Water, Water, Neverwhere...

There’s a new book by Fred Pearce about the impending water crisis: When the Rivers Run Dry. The interview at Salon.com [note: you'll have to watch an ad if you aren't subscribed, but then you have a day pass to read whatever you like -- and you can get a day pass over and over] notes some facts, like:

Brushing your teeth with the water running wastes 4.5 gallons of water.

It takes 40 gallons of water to grow the ingredients for two slices of bread.

You need 250 gallons of water for a glass of milk, and 650 gallons of water for a pound of cheddar cheese.

It will take 800 gallons of water to produce the meat for one hamburger.

Yeesh! Wasteful use of resources is the number 1 reason why the Consort and I made the choice to become vegetarians, lo these many years ago. (You can get more info at the EPA Web site [and yes, I’ve already alerted them that there is a typo on the page].)

The majestic rivers of the United States are running dry so that farming conglomerates can make another fast buck, and regular Americans can “live the American Dream” in a fabricated suburb in the desert. And let’s not forget all those gamblers in Las Vegas; they need lots of flushing power in those palace-themed mega-hotels!

Internationally, water-use rights fuel conflict in the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Asia.

I’ve requested the book from my local library, and I’ll let you all know what I think after I’ve read it.