained ability to multiply, invade other tissues, and expropriate all the resources of the organism to their use.

Humans play a completely analagous role in the Earth's ecosystem. They multiply vigorously, are able to penetrate almost all global ecosystems through the use of tools and clothing, and they are adept at killing all other species which aren't specifically controled and grown for their benefit.

[amborin]

4. was there yrs ago, a huge, gorgeous lake high in the andes; but too many people there even then!

[KansDem]

5. Is that anywhere near Paraguay?

Why, yes it is! And who was it who bought in recent years nearly 100,000 acres in Paraguay, right above the Guaraní Aquifer, one of the world's largest aquifer systems?

The name, the name, I can't seem to recall the name...now, who was it?

[mnhtnbb]

11. Actually, about 2/3 the lake is in Peru, the other 1/3 is Bolivia. Seriously

the boundary runs right in the lake itself.

[KansDem]

13. But Paraguay is right next door...

And a 1,048.5 mile pipeline is nothing to a family who spent several generations in the "pipeline" business.

Only this time it's water, not oil...

[BeatleBoot]

7. I will never forget the day in elementary school when I learned of that lake.

Lake Titicaca.

It brought hours of immature enjoyment for me and my friends.

Ah, the good old days.


}(

[rucky]

12. It still cracks me up.

sorry

[BeatleBoot]

14. Too much!

:rofl:

[eShirl]

8. "Are you threatening me??"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beavis#Cornholio

[XemaSab]

9. I need TP for my bunghole!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpYPXnuBZdg

[mnhtnbb]

10. I was on Lake Titicaca 3 days ago (just back from Peru last night)

It is indeed about 4 ft below normal level, BUT the rainy season is just beginning. There is still plenty of water in the lake.