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- 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, urging governments to safeguard these vital resources and sustainably tackle pollution.
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- 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...
Sep 9, 2022 · Upmanu Lall, a hydroclimatologist at Columbia University and a luminary in his field, has co-authored and led numerous studies that document the rise of contaminated drinking water in the U.S.
Jan 11, 2023 · Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a “universal solvent,” water is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth. It’s the reason we have Kool-Aid and ...
Oct 22, 2024 · Certain groups of people in the United States, including Indigenous communities, low-income communities, communities on the U.S.–Mexico border, migrant farm workers, and others lack access to clean water and sanitation services. 22 Climate impacts will compound this situation.
Jun 22, 2021 · This study builds on a growing body of evidence showing access to plumbing, water quality, and basic sanitation are lacking for a disturbingly large number of US residents by providing a ...
