Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Water is the New Oil

OGALLALA AQUIFER                   
Ninety-five percent of the United States' fresh water is underground. As farmers in the Texan High Plains pump groundwater faster than rain replenishes it, the water tables are dropping. North America's largest aquifer, the Ogallala, is being depleted at a rate of 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year. Total depletion to date amounts to some 325 bcm, a volume equal to the annual flow of 18 Colorado Rivers. The Ogallala stretches from Texas to South Dakota, and waters one fifth of US irrigated land. Many farmers in the High Plains are now turning away from irrigated agriculture, as they become aware of the hazards of over pumping,  and realize water is not in endless supply.


I started doing research on water shortages because of what I've recently learned about hydraulic fracking. I was thinking that I would find evidence of contamination to the Ogallala Aquifer caused by fracking. Although I have not yet found any links between fracking an Ogallala Aquifer, what I did find seems too ludicrous to be true.

Apparently a company called (W.C.S) Waste Control Specialists, operate a 1,338-acre radioactive waste dump that happens to sit right on top of Ogallala Aquifer. I found an excellent article with so much information, I found it hard to abridge, so here’s a direct link.  Click the Link below!

How Does Your Water Glow? -- In These Times












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