www.foecanada.org water soft paths: ecological and economic security for canadians david b. brooks...
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WATER SOFT PATHS:ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC
SECURITY FOR CANADIANS
David B. Brooks
Senior Advisor – Fresh Water
Friends of the Earth Canada
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Hard Paths vs. Soft Paths• Large, centralized
sources of supply• Demand is macro
function of growth• Waste moved to
central plant• Waste treated
chemically
• Small, distributed sources of supply
• Demand built-up from end-uses
• Waste kept nearby or on-site
• Waste treated with bio-mimicry
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Three Aspects
1. Vision: Future lies with less demand, not more supply
2. Analysis: To test feasibility of getting to that Future
3. Tools: To bring about the transition from the present
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Four Distinguishing Principles
• Treat water as a service, not an end
• Make ecological security an absolute criterion
• Match quality of water delivered to that required by end use
• Plan backward - from future to present
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Typical Soft Path Policies• Same Tasks Done Differently
– Ultra-low flow sanitary systems– Rain-fed Agriculture & Supplemental Irrigation
• Change Infrastructure– Use of grey water– Local use of storm water
• Reduce Institutional Barriers• Revise Economic Development Models
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Selected Results• Nova Scotia could cut water use by over 50%• Ontario could absorb heavy industrial growth
with no new water through at least 2031• Urban water use can drop by 45% despite
50% growth in population• Fully recycling Pulp & Paper Mills in Ontario
cut water use by 95%• Dietary changes cut water use by 1/3 to 1/2
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Sustainable development depends not only on sustainable
production, but also on sustainable
consumption
Water Soft Paths chart the course to sustainable
consumption of water