Figure 1.11 shows water consumption in the United States going down over the pas
ID: 111800 • Letter: F
Question
Figure 1.11 shows water consumption in the United States going down over the past 100 years despite population and economic growth. Why might this be the case? Formulate a hypothesis a testable proposition based on your speculation. a. What information and data would you need to determine if your hypothesis is correct? b. What information would you need to determine if you could effectively transfer the technologies and policies that might be the cause of this water reduction to countries other than the United States?Explanation / Answer
1a. The water consumption has been reduced in the United States inspite of the economic and population growth. Much of this decline has resulted because of the change in the methods of how power plants are cooled. The thermoelectric industry has changed to closed loop cooling about a decade ago. This closed loop cooling can reuse the water rather than simply discharging it into rivers, lakes and other water body. Also earlier the economy was mainly manufacturing which was water intensive but it has shifted to a more service based economy and also manufacturing economy which is less water intensive due to the clean water act.
To determine the accuracy of the hypothesis, first we need to collect information or data about the phenomenon by means of a test or experiment under controlled conditions. After collecting the data look for patterns in the data. Test the hypothesis by collecting more to see if the data shows the assumed pattern. If not then the hypthesis is changed or rejected. Also the hypothesis if correct is a general principal that can be applied in the same situations across time and space.
1b. To determine if the technologies and the policies in US which is responsible for reduction in water usage can be transferred to other countries we need to first know the trend of the population growth of the country and the economic development of the country. After that we need to know the total water usage of the country in agricultural, manufacturing and other industries as well as the domestic usage of the water.
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