The Water Hypocrisy

I don't know whether it was in High School or in University, I read this poem - Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

These words have been lodged in my conscience since that day.

Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

With Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace price (excuse me, Gore took government subsidies to make more money out of his tobacco farm, clearly knowing many more lives are to be lost to Cancer - but, hey! He is a peace maker!!) - even in the Middle East, the noise of environment mumbo jumbo is picking up.

Today's Gulf News has a frontpage story on how the UAE is going to cut Water Consumption by half. Such noble thoughts must be lauded.

The UAE has the highest ecological footprint in the world, an index of global area per head from which a person consumes natural resources.

Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary general of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, said Abu Dhabi Government will reduce water consumption rate from 550 galons per head per day to 250 gallons per head over the next five years.

Now that is S C A R Y!!! 550 galons a day per head? I mean, every person living in the UAE has a personal swimming pool?

Stop kidding guys, just stop fooling common people with such outrageous numbers. Do not cut down the water you drink by half or do not reduce the number of showers you take.

Construction needs water. Concrete guzzles water. The Burjs and other towers drink water by gazillion galons as they are built.

Why put that water consumption on every person's head? Ecological footprint per head?!

Argh!