sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - may/june 2012 - grapple: water, water everywhere

GRAPPLE | WITH ISSUES AND IDEAS

Smart-Meter Backlash | Year of the Draco | Water, Water Everywhere | Summer Barbecues |
Superbugs | Up to Speed

Water, Water Everywhere

Click on the text for each item below for sources.

Peter and Maria Hoey

By now, you're likely familiar with the concept of the "carbon footprint"—the amount of carbon dioxide that producing some item or performing some activity releases into the atmosphere. Illustrated below is a water footprint: the amount of H2O it takes, whether via irrigation or industrial process, to make the common objects of our daily lives. Given a growing U.S. population, limited water resources, a deep drought in some parts of the country and looming shortages in others, and the wild card of climate change, it's a metric we'll all be hearing more about soon. —Paul Rauber

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NEXT: Summer Barbecues Will Solve All Our Problems?