Mar 13 2008 1:46PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |
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Parts of the country are seeing truly historic drought conditions. Water supplies are dwindling in the south, yet truly effective conservation measures are avoided like the plague. In Georgia they actually relaxed water restrictions on the same day a court decision came down denying the city of Atlanta the rights to water from the only significant lake in the area. Great governing! One local county just started requiring the replacement of inefficient plumbing fixtures with low flow units when homes are sold. This is a good start, but will barely scratch the surface of the problem.

In most of the country, the generation of electricity requires the use of fresh water. One study determined that 39% of our fresh water is used for power plants. So one of the best long term solutions to water shortages is to use less electricity. That means making homes more efficient and using fewer and more efficient appliances and lights. If we are smart, the current real estate crisis will lead us towards more reasonably sized and efficient homes, ultimately reducing our need for power, leaving more water to drink in the long term.

We can survive without power – sweating is rarely fatal, and there are always more jackets and blankets to keep us warm, but we can’t live without water.