The yin and yang of water, food, energy, population & climate.

The nexus of Water, Food, Energy, Population & Climate relationships and the potential complementary nature of opposites that may just be interconnected.

I originally wrote this after reading and endless stream of writings on the topics of water, food, energy, population and climate. My point in writing this and now re-posting it, is not to feign any expertise in any of these domains or with any of the challenges that they represent. I am re-posting it because today, I have seen another article on climate change, telling us that it may just be time to revisit the issue.  OK, we have been doing that for quite some time and it is truly mind numbing. I don’t care if it is hot or cold. I don’t care if it is wet or dry.  OK, I really do but just don’t understand how we just keep lumbering down the nonsensical and sensational bi-polar approach of totally polarized and intransigent positions on any of the subjects. As one respondent opined to the previous posting of this article, “Is that the best you got?” My response, “Yep!”

So here you go, all of you brilliant folks on one side of the issues or another—all you brilliant participants in the Davos and Paris events—all you corporations that will only really do anything if there is a return on investment. You decide how we move forward, or not.

Each of the topics above elicits, no foments, no evokes, (OK maybe all of the above) specific opinion on one side of the issue or another. I am writing this because my daughters are concerned. I have an obligation to them and future generations to try and make a difference; for their sake not my own.

Water: Opinions abound on whether it is scarce or it is ubiquitous. On the one hand, comfort levels haven’t been affected because many of us have unlimited use of water. On the other hand, we have numerous examples of how globally; water is experiencing shortages, scarcity and various stressors on quality, quantity and sustainability.

Food: The Global Food System is an interconnected complex system of dynamic inputs and outputs that, throughout history, has risen to the occasion and continued to feed a growing world population. On the one hand, our grocery stores and markets are full of food. On the other hand, globally people are starving.

Energy: Arguably, "we" have an insatiable appetite for energy. This is big business, got it. But how we position ourselves for the future, how we find sustainable alternative sources will be critical. On the one hand, developed nations continue to march, using energy at increasing rates with little regard to the behind the scenes apparatus that makes energy available. On the other hand, energy and the resources it consumes are experiencing stressors to its production, availability and usage.

Population: Our global population is expected to exceed 9 Billion inhabitants on or before 2050. On one hand, it serves as an anecdotal and abstract reference to an emerging challenge that has little to no effect or impact on the majority of us. On the other hand, the critical challenges that this population increase has on societies are stressing every facet of life for those unable to respond and provide bare minimum services in response to the increase.

Climate: Whether a natural occurrence in the geological time continuum or that imposed upon us because of our own making, climate issues are occurring and changing at an alarming rate. On the one hand, climate issues can be easily explained by scientific evidence and is underscored by a lack of concern and perspective driven by dismissive economic incentives that are based in the here and now. On the other hand, we are experience warming, intensification of weather patterns, ice sheet melt downs, and a litany of other real and present dangers.

For many when the issues on this topic are raised, it is easily dismissed with a passing glance and a "What’s the big deal." For some, our comfort levels just haven’t been affected and we merely view those who suffer the consequences through a dismissive lens of passivity, because Water, Food, Energy and Climate have become an entitlement in our use of natural resources. For others, the reality is that each of these present significant cause for concern. Each has limitations. Each of these in some form of fashion causes many to experience daily a constant struggle in just using our precious natural or manmade resources. Far too often, we look at these topics as if they have no bounds to access, use and availability. Why, because it hasn’t knocked on our door just yet. Regardless of which side of the yin and yang fence you position yourself, each of these topics in their own right present significant "Global Grand Challenges." We have to do better at assessing, collaborating and finding sustainable solutions and address relevant and emerging concerns for local, regional, national, transnational and international entities alike. Let’s find common ground and interconnectedness to meet these challenges regardless of which side of the fence we reside.