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Feb 6, 2024 · Parts of North America are poised to become “hotspots of water scarcity” within decades, partly because pollutants will make some water sources harder to use, scientists warned on Tuesday,...
- Where Is America's Water Crisis?
- Is The Growing Population The Problem?
- Humans Need Food and Food Needs Water
- How Much Does Human-Induced Climate Change Play A Role?
- Warmer Air Is Holding More Drinking Water Captive
- Flooding Rainfall Is Making Drinking Water Less Safe
- The Water Crisis Is Heading Underground, Too
- What Can Be Done Now
"The American West is certainly in a water crisis," Reed Maxwell, a professor and researcher at Princeton University, told ABC News. Maxwell has been studying the distribution of freshwater resources in the hydrologic cycle with a focus on the impacts of manmade stresses for 20 years. "Even with the record high precipitation in the 2022-2023 winter...
In America, the sources for drinking water haven't changed much over the last 70 years, but the population has grown by nearly 190 million. With the advent of air conditioning, cities like Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada saw a remarkable population boom. However, the problem with population growth isn't necessarily that more people are drink...
According to the United Nations, more than 70% of Earth's freshwater is used to irrigate the plants and animals we eat. American Rivers, a national organization focused on clean water and river health, said the "water footprint" of the average American is 32,911 glasses per day. Ninety-six percent of that water footprint comes from growing the food...
"We wouldn't be here without climate change," Udall said regarding the perilously low reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. These reservoirs supply much of the water for the Southwest and are fed by the Colorado River. "So, the reservoirs have lost about 60% of their contents since the year 2000 and now they're at about 25% full," said Udall. Wh...
While parts of the West have seen record snowfall this winter season, all of that moisture won't go directly to rivers and lakes. Evaporation will often take much of that newly fallen water away, back into the atmosphere, experts said. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, Maxwell said evaporation is playing a key role in the West's water crisis. "The...
The largest source of surface freshwater in North America is theGreat Lakes, totaling 84% of the continent's surface freshwater and 10% of Americans' drinking water. But the Great Lakes are experiencing consequences from human activities. Fertilizer, human waste, animal waste, and even exhaust from vehicles create excess amounts of nitrogen and pho...
The pollution from humans at the surface is also polluting groundwater, which makes up a third of American' drinking water. There is a decadal increase in groundwater nutrients, including some at levels considered toxic, in wells and aquifers in various parts of America. Some of the highest increases were found to be from chloride, lithium, nitrate...
Conservation is key when it comes to water. For big problems, like what’s happening in the American West, Maxwell said states need to come together and figure out a fair compromise, "one that doesn't shut off any one party completely. A real solution has to also accompany reductions in water use." As for what can be done at home, there are a few th...
Apr 19, 2021 · WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Of six environmental problems facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect water quality. Majorities express "a great deal" of worry about the...
Mar 2, 2019 · The Nation's rivers and streams are a priceless resource—they provide drinking water for a growing population, irrigation for crops, habitat for aquatic life, and countless recreational opportunities. But pollution from urban and agricultural areas continues to pose a threat to water quality.
Mar 23, 2023 · Hundreds of millions of people lack access to safe water and sanitation. Will the first U.N. conference on water in nearly 50 years make a difference?
Aug 16, 2023 · A growing population and rising temperatures will strain the world’s freshwater supplies over the next 30 years, jeopardizing available water for drinking, bathing and growing food, according...
Sep 22, 2023 · In this review, we summarize exposure risk profiles and health effects for seven legacy and emerging drinking water contaminants or contaminant groups: arsenic, disinfection by-products,...
