Not a Drop to Drink… But Plenty to Use For Drilling and Mining
Foreshadowing the impending conflicts of the 21st century, a battle is heating up in the American West between water and oil interests. On the one side are those in favor of exploiting the massive oil shale reserves under the Rocky Mountains. These reserves are one of the biggest remaining oil resources in the world– containing three times as much oil as that remaining in Saudi Arabia.
Although oil shale extraction is extremely costly, energy intensive, and polluting, it is the massive amount of water that it consumes that is really bringing out the political opposition. Opponents worry that the Colorado River, which is already being taxed to its limits, can not support the enormous draw that would be required for wide scale shale mining in the region. READ MORE
The Colorado River, and the Civilization Dependent Upon it, Faces Dramatic Threats
Although climate change takes most of the headlines nowadays, the environmental threats we are facing are even more widespread. While climate change will exacerbate many of these problems, there are a number of other external issues that must also be urgently addressed.
One of those environmental disasters that is being worsened by climate change, but which also is being worsened by external events, is the destruction of the Colorado River.
SignOnSanDiego expands on this crisis:
The Colorado River has endured drought, climate changes, pollution, ecological damage from dams and battles by 7 states to draw more water. Now energy companies are sucking up the river’s water to support increased development of oil, natural gas and uranium deposits. Yet, the river must provide drinking water for 1 out of 12 Americans and 15% of our crops. READ MORE
Western U.S. to face major water shortages even without climate change
The AP had an article on Friday about the impending water shortages in the Western United States [link may expire]. The region will face shortages as a result of a changing climate as well as exceedingly dumb planning that led to inefficient development and failed to account for the fact that the 1900′s were an above average century for wetness on the whole.
The result was a massive population boom in the Western US that was built on inefficient water use from the Colorado River based on the assumption that the river’s flow would not decrease and population growth would not overwhelm it. Of course, none of these assumptions proved true. READ MORE
