Saving the Elixir of Life
Water plays a bigger role in our lives than you’d think. From our energy systems and food production, to human health, water is a key ecological resource in our society. When taking into account the fact that only 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh, we start to wonder why we’re not being more cautious in preserving it. Water is a delicate resource, and it’s accessibility and usability are becoming fragile issues due to the environmental crisis.
With access to freshwater being compromised, global warming threatening water supplies, and an expected 20% increase in water demand by 2050, we’re experiencing a holistic environmental crisis that calls into question the sustainability of this key resource.
Our Relationship With Water
As a society, we depend on water for multiple uses: power generation, agricultural production, industrial use, household use, and leisure. It's a multifaceted resource that is often overlooked, and now, compromised.
We’re currently seeing increased drought risks, water pollution, ocean acidification, and water scarcity that are either a direct result of or intensified due to the climate crisis.
For instance, let’s take a look at the drought state of California: their water supplies have relied on the Colorado River since the 1920’s, as the state has little access to water of its own. Currently, the Colorado River is expected to reduce its water flow 25% by 2050 due to rising temperatures that affect precipitation levels and preservation abilities. Simply put, the Colorado River basin, a water source for 40 million across the country outside of California, is losing its water supply.
With the increase in droughts and decrease in water sources, California is experiencing drier seasons every year. The state currently contributes approximately 14% of the national economy, and is the largest agricultural producer in the country; the climate change effects that California experiences will no doubt affect the United States as a whole.
Our water supplies are being threatened by global warming, waning environmental policies, and unbalanced demands that without action, will compromise our livelihoods and the preservation of our earth.
Software Companies and Their Water Impact
In addition to agriculture, California is also host to some of the largest technological companies in the world, many of which are trying to make active changes towards their water usage. Microsoft has pledged to be net-water positive by 2030, focusing on 40 water stressed basins in the area, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict water level tables through drought modeling. They are also actively reducing the water needed in their intensive data centers by only implementing cooling under certain climate conditions.
Intel is another major company that has pledged net-positive water usage by 2030, recycling reclaimed water and funding watershed projects to protect stream flow, therefore improving irrigation efficiency. Intel has also recognized the use of water in their supply chain, reducing the amount of water used in the manufacturing of microchip semiconductors.
Innovation in the Industry
Software companies not only recognize their impact and footprint on water resources, but also understand the need to innovate and bring about change on a larger scale to span across industries.
There are numerous exciting developments in water preservation innovations that involve the replenishing and conservation of scarce freshwater. Examples include Enactus+ NEER project, which is using machine learning to predict and prevent flooding, and Aqaix, a cloud platform built to manage water infrastructure financing. It’s safe to say that the market opportunities in this sector are plentiful and growing.
RyeStrategy’s Commitment
At RyeStrategy, we have a variety of mitigation strategies to tackle the most impactful aspects of your carbon footprint. We recognize the importance that water plays in business operations and sustainability. For example, in the office space, water can be reduced by auditing usage in the supply chain; utilizing low-flow equipment and drip detection infrastructure. Our services aim to provide a holistic approach, including water preservation, in order to ensure that we’re creating the most impact possible for the betterment of our planet.
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About RyeStrategy
Based in Seattle, RyeStrategy is a CDP-accredited, mission-oriented company specialized in carbon accounting, mitigation coaching, and climate disclosure solutions for organizations at any point in their sustainability journey. Learn how RyeStrategy helped Salesforce, Ideascale, and Wazoku achieve their sustainability goals.
From exhaustive carbon footprinting and mitigation coaching, to setting science-based targets and reporting climate data to CDP, SBTi or custom reporting platforms, RyeStrategy acts as a hands-on extension of the team, custom-tailoring services to fulfill climate disclosure requirements easily and accurately.
Meet with a sustainability specialist to learn more about RyeStrategy solutions.
