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By Laurel Hopwood
"The future is clear. Global warming will intensify drought." This
is a quotation from Stephen Schneider of Stanford University in
the 8/20/07 Washington Post. Wells are being drilled around the
clock in California's central valley, one of the most productive
food-growing areas in the world. The drilling must burrow deeper
and deeper to tap into the sinking water table. It's expected that
farmers may not be able to afford the exorbitant cost to pump it.
People in the western states are not the only ones starting to
panic. According to the World Health Organization, over one billion
people across the globe presently lack access to potable water.
As the planet continues to heat up, it's expected that more people
around the world will be without dependable supplies of water for
drinking and irrigation.
Much of the world's fresh water exists as glaciers. In hot seasons,
the edges melt, feeding rivers. Farmers in those areas are dependent
on that melt water for crop growth, and people living in those
areas depend on that water for drinking. As glaciers melt, it's
expected that the quantity of runoff in developing countries will
be getting smaller and smaller, and in many cases may disappear.
Will we see "climate refugees" as mass migrations of
people try to relocate from drought-stricken areas? According to
the Washington Post article quoted above, Columbia University's
Richard Seager believes so. Seager predicts that the drought will
prompt dislocations similar to those of the Great Dust Bowl in
the 1930s. The potential for conflict is great. Some regions may
become more crowded and resources could dwindle.
Many believe that countries in the Middle East have been battling
over water. That may intensify. According to the United Nations,
for instance, water scarcity is behind the bloody wars in Sudan's
Darfur region.
The warming of the planet isn't the only threat to a dwindling
water supply. Some solutions to global warming, such as growing
crops for fuel instead of food, may magnify the situation.
We here in NE Ohio tend to assume that when we turn on our faucet,
there will always be potable water. Yet even the water levels of
the Great Lakes are dropping. That's the bad news. The good news
is that there are solutions. Using smart landscaping, such as converting
lawns to native plants that require less watering, is an idea.
Catching rainwater in barrels to use for watering these plants
is another example. Eating fewer animal products will lessen the
use of water to grow crops to feed factory raised animals instead
of people. Each little step may seem insignificant; yet each footprint
goes a long way.
Recommended read: "Thirst: Fighting the corporate theft of
our water" by Alan Snitow
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