This week, we spoke about ecosystem services: the process by which nature renders benefits for people. My biggest concern from this week's discussion was that we often take water for granted. As it is so readily obtained, it's easy for us to forget about where and how it comes to us. For a positive future, I envision a world where water sustainability increases. Specifically, we talked about putting a price on water. This may not sound that great (especially to me because I always think of The Lorax and how people were being made to pay for air) but it may be needed to increase the sustainability of water. I know that I'm always leaving the water running when I do things like brush my teeth or shower, so something like adding a fee to increased water usage may deter me and those around from keeping the tap on. The idea that big companies should pay more is one I also agree with. For my vision, although water has a price tag, I don't want those that struggle financially to have to worry about having enough water and I want those that are able to pay (and will likely use more water) to contribute more. As water is so cheap compared to what we get, if we increase or add additional prices (such as a required fee once you use past a certain amount of water), we are also allowing more money into water recycling sanitation technology which works out in the long run for all of us :)
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Hi Destinie! I really enjoyed reading your post and my mind also immediately went to the Lorax when we discussed pricing water appropriately :) I agree that large corporations, that utilize substantial amounts of water should pay more for their usage to avoid wastage.
Hi Destinie! I like your point of how although it may not sound great for us humans, to increase sustainability of water, we should have something to sacrifice such as putting a price on water! (I also watched the Lorax and remember that corrupted mayor that didnt want to plant trees so that he could sell air)
Hi Destinie! Great post! I agree with you that although we shouldn't put a price on natural resources, in this case we may need to in the cases of big companies and to limit our water usage!
I love that you brought up the pros and cons of putting a price on water! Great post!
I’m also concerned about the side-effects charging for water could cause, especially to less financially well-off individuals and households. Do you think a possible approach could be to scale excessive water fees similarly to how taxes are? Everyone gets their initial allotted amount of water and after that, there are tiers for the usage of an extra 20L then 40L then 60L of water and people are charged for each tier based on their net income. So a wealthier person would pay more for their excess than a poorer person. This might seem less fair because people aren't paying the same price for the same amount of extra water but I think this is the best way for water taxing to be equitable.
Nice post Destinie! I like that you pointed out the downside to charging for water. And, I love the Lorax analogy!!