Climate change remains an existential problem for the entire planet. As this climate reality has been increasingly recognized—through scientific evidence and personal experience—other environmental challenges, such as water scarcity, can be overlooked. A recent Ecologist article describes how an emphasis on climate can eclipse other issues. As author Adam Wentworth writes, One of the reasons […]
Kansas governor pledges to focus on water as the western side of the state sees potential shortages. The Kansas Governor has pledged to focus on water issues in the state. The western side faces looming shortages as it grapples with drought. The eastern half deals with periodic intense flooding and contamination from various sources affects […]
Oil and gas production in Texas creates 38 billion barrels of of toxic wastewater per year and there are limited reuse options for it. It’s a water-energy nexus nightmare! Oil and gas production creates a lot of wastewater that is expensive to treat. West Texas is the top oil producing region in the country, and […]
Utah water levels remain low along with those in the rest of the Southwestern states. Now, legislators are asking if property taxes should continue to pay for development or if water costs should be covered by user fees, as the megadrought rages on. Utah water levels are low, but the development rages on. Western states […]
Imagine a day without “virtual water,” or all the water it takes to make the food, energy and consumer goods you depend on. It’s not hard to imagine a day without tap water to brew a cup of coffee, take a shower or water your plants. Imagining a day without “virtual water”? Not so intuitive. […]
A Circle of Blue series show that algae blooms are often tied to agricultural pollution that goes largely unregulated. The water and environment news outlet, Circle of Blue, created an important six-part series on the problem of harmful algal blooms and the difficult — but possible — solutions. Agricultural pollution sits at the the center […]
The Colorado River forecast is a bad and water cuts are expected, reports the US federal government. As expected, the 24-month water forecast for the Colorado River Basin looks bleak with shallow reservoirs causing the first-ever Tier 2 water shortage, according to the federal US Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Due to the ongoing 23-year megadrought, […]
This education activity about the water footprint of food helps students see beyond tap water use and understand the large amounts of water involved in food production. This Education Activity was created to help students understand the large water footprint of food and agriculture. It is adapted from “Lesson 2: My Water Footprint” (pp. 5-7), […]
A drying climate in the American Southwest could lead to hydroelectric power shortages as lakes empty. Impact of a Dry Climate on Energy and Agriculture As the country’s two largest lakes – Lake Mead and Lake Powell – empty out from the effects of climate change on the region’s precipitation patterns, loss of power from […]
