Originally published March 4 2007
Global warming could cause severe municipal water shortages, says Nobel Prize winner
by M. T. Whitney
(NaturalNews) The rise of global warming could cause cities run out of water, says Steven Chu, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics a decade ago. Decreases in snow and glacier melt - major sources for water - have some wondering about global warming's impact and has spurred an increase in pushing for ocean desalinization technology.
Jump directly to: conventional view | bottom line
What you need to know - Conventional View
• The effects of global warming already are being seen, as some rivers now become dry in the summertime, and the snow and glacier melt in the Himalayas has declined.
• The Sierra Nevada mountain range of California will see its snowpack decline by between 30 to 70 percent by the year 2100.
• Warming prevents snow and rain from being stored in the mountains, meaning that while some areas will see an increase in snow, it will be wasted as run-off water.
• The impact of the Sierra Nevadas losing water could mean that Californian agriculture will be disrupted, and that later people may migrate away from The Golden State.
• The increased attention on global warming has caused some companies to invest further in desalinizing seawater for human consumption.
• "(Water) is probably the first thing that will hit home," Chu said. "The water storage problem is becoming a mess."
Bottom line
With global warming, the loss of usable water will be one of the greatest impacts on the human race.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml