Freshwater Yield Declining in Southern Canada

Many people see the fossil fuel products humans generate as the most valued and dependant product of our time. However, the products we require to survive often do not come to mind, such as water. Water is such a valuable resource, especially these days when there are limitations to our demands. Numerous studies have been conducted calculating the volume of water we have now compared to what was accessible to us in the past. The problem is that the ordinary person does not understand the true facts about accessible water declination. This is due to the fact that after new research is posted as a primary source, the news or any other form of a secondary source, which most people gain their general knowledge from, is often mislead with the detail and quality of the information obtained from the primary source. Such information complications can be observed between the primary source of “Freshwater supply and demand in Canada” by Statistics Canada and the related secondary source of “Water resources declining in Southern Canada” posted by The Canadian Press. Although both works deal with the same topic, the information displayed in the secondary source differs in a number of ways.

The content examined between each source is, in many ways, different. The degree of variance has to do primarily with what the secondary source decided to include and conceal from the information within the primary source. After examining both works, the secondary source from The Canadian Press illustrates a lack of detail and clarity contained compared to the primary source.

Firstly, the primary source, “Freshwater supply and demand in Canada” by Statistics Canada, states that Canada’s water yield has declined by an overall 8.5% over the past 34 year period. They also state that this represents an annual water loss of 1.4 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, which is almost equivalent to the amount of water supplied to Canada’s residential population in 2005 (Statistics Canada 2010). The detail to these percentages is covered later on in the source. However, the “Water resources declining in Southern Canada” article by The Canadian Press, the secondary source, contains the same general water loss information, but it is stated in a much more dramatic way. They place a lot of emphasis on how much the water yield has actually declined in Southern Canada. This emphasis on this claim is shown when the total 8.5% is stated. The article makes it seem as if this 8.5% decline is occurring annually, thereby illustrating a much greater decline in water yield. There is no detail regarding the dispersion or limitations of this decline.

The secondary source also has its downfalls when identifying the main topic of the research, water yield. No where in the article does it state clearly what water yield is. The definition is stated in the article, “It's the result of precipitation and melted ice that flow over and under the ground, eventually reaching rivers and lakes” (The Canadian Press 2010), but there is no relation to this statement being the definition of water yield. This could definitely cause some misconception among readers as they may relate this statement with the idea that this water loss is due to precipitation and melting ice, not the fact that it is the definition of water yield. This error obviously does not make sense, but with the desperate-answered people of our time it could still very likely happen.

Another fault with the secondary article is the clarity in which the declining levels of water yield is presented. Although the secondary source presents the proper percentages and measurements, no raw data is shown or discussed. The secondary literature may force people to think that the water yield in Southern Canada is declining annually in a steady fashion. This idea is, in fact, not true. The actual data, in chart form, illustrates the varying levels of water yield in Southern Canada throughout 1971 to 2004. This is important information to note as water yield can be quite unpredictable, especially in the Prairie region of Southern Canada. Accordingly, the secondary source does not disclose detailed information about exactly how much less water yield the Prairies receive compared to the rest of Canada. For a reference, the Prairie drainage region only receives roughly 6% of what is collected in the Maritime Coastal drainage region and 3% of what is collected in the Pacific Coastal drainage region (Statistics Canada 2010). When this kind of information is left out from the secondary source the reader cannot truly understand how much less the water yield is in the Prairies compared to the rest of Canada.

Another important piece of information that was left out of the secondary article was the economic strain resulting from the lowering water yield levels, which was highly mentioned in the primary article. Statistics Canada says this declination in water yield is having a direct impact on the products and services we depend on. They also state how the water is a primary foundation of our economic strength, especially for manufacturing. The water used for manufacturing is designed to satisfy our domestic needs, as well as produce products for export. None of this information, however, is even mentioned in the second article. It only focuses on directing the water loss on the scale of how it affects us Canadians, when in reality it affects many other countries and nations as well. There is a large economic ordeal that is associated with the declining water yield which is explained in the primary source, by Statistics Canada, but is left out of the secondary literature.

Perhaps the most important detail that should have been included in the secondary source regarding the declination of water yield is the sectors of water distribution. As stated by Statistics Canada, “The sector that withdrew the most water overall, by a considerable margin, was thermal-electric power generation” (Statistics Canada 2010), followed by the manufacturing sector in second, the residential sector in third, and lastly the agriculture sector. As the water yield continues to decline, from what we know of, this means that the industrial sector will have to continue using their required water volumes for production while the residential and agricultural sectors become limited. This will pose a major problem to the Prairies due to the high agriculture production, residential occupation and water yield unpredictability in this region. This kind of information is crucial for understanding the facts and outcomes of this water yield issue.

After examining both articles, it is clear where the differences, and some similarities, fall into place. It is easy to recognize the detail that has been disregarded in the secondary source compared to the primary source. While the primary article presents the entire water yield issue in detail, the secondary source only emphasises on the declining rates. This comparison overall illustrates the detailed research of a primary source and the limitations to a related secondary source.


References:

Primary Source: The Daily, Monday, September 13, 2010. Study: Freshwater supply and demand in Canada. (n.d.). Statistics Canada: Canada's national statistical agency / Statistique Canada : Organisme statistique national du Canada. Retrieved September 20, 2010, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/100913/dq100913b-eng.htm

Secondary Source: Google. (n.d.). Water resources declining in Southern Canada - The Globe and Mail. Home - The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 20, 2010, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/water-resources-declining-in-southern-canada/article1705092/


By: Tyler Blauel


Words: 1151