UN urges rich nations to solve global water crisis

One of the main concerns for third world countries is the scarcity of water. According to the article, which quotes the United Nations, "poverty, power and inequality are the reasons for the global water crisis. " There are about 1.2 billion people in poor countries, mostly located in Africa, that do not have safe drinking water. Countries are in competition for water. Since there is power and inequality in the world, the pricing of water supply is outrageous. "The poorer you are, the more you pay." The article also suggests that water is not a physical scarcity, but rather "poverty, power and inequality" is where all the blame should be placed.

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Relationship to Ch. 1 -- Resources & Scarcity

How does any of this article relate to resources and scarcity? Water is a resource that every nation is in need of. Although there seems to be plenty of it, considering the world is mainly of ocean, it is still short in supply. Wealthier nations, such as the United States and Canada, often waste this valuable resource. On the other hand, poorer countries, mostly in Africa, are left with minute amounts that are mostly unsuitable for human consumption.

Is it really "poverty, power and inequality" that results in the scarcity of water? Yes, the three play a part as to why water is such an expensive commodity. Greed is an ugly human product. For example, America could probably either donate or supply water to third world countries, yet the chances are, they take hold of the opportunity to make more money. It is already established that water is a limited resource, but it is not viewed that way. Water conservation warnings are never listened to. During the heat wave in the summer, California had the desperate need for more water. If water was unlimited, that would not have been a problem.

Despite the fact that it seems water is abundant, not all of it is suitable for a person's daily needs. This would include drinking water (a recommended 8 glasses a day that only the privileged can have) and taking baths (a supposed rarity in Africa). Since there is such a large demand for water, it only goes to say that the price would be raised as well. That is part of how supply and demand comes into the picture.

Housing starts rebound in October: CMHC
Published: Nov. 08, 2006

The number of housing units being created rose to 223,200 in October. The numbers are surprising, but it shows that the real estate market is slowing down too. Multiple starts are of condominiums and townhouses which affect the total number of starts. One condominium can equal to 100 starts. Single starts (actual houses) have fallen 4.2%. What are starts? It is the term used to label buildings started and being built.

The article makes a comparison on how Canada's housing market is performing better than the U.S. Their "housing market recession is getting deeper and deeper." The housing is mostly in Alberta, where most people will decide to migrate because their job growth seems to be continuing into the next year. Alberta and British Columbia have both been growing in population because of how strong their oil, gas and mining sectors are. In Atlantic Canada, urban starts have dropped by 15.7% and the Prairies have decreased by 6.4%. The CHMC says, "the annual rate of urban starts has increased 8.3% to 191,700 units in October compared to September. "

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Relationship to Ch. 2 - Supply and Demand

The demand for housing in both British Columbia and Alberta are up due to the notion of the provinces having high employment rates. Since the two provinces have thriving industries related to oil, gas and mining in several areas, citizens and immigrants will move to these cities to compete for jobs. Of course, one of the basic needs is a home. Condominiums and townhouses are a popular choice to be built since it seems to be an efficient way to use the land. The want for a single housing unit has decreased since everyone is moving to where they can earn a better living. This would explain why single start rates have fallen everywhere except British Columbia.

The desire for houses is there, but the number of individual houses built has declined. Instead, joint homes are created so that more people can move into the more successful cities. Urban starts have increased considerably because of this. There is a huge demand for homes and although there are many being built, the supply still falls short. Although not stated in the article chosen, there are many citizens that remain homeless because the demand for housing has driven prices very high. This is one of the problems that is derived from a high demand.