The Upcoming Water Shortage

Reports from NASA and the World Health Organization may sound like a wild science-fiction story, but they are real and should alarm everyone.

The population of the world tripled in the 1900's and should rise by 40%-50% by 2050.  But, there is no more fresh water today than there was millions of years ago.  Water, like oil, has its limits.

So, what does this mean?  Already there are water shortages in drier climates.  Americans have not really felt the impact yet. 

But, each summer, cities across the southwest ration water.  Americans love their green lawns and can't seem to realize that the water they throw on their lawns might be the difference between life and death.

Already, several large inland seas and marshlands have sharply reduced in size, coral reefs are beginning to deteriorate and ocean levels are rising, because of the melting polar ice.  Dead zones are appearing in oceans due to runoff from agriculture and industry robbing the water of oxygen.

Half of the world's population will have water shortages by 2050, polluted coasts and reduced amounts of fish.  It is expected that the current 400 million people who are affected by water shortages will ride to 4 billion by 2050!

The World Water Council reported that over 1 billion people are living without clean drinking water.  Most of this is found in third-world countries.  But, Indian and China are both using more water than is replaced by rain.

History shows that when a commodity becomes scarce, the fighting begins.  And, in areas that are already prone to conflict, this could cause all-out war.  Israel predicts shortages in the next 5 years.

In America, states are already trying to decide how to ration the water from rivers between the states who have access to the rivers.

Poor irrigation practices, pollution and waste are the major contributors to the coming shortage, but so is the increased population of the world.