Fighting over fresh water
Posted: 05 Jan 2003, 05:21
Fresh water. It acounts for a mere 3% of the world's water resources, and most of that is either locked up in the polar ice caps or in underground aquifers. Surface fresh water, accounting for less than 1% of the world's water, sustains 80% of aquatic biodiversity, not to mention human civilization. A senior World Bank official has been widely quoted as saying that in the 21st century, water will be the primary couse of most wars.
The USA has been one of the most profligate and environmentally damaging users of freshwater resources worldwide. Fortunately, there are some incipient signs of change. You can read more about the Interior Dept.'s new limits on California's use of Colorado River water here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/05/natio ... ion=bottom
If we cannot be responsible users of global fresh water resources, then goodbye Homo sapiens (probably a good thing!). And goodbye Siluriformes (definitely a bad thing!).
Sorry to make the first post in this forum somewhat off topic!
The USA has been one of the most profligate and environmentally damaging users of freshwater resources worldwide. Fortunately, there are some incipient signs of change. You can read more about the Interior Dept.'s new limits on California's use of Colorado River water here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/05/natio ... ion=bottom
If we cannot be responsible users of global fresh water resources, then goodbye Homo sapiens (probably a good thing!). And goodbye Siluriformes (definitely a bad thing!).
Sorry to make the first post in this forum somewhat off topic!
