As Global Warming Increases, Water Supplies Around the World Are Decreasing

[steven johnson]

Nuclear, corn-ethanol crops and hydro-electric power soak up huge amounts of water. These, unfortunately, are essential if we are to move away from fossil fuel based energy sources. 1500 farmers in India committed suicide last year and 200,000 since 1997 link becauae shallow well water is drying up. Peak water may join peak oil as a critical bottleneck.

Alternative energy sources could use too much of earth's most precious resource, water...Humanity is sliding into water bankruptcy in the American Southwest, China, India.

alternative energy is, as they put it, "so thirsty."
"If you look at nuclear, it's enormously thirsty," said Vijay Vaitheeswaran, an energy expert moderating a panel exploring the ideas that water is both "the new oil," and a vital commodity whose ready supply the energy industry is fast learning it can no longer take for granted.

Even wind and solar energy, while they may appear to need little water, said panel members, are often managed in a way that relies on water-based back-up energy sources when there's no wind or sun.

[Bluzmann57]

1. If true, then we will rule the world

I live in a Mississippi River town where it has been raining a lot. We have too much water now and if the rest of the world faces shortages, I'm sure a lot of people around here would be perfectly willing to ship some out.
This all being said, I am not a global climate change denier. I am seeing it with my own eyes. Too much rain, even for April. 500 year floods, although not this year. Brutal cold winters minus 30 for a high). See, I think global warming may not be a correct term. I think global climate change is more correct.

[elocs]

2. I live north of you on the Mississippi in La Crosse.

A lot of people confuse weather and climate. I have to admit that our last winter here was pretty mild compared to those I remember as a kid. We had the big floods last year though.

[islandgirl808]

3. visited the hoover dam for the first time...

a while ago, it's amazing and frightening to see the difference in water level from when it was first built to now.

[quidam56]

4. In the mountaintop removal coal capitol- Appalachia,

Our water is polluted with disease, medicines and toxic heavy metals. Our watershed has Aluminum, Manganese and high concentrations of Iron- what else is in there is a mystery. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=138 We are being bombed, blasted and bulldozed right into 3rd world America.

[bananas]

5. Nuclear and corn-ethanol are NOT essential - and not desirable, either

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x191961

Drought during heat-waves have already caused many reactors to shut down when electricity is most needed.
No major environmental group has endorsed nuclear energy as a solution to global warming.