Yes, that is a picture of water, a.k.a. a sheaf of wheat. It takes about 150 gallons of water to make a pound of wheat (a bit more for rice).   Whenever you look at food, you are looking at "virtual" water. Of the essentials for survival, none is more central than water.

Many of the sites listed on our Resources page have excellent sections dealing with water. However, the following sites have that as their main focus.

• Everyone recognizes that population is straining our resources.
• Many talk about using less water and using water more efficiently.
• But few point out the obvious: that we could have enough water if there were fewer of us.

The Coming Water Crisis  . This prescient book (1999) covers many of the effects of our overpopulation on our environment. The editor explains "the world needs a Blue Revolution to conserve and manage freshwater supplies in the face of growing demand from population growth, irrigated agriculture, industries, and cities—just as the Green Revolution transformed agriculture in the 1960s. A Blue Revolution will require coordinated responses to problems at local, national, and international levels.

Locally led initiatives show that water can be used much more efficiently. When communities manage freshwater resources efficiently, they also manage other natural resources better, improve sanitation, and reduce disease. At the national level, especially in water-short regions with dense populations, adopting a watershed or river-basin management perspective is a needed alternative to uncoordinated water-management policies by separate jurisdictions. At the international level, countries that share river basins can fashion workable policies to manage water resources more equitably. Development agencies need to focus more on assuring the supply and management of freshwater resources and on providing sanitation as part of development and public health programs. " [Article]

Worldwatch Institute's articles about water

National Geographic site:   Fresh Water Crisis. "By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change."   It's time to decide the best population size for the World's regions.

The April 2010 National Geographic contains several excellent articles on Water issues. California's Pipe Dream - a water crisis gives a clear summary of the murky history of water use in California, with it's agricultural, environmental, residential, and development needs. With population growing at about 300,000 a year, we'll have to stop watering our gardens and drink recycled urine unless we stop the numerous projects designed to keep people coming.

Parting the Waters, National Geographic, April 2010
30 of the 37 military conflicts over Water in the past 60 years involve Israel and its neighbors. Almost all of these were over the Jorden River and it's tributaries. Not addressed in the article is the obvious: that fewer people living in these desert regions would leave more water per person. This should inform the population policies of all countries involved.

Circle of Blue - Waternews.  An active aggregator of news about water related issues. They are sorted by region, by topics such as agriculture, economics, corporate social responsibility, policy, drought, energy, environment, floods, statistics, etc.

Alternet's current postings on Water issues.   Many current articles, often with a strong Accomodationist bias. That bias is an unquestioning acceptance that population will grow and grow, and so we must all accomodate by using less and less.

"Water Woes," Apr 26, 2001. A readable summary of water shortages we are facing. "When a World Bank official suggested several years ago that water wars are not far off, he might have had Egypt on his mind -- or Turkey, Syria and Iraq, another trio of Middle-Eastern states that are locked in an uncomfortable embrace over water."   The authors show some bias towards technology and "privitization", without considering that the costs of these are out of reach for most people in the world. We feel that a cultural value of Sustainability would go a lot further and last longer.

The Global Water Cycle report to the United States Climate Change Global Research Program Water Cycle Study Group, 2001*

News Articles about Water

To Get Water to Cities, California Farmers Paid Not to Plant, Oct. 24, 2011.
In the Imperial Valley farmers can get paid to leave their land fallow. Instead of irrigating crops, the water is shipped to the always water-hungry Los Angeles and San Diego regions. [article] [archive]

Saltwater Intrusion Strain the Floridian Aquifer (Nov. 2010), which underlies all of Florida, as well as parts of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. The 3 billion gallons withdrawn daily is used by thousands of small towns and large cities such as Orlando, Jacksonville, St. Petersburg and Tallahassee in Florida, and Brunswick and Savannah in Georgia. There is no mention of efforts to cap population in the region at a sustainable size. [article] [archive]

Water Use in Southwest: Day of Reckoning, Sept. 2010.
Water level in Lake Mead lowest since the late 1950's. Today more than 28 million people in California, Arizona and Nevada depend on it. "We have a very finite resource and demand which increases and enlarges every day," said the president of the Colorado River Water Users Association. [article] [archive]

Vital River Is Withering, and Iraq Has No Answer - June 13,2010
As populations grow around the world, hardships arise when upriver nations dam up water which once flowed to their downstream neighbors. A formerly lush region of Iraq has become barren and uninhabitable. [read article]

Sanaa, Yemen to Become World's first capital to run out of Water, Feb. 19, 2010.
An article blaming addiction to Qat for water depletion, while barely mentioning that addiction to population growth is the root cause. Population of the capital is set to double in 20 years! [Yemen Water Shortage article ]

[California Water Myths: Finger Pointing], Dec 14,2009.
Legislation will force urban users to decrease water usage 20% by 2020. These authors say we shouldn't blame agriculture. That's at least partially true, but they don't mention overpopulation. They don't say that if population doesn't grow 20%, we won't have to cut back our water usage. Might this glaring ommision have anything to do with the political and economic power of the developer's lobby in Sacramento? Hmmm...

Organizations focused on Water issues

Pacific Institute - A nonpartisan research institute for environmental protection, economic development and social equity. Main focus is on Water related issues.

Union of Concerned Scientists - UCS combines independent scientific research and citizen action to develop innovative, practical solutions and to secure responsible changes in government policy, corporate practices, and consumer choices.

Environmental Water Caucus - A California coalition striving to find comprehensive and sustainable water management solutions for all Californians.

Food & Water Watch - A watchdog organization that works to ensure the water, food and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced.

Waterkeeper Alliance - Advocates ways for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally.