Questão 33 - UDESC Verão Manhã 2024/1

WHAT'S YOUR WATER-FOOTPRINT?

 

[01] How Much water do you think is in an espresso? According to Professor Tony Allan a typical espresso contains 140 liters of water! In his book Virtual water; He says that we are not aware of 90% of the water we use, as it is 'hidden' water used in the production of the food and goods we buy. So, it takes 140 liters to grow, produce, package, and ship

[05] the beans you use to make your morning espresso. Professor Allan calls this water 'virtual water'. Since the appearance of this book, many people are taking these ideas very seriously. Water consumption varies greatly by country. In wealthy countries, people use about 150 liters a day for washing and drinking. However, if you include the 'virtual water' in their food and clothes, the figure jumps to 5,000 liters per day. A huge amount of

[10] water is used in beef production. Due to the growth of cities and rising populations, water is becoming a more valuable resource. In the next few decades, water will become a major issue for the world. Part of the solution may come thorough improvements in agricultural performance, thorough the use of better fertilizers, pesticides, etc. In recent years, agricultural production in Europe has increased from 3 tons of food per hectare to

[15] 10 tons. But we also need to improve the management of our water supply. this can happen through more waste water recycling (e.g. reusing water from our bath) or the development of better methods of desalination (= the removal of salt from water) - we can then use more sea water in agriculture. In the meantime, what can the individual do? Well, have you thought about taking a shower instead of a bath, fixing your leaky taps, or

[20] eating hamburgers less often? This action may seem like a drop in the ocean, but every drop helps!

 

Beef 15,500 liters per kg/Pork 4,800 liters per kg/Cheese 5,000 liters per kg/Milk 1,000 liters per kg/Egg 200 liters per kg/Rice 3,400 liters per kg

According to Virtual Water book and his author: