The Rural Voice, 1987-10, Page 39NEWS
Throughout the five-day confer-
ence, there were more than 300 discus-
sions on virtually every major agricul-
tural topic. The theme of the event was
"Water: Our Global Challenge."
One of the keynote addresses was
given by Dr. Jay H. Lehr, executive
director of the National Water Well
Association of America.
With an optimistic approach, he de-
scribed the degree of ground water pol-
lution as an "infinitesimal percentage of
the whole of available ground water."
Pointing an accusing finger at the
media, Dr. Lehr said that "the scaremon-
gering stories of oozing gunk generating
disease, chromosomal damage, and
potential death are vastly exaggerated."
He warned, however, that the loca-
tion of landfill sites, septic and storage
tanks, and fertilizer and pesticide appli-
cations needs to be monitored closely.
And if ground water sources are to be
protected, holding ponds and lagoons
should be prohibited unless it can be
shown that they will not leak fluids.
He concluded that "We can reduce
new hazardous, toxic, and troublesome
emissions into our ground water in the
year 2000 by well over 90 per cent of its
present level ... but it will be seen clearly
as a manageable job no longer worth
screaming about on TV or tabloid."
Taking a different perspective, Dr.
Richard L. Thomas of the National
Water Research Institute in Burlington,
Ontario spoke about the effects on agri-
culture of the climatic changes expected
worldwide by the tum of the century.
"Clearly, a climate shift will result in
an increase in the arid regions of the U.S.
south and west and in Western Canada,
which will (promote) the import of wa-
ter by major transfers and diversions."
"Increased temperature and humid-
ity in the east (due to the greenhouse
effect) may well result in an increase in
available water resource. However, it
may well prove in the Great Lakes re-
gion that increased evaporation will
result in a decline in available water,"
Dr. Thomas said.
The AIC, a national organization of
professionals working in agriculture in-
cluding educators, researchers, admin-
istrators, sales and marketing people,
and extension specialists, will next
convene with the theme "Agri -Energy"
when it meets in Calgary next August.°
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