Aqua Shock

Liquid Gold

People take water for granted, but it is a diminishing resource. Water occupies 70% of the earth’s surface, but less than 1% of it is readily available freshwater. Population growth, increased consumption due to growing affluence, greater pollution and climate change strain the supply of safe drinking water. The quantity of water on earth is constant. But just as its form varies from vapor and rain to snow and ice, water’s quality and accessibility also are subject to change, and some of the shifts are very dramatic.

In the United States, water scarcity is a national issue even beyond the arid western states. At least 36 states expect to declare water shortages by 2013, according to the U.S. General Accounting Office. In fact, the problem is global in scope. The World Bank has reported that in Latin America alone, 76 million people have inadequate supplies of safe water. The United Nations estimates that up to one billion people worldwide lack access to drinkable water.

Meteorological and Manmade Impacts

A 2009 global weather study found that warmer water and higher air temperatures lead to downpours, and raise sea levels by melting both...