U.S. needs to change how it uses water

Experts warn that within 20 years, half the world’s population will face water shortages, including those of us in the United States. Sadly, homo sapiens are the sole life form on Earth that wastes water. Our planet is host to 366 million trillion gallons of water. Sounds impressive, but when you factor in global population growth at 83 million each year, water demands to satiate the thirsts and fodder of foot and fauna to feed the masses, and the proverbial waste factor associated with humans, is there going to be enough?

 We can’t grow, fabricate or create water. What moisture we have is all we got, short of draining a distant planet. Of what we have, 97.5 percent is salty, 1.5 percent is frozen and only 1 percent is liquid. To fully grasp the magnitude of our water usage, it’s helpful to view our world consumption in “virtual water,” a calculation of how much water is used to produce a product. It takes 1,857 gallons to produce one pound of beef, 1,382 gallons for one pound of sausage, 2,900 gallons to produce one pair of blue jeans … everything you see, consume or wear has its water footprint.

The solution — 65 percent of fresh water used each year goes to agriculture. Change our diets and grow more water-friendly crops like potatoes, instead of rice and beef. Fix the old, leaky, long-neglected irrigation infrastructure of this nation. Quit playing God and building dams to reroute waterways. Desalination, how much are you willing to pay for water? Next time you get yourself a glass of water, you might take a moment to appreciate how precious and finite water is.

LAURIE WADKINS

Priest River