WET 219 - Applied Water Law

A. Three Minutes without Oxygen

• Oceans produce fifty percent of the Earth's Oxygen.

• The other 50 percent is produced by terrestrial sources (plants) that produce oxygen via transpiration. These terrestrial organisms are theorized to have to be descended from biological organisms that first arose in the oceans.

• Oxygen produced by plants is part of photosynthesis, which is done by cells called photosynthetic pigments in plant leaves. These pigments turn the light energy from the Sun into chemical energy, which in turn is used to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into glucose (C6H12O6), and oxygen (O2) is released as waste. Carbon dioxide isn't involved in creating oxygen; it comes from the water involved in the process.   

B. Three to Four Days without Water  and up to 3 Months without Food

• Research into Voluntary Stopping Eating or Drinking (VSED) has identified that, on average, once a person no longer consumes water, they live for 3-days.

• If a person has access to water but doesn't consume food their survival time can be up to 2 to 3 months. 

• One-Quarter of the World's Crops Threatened by Water Risks.

D.  What's Your Water Footprint? 

E.  Water is the primary requirement of life on Earth.  

Freshwater is vital for all life on Earth. Clean, reliable water supplies are crucial for food production, power generation, and industrial operations. Freshwater ecosystems, including groundwater, lakes, rivers, wetlands, and deltas, also play a crucial role in supporting the planet’s biodiversity.

Statistics Canada. (2010). Survey of drinking water plants and households and the Environment Survey, special tabulation. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/16-201-x/2010000/m016-eng.htm