Water, Water. Where?
When people talk about the problems associated with global warming, the conversation tends to focus on stronger storms, rising sea levels, and the loss of coastal cities. But one problem that seems to me to get short shrift is the impact on our water supply.
When weather patterns change in such a way that, for example, “the Sierra Nevada snowpack is melting faster each year”, that’s less water trickling down to streams and rivers. When the weather changes in such a way that the ski resorts have to depend to snow-making machines later and later into the season, that’s less water for spring and summer.
Higher temperatures mean more water lost to evaporation. And rising seas could push saltwater into underground sources of freshwater.
Yes, humanity has certainly had its way with the environment, and like all of humanity’s creations, the Frankenstein we’ve made will come back to haunt us. And of course we deserve it. Richly.
October 28th, 2007 at 10:21 am
interesting timing that the bushies just so interested in a giant south american aquifer…sent jenna and not-jenna down there, etc?