Aquifers everywhere are emptying out as more and more water is used by the world's farming. In fact, it is estimated that a tenth of the world's food is grown using underground water that is not being replaced by rainwater. What is remarkable is the staggering volume of water needed to produce basic crops
1 kg coffee takes 20,000 litres of water to produce
1 quarter-pounder hamburger uses up 11,000 litres
1 cotton t-shirt takes 7,000 litres of water to produce
1 kg of cheese takes 5,000 litres of water to produce
1 kg of rice takes 5,000 litres of water to produce
1 kg of sugar takes 3,000 litres of water to produce
1 litre of milk takes 2,000 litres of water to produce
1 kg of wheat takes 1,000 litres of water to produce
So the next time you have a cup of coffee or slip on a t-shirt, spare some thought about the environmental consequences of even our most basic choices. And remember that a meat-based diet needs vastly more water to produce than a vegetarian diet.
[Source: New Scientist - 25 Feb 06 edition]
