U.S. Aquifers Are Running Dry, Posing Major Threat to Drinking Water Supply
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- Опубликовано: 7 авг 2024
- A major New York Times investigation reveals how the United States' aquifers are becoming severely depleted due to overuse in part from huge industrial farms and sprawling cities. The Times reports that Kansas corn yields are plummeting due to a lack of water, there is not enough water to support the construction of new homes in parts of Phoenix, Arizona, and rivers across the country are drying up as aquifers are being drained far faster than they are refilling. "It can take millions of years to fill an aquifer, but they can be depleted in 50 years," says Warigia Bowman, director of sustainable energy and natural resources law at the University of Tulsa College of Law. "All coastal regions in the United States are really being threatened by groundwater and aquifer problems."
Transcript: democracynow.org
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And yet, Saudi Arabia “owns” entire rivers of American water. And Nestlé pumps billions of gallons a day for almost free. Let’s talk about that
AAAnd DO about!!!
It’s scary as hell to know this is happening. The almighty dollar and greed will be the end of life for all.
the problem right now is crapitolism....when we learn to value community over money things will change.
What it all leads to is no more America. This is a country at war, and being destroyed. China also is fracking the deepest bore holes. It means all of earth is seeking to pull Earth apart and seek the new water beds, and those are immortal, and they bring water to existence through natural physics. It is an existence arriving of water for lifeforms. They are killing us for not knowing much, and not having any power.
Very little of our agriculture is actually sustainable due to depletion of groundwater, erosion of topsoil, and the huge amount of fossil fuel inputs required to support it. Climate change will also greatly reduce the area where agriculture is even possible. The bill will be coming due soon.
This is good, but it is also bad. People are having enough trouble staying afloat. If food prices quadruple that will be a very, very bad thing for a lot of people.
True and, there is a sustainable solution. Better soil and water management, and increased perennial food systems which would actually increase rainfall are all part of that solution.
There’s a lot of people in important government positions that do not understand what water aquifers are and how they operate. I remember watching a news report of an Arizona county supervisor remarking that the aquifer in her county was an underground river flowing from somewhere…
We have a member of congress who was worried that moving too many troops to Guam could cause the island to flip over, so yeah, we don't exactly have the smartest people in our government.
It's easy to blame the politicians, but the voters put them in place. One would think farmers would be smarter about a lot of things. But it turns out sticking it to their perceived enemies and the fear that libruls will take their guns is a bigger threat than the fact that the entire system is vastly, spectacularly unsustainable.
If you live in a suburb like I do your neighbors water their damn lawns several times a week. I'm in the process of turning most of my backyard into prairie. I rely on rainfall only for that plus it brings in butterflies, birds, bees and so on.
I did the same thing in Ohio ...and the city hit me with a ticket for tall grass
This topic needs way more time. Great guest!
The amount of water irrigating cattle feed is pretty ridiculous. But the fact that so much of that water is irrigating hay fields is just beyond me.
When it comes to nutrition, most people are stupid in a way that seems insurmountable for generations. I firmly believe that a not inconsiderable proportion of all people would rather eat another person than give up meat.
And multiple times more water used for fracking, waste water injection and exports to Saudi Arabia. And don't forget the millions of aquifer water contaminated by pipeline leaks--just in MN alone
Also figure in the amount of corn grown for use as fuel. 1/3 of total production goes to make ethanol. Ethanol in gas eats up the rubber and synthetic plastic hoses and seals in our gas engines!!! That amount of corn would be enough to feed the world's starving people each year!
CA aquifers were running dry and causing problems until last rain season -thank god-they refilled partly, but, what happens when we empty them again? Another miracle year of storms?
That's OK. America will just find more expensive alternatives for its population.
Here in Oklahoma, where fracking is popular, they reinject the polluted frac water back into the ground causing both earthquakes and polluted aquifers. They also use enormous quantities of aquifer water to frac a well.We do get rain, but it swings from drought to flood, so our ponds dry up, then burst the dams when we get a year’s rain in two days. You and your animals have to leave if you lack water for a few days.
How did it get so bad?
Fracking is stupid
oklahoma is backwards for implementing any change, you need as many signatures to get a ballot change as there are cattle.
@@robertmarley8852 🎯
@@robertmarley8852it's greed, plain and simple
So many variables produced by our arrogance and ignorance compounded by ill intent. What a shame.
the amount of water being wasted after several storms came through but not saved.
Its pretty insane that people actually believe they can own water.
Who would have thought that homes built in a desert would have water problems? What, me worry?
I have been following the aquifer status for about the past year. Ms. Bowman is spot on. Everyone should be concerned, and paying attention. This is not media hype. If anything, this clip is a watered down version of what is actually happening.
I’m interested in a longer segment with her. This seems like a very important issue and she explains it really thoroughly
Living in Florida 38 years I have watched neighbors with their grass lawn’s being often watered twice daily sometimes during the daylight hours when there’s grass species that have grown here for centuries and don’t require water or mowing. I know this because I have it in my yard and have never cut or watered it in 3 decades. When traveling west across the southern states in the 1970’s people had already switched to landscaping that didn’t need water because we knew then if we continued to use water at the rates we were it wouldn’t be around for our children’s children well here we are and thanks to the greed and stupidity my grandchildren may be wondering whether to wash their clothes or take a shower and their grandchildren, well I hope you know where I am going.
We have to start doing something, now. We should be out on the streets to demand from our government officials to do something NOW. After all we need water to survive.
we are'nt even stopping the Ukraine drain of $ and killing
Sadly we don’t pay attention until after the crisis.
Farming in the desert is a HUGE problem and those idiot farmers still use SPRINKLERS, which we know wastes more water by evaporation than soaking.
People are selfish and stupid. Sad, but true.
World Famous Lake Shasta in California filled to capacity in one season 2023. Sorry to piss on your climate catastrophy.
I appreciate you covering this topic however, given the gravity of the subject, this segment could have been considerably longer.
Democracy Now does a great job of controlling an interview, asking the questions that get pertinent answers in a respectful way while not allowing guests to ramble on endlessly.
I was listening and learning when this ended so abruptly. I look forward to more enlightenment. Thank you.
Should have been a longer segment, guys.
Does this have anything to do with the farms that China and Saudi Arabia are running in our country?
I live on Long Island, NY (Nassau and Suffolk County). We get our drinking water from the aquifer that extends from our Pine Barrens (which is protected). Long Island is suburbia which we just love our green lawns. We should have all seen this coming when the joke from the past talks about people buying bottled water in the future. Tap water is fine...or is it?
Some states shouldn’t be states.
Where there's no will, there's no way...
And 30-40% of those agricultural goods are just tossed and never eaten. It's a massive overproduction that usually takes place in a desert (Central Valley) and has led to the disappearance of former lakes, rivers, aquifers and pollutes the air and water. Often people are advised not to live there bc of the dust storms from depleted lake beds and all the pollution they are affected by.
World Famous Lake Shasta in California filled to capacity in one season 2023. Sorry to piss on your climate catastrophy.
@@woodchipgardens9084 What does that have anything to do with my comment?
@@Jose-sy1je means anything can happen despite what water managers and climate alarmist tell you.
@@woodchipgardens9084 But I was talking about food being thrown away and pollution
@@Jose-sy1je plenty of water to grow more food if Volcanoes dont erupt and destroy the environment as they have in the past like the years 536, 540, 1817 and 1886.
1:26 Aquifer water doesn’t “flow”, it seeps. When this type of terminology is used, people get the idea that it is more plentiful and easily replenished than it actually is.
World leaders need to be investing in the kinds of technology that Moses West has been at the forefront of in order to mitigate natural water reserve dependency and provide safe drinking water to communities on a local, ground-up level.
Unfortunately it is idealistic to believe world leaders will do the right thing when most are in the pocket of of big corporation. In the US, large mono-culture firms and large scale animal meat producers have been dictating to local and state government for decades. Nestles (bottle water) is a great example and very telling of who is really in the drivers seat. With regard to the Atmospheric Water Generators technology your suggesting, there are few examples where that technology is producing near the stated output claimed. Reports are also showing that this technology really only work in areas where their is constant reliable [emphasis added] high humidity. Even if these generators did what they claim, if the entire world embraced this technology and we start pulling humidity out of the earths air, on a global scale, precipitation (rain and snow pack) could become non existent. There is a cause and affect to everything.
It 's a condensation unit. That's what you see at the back of your air conditioner.
Let the Water Wars commence!!!!!
seriously one of the lowest IQ things I've ever read...well, secondary after your other comment...
Humans will be long gone before "water" becomes a scarcity...its cute that you think humans have an impact though.
OCCUPY WALL STREET was the only great idea I have seen, in a long, long ,long time
Only 5.37 minutes on such a important topic!
Exactly! There will be NO ground water tomorrow, so get what you can today.
Farmers. Cities. Wonder when people will catch on
The moment you have to manage the water supoly, means you are already in population overshoot!
Nothing new here. The Oglala aquifer has been declining for years to grow water thirsty corn on arid land to feed cattle raised in feed lots for consumer consumption. Humanity is insane.
Grateful to live in Michigan
But then you got this guy they call a criminal that makes water out of air this country is a joke
OK - the Sky is Falling - and How about suggestions to re-charge the Aquifers, and create new large Storage Lakes for ground Water also to supply all possible needs in the US and else where? Giant Collection Basins can be Constructed. Massive De-Salinization Plants can be Constructed and used to provide Water to store in Basins and to re-charge Aguifers.
Use a magnifying glass to start a campfire. Use the same principle to boil water, ocean water, to convert it into fresh water, generate electricity at the same time, hundreds of millions of gallons of it. Using heat, infrared light, without the use of fossil fuels. Build large reservoirs, large man made lakes, and ponds. Start at San Diego, California, Build hundreds of lakes and reservoirs until you arrive at the Texas gulf coast. Now at the same time cultivate fish, an excellent protein source to solve world hunger, aquatic botanicals, agricculture, etc. The copper, silver, gold, and plutonium unearthed in the process may be sold too.
Genius!
I see people in comments have mentioned fracking, and water bottling, but I did not see mention of lithium mining, gold mining...all that mining for "clean energy". The conversation that has to be had in connection with this topic is industrial consumption for human benefit and of course the pollution of water.
Its' not clmate crises thats' the crises of human greed
April, 2000 MN Daily staff op-ed, drew hempel
The Great Lakes will be at record lows because of lack of snow that feeds 40 percent of their annual water supply. This disturbing situation has been attributed to global warming, and according to the United Nations, the influence of major transnational corporations extends over about 50 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. What's received less attention is that large corporations are also attempting to raid the Great Lakes. One government agency already gave permission for 600 million liters of Great Lakes water to be filled into tankers and sent to Asia over the next five years. A temporary moratorium was achieved, but the move to conserve water will be brought to the World Trade Organization as a violation of the supposed rights of corporate rule.
Through Reaganite corporate-state subsidies, California ironically has become the new dairy state at the expense of rural Wisconsin family livelihood -- including their future ability to drink water. California recently attempted to pipe water from Wisconsin. According to the Worldwatch Institute, agriculture accounts for two-thirds of all irrigated fresh water use while industrial production in general accounts for 50 to 80 percent of fresh water demand. But it's not just corporate-state water use in California; it's also the corporate pollution of water. Silicon "computer" Valley has more Superfund sites -- most of them affecting groundwater -- than any other area its size in the country. And 60 percent of the United States' liquid hazardous wastes -- 34 billion liters of solvents, heavy metals and radioactive materials -- is directly injected into the ground, the main source for fresh water.
In 1996, the journal Science reported that the global supply of fresh water will be used up in 30 years at current usage rates. According to the Stanford researchers who authored the study, there is no "hidden water," and current foreseeable technologies, like desalinization, were factored into their findings. But greed-driven corporations are tapping into that grim projection to maximize profits for their own pea-brained drive to extinction. In just a few short years, through more than 130 acquisitions, American Toxic Control has been transformed into U.S. Filter Inc., with $5 billion in annual revenues, making it 10 times the size of its nearest competitor.
As controller at U.S. Filter, Richard Heckmann states, "How could it be that there is no Intel, I.B.M., General Motors or Toys 'R' Us in the water business?" he asked. "You can live without all those things. Five days without water, you're dead." Apparently Dan Quayle agrees since he sits on the U.S. Filter Inc. board, joined by the Bass brother finance speculators who threw in a cool, refreshing $250 million. The time is right to create a giant corporation that transforms the public right to water into a scarce luxury item for those privy to the secret magic of money. Based on a 1998 water study by Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, "To avoid catastrophe ... it is important to act now."
Our clear answer to the water crisis, according to the scientific researchers, can be summed up in one word: conservation.
Secret global corporate rule, though, blocks environmental issues, labeling them barriers to corporate WTO trade. U.S. corporate-state rule has been consistent in its priorities ever since the founding aristocrats, like John Jay, planned to keep the rich in power against the threat of democracy. George Kennan, as head of the State Department, authored a top-secret document that reflects these elite goals on a global scale: "We have about 50 percent of the world's wealth, but only 6.3 percent of its population ... Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity ... We should cease to talk about vague and -- for the Far East -- unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards and democratization ... The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better." Similarly, now declassified U.S. National Security Council documents clearly outline policies to support destructive regimes in order to maintain wealth for the corporate-state elite. In fact, after World War II, the U.S. corporate-state elite attacked democracy movements worldwide and reinstated fascist regimes, brutally promoting power to a few.
There's an interesting hidden history to undemocratic, destructive corporate rule. Did colonists plead for a more "socially responsible" king? The colonists demanded their inalienable, natural right to sovereignty. The king, though, was the only sovereign of the land and the king was also the only source of corporate charters. Most of the 13 colonies were actually crown charters (i.e. the Massachusetts Bay Trading Company). The list of grievances attached to the Declaration of Independence stemmed from the corporate rule of the king.
After democracy was achieved, corporate charters were deliberately put into the hands of the state legislatures, were issued for only special purposes and had extremely limited powers. Corporate charters were routinely revoked and the corporate assets reinvested by the public. President Lincoln warned, though, shortly after the Civil War, that the growing threat of corporate rule was worse than the war and would, unless stopped, destroy the republic. Just as he predicted in 1886, a bought-out robber-baron judge declared that corporations are protected by the Bill of Rights and have legal "personhood" -- thus subverting our democracy. That same year 230 state laws controlling corporations were overturned in district courts. Between 1890 and 1910, 307 cases went to the Supreme Court based on the anti-slavery 14th Amendment. But only 19 cases were from African-Americans, while 288 were corporations seeking their new constitutional personhood "right to due process."
The Bill of Rights ironically continues to be the main vehicle for destructive undemocratic corporate rule. Most state constitutions still require the attorney general to revoke the charter of any corporation that continuously violates the public good. With the knowledge of this hidden history exposed, in the last few years the public has rescinded two corporate charters. The global sovereignty movement grows increasingly thirsty for democratic revolution. The future of water depends on declaring independence from corporate rule.
Too little, too late. Get used to being thirsty. And dirty.
World Famous Lake Shasta in California filled to capacity in one season 2023. Sorry to piss on your climate catastrophy. If chicken little says the sky is falling then look for the fox.
World Famous Lake Shasta in California filled to capacity in one season 2023. Sorry to piss on your climate catastrophy. If chicken little says the sky is falling then look for the fox.
Don’t forget the thirsty golf courses America’s created, gurgling and sopping up the water as well!
the war in syria was due to the lack of water ..... imagine the consequences if that happends here too !
BRAVO !!
Warigia Bowman, ...what a great communicator you are
that is a topic the vast majority of listeners will be entirely void of
good luck trying to warn us of the impending disaster.
i 'm ready for it i see it coming thanks to people like M. Bowman, i AM listening friend.
DEMOCRACY NOW SUCKS !!!
hehehej/k hope i made ya laugh.
Amy is a top class presenter. Regards from 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
They're running lost of shale drills using mass amounts of water! 😡
if it's "corporate" water extraction, that just means people are paying for that to happen, or it wouldn't ... people need water, so what is the "corporate evil" there?
i can can Guarantee,
america has lost the most amount of water that we can not replace, than anything, irrigating crops that have gotten shipped to africa in the last 50 years.....and that is ACCELERATING.
thanks nestle
They are sprawling is places where there is no water
I have been looking into this lately. I am primarily going by information posted online and some of these posts are by the government.
Fresh water is coming from rain that can be salvaged, open bodies of water, and groundwater.
An open water reservoir probably has a lot of evaporation especially with the hot weather.
There are many urban and suburban areas with the risk of water mains breaking.
Whatever people are doing that requires fresh water needs to be regulated. There is a need to find some way to minimize anything that is utilizing any excess of freshwater.
Whatever anyone is doing that creates water pollution needs to be regulated and minimized.
Freshwater needs to be salvaged, purified, and stored in a way that keeps it from evaporating or contamination.
They are saying that about half of all available freshwater is unreasonably polluted.
Invest now for a better tomorrow.
Terrifying. I’m scared for my children..
Oh look at that! Intelligence at its best in America! But then again, did SCOTUS just address this issue. Oh yeah right!
and as the aquifers run low you pump up way too much salt eventually denuding topsoil.trap rainwater, recharge the water table. go permaculture.
The federal and state laws and procedures should be revisited in my opinion. I am not sure for something as basic and critical as water; why would federal government just hand over the business of management to states. Esp when cross state water bodies and the water utilization is common practice. Further, if you have looked at initiatives undertaken by public in India; example Paani Foundation (Water Cup Movement) to recharge ground water- that happened because the state laws were not as restrictive. Here is US I believe we are at a point where states are not reacting fast enough to the issue; certainly not proactively but somewhat of reactive measures and the public involvement is limited by their attitude of imposing restrictions on public rather than inviting public cooperation to bring effective change in shorter duration.
Have to disagree with her statement that NY would be effected eventually. NY has 2 huge fresh water rivers flowing on both sides of it. As ice melts up in canada, that flow has increased to NY. They have some of the best water in the country. Coming down from Niagara Falls this is pure fresh water. NY is set for next 1000 years.
Now do our oil reserves drained by Robert Peters
But the polar ice caps are melting!!!??
We can get healthier protein from plants, requiring much much less water. But we keep focusing on livestock. Animal protein requires so much more water, and imposes many other costs as well.
Gonna have to ask you all to stop rushing people. What’s the big hurry?
The aliens are stealing the water.
On a planet that has more water than land, water shouldnt be an issue. Lets make a giant magnifying glass to evaporate ocean water?
Come to Wisconsin ! We are growing Pineapple 🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍
Lake Shasta and other California reservoirs filled to capacity April 2023, Millions of years to replenish aquifers is total lie, completly rediculous to say such a thing.
Next time you have a real expert like this woman please respect their intelligence and make time to hear what they have to say. Interruptions like that are classless and rude.
why not invest in desalination technologies to tap the planets 2/3 water cover?!?!
ty💙
Don't forget huge stadiums or golf course & all the water they waste
Corporation shouldn't come over needs. How about you make those companies get those solar panels that take the humidity from the air and creates water. They can afford ten acres of those
California’s Jerry Brown liked to remind we the people (that was the name of his radio show) that our consumerism pays for corporations and our pension funds own them-so if we don’t like what corporations are doing then we must change what we buy and own. In this case we stop buying unsustainable foods (which means most of what we eat), fuels (stop driving that car), etc., and owning stocks (brokerage accounts, pension funds, IRAs), pets (US pets consume more food than all wild mammals), babies (stop making more people), etc. Can I give that up? Probably not until I am forced into it.
I don't think that's a particularly good idea either. Probably just stop irrigating hay and cattle feed fields would be better bet
In 2023 it necessary to define aquifer. Grew up with artesian well water over here and riparian rights.
It's almost over.
Its not new! We just dont DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE IN PREPARATION FOR CHANGES THAT WE SEE AHEAD OF TIME!!! Just bury our stupid heads. Water and air quality conservation or preservation should have been the normal for at least 2 decades already! Whole country should be more in line with Las Vegas water usage. Just sit and wait and complain about how hard or expensive shit will be! People make me sick sometimes
And what about fracking?
Why are i talking with a lawyer??
There is no such thing as a democracy right now
Lets voice this loud and clear . The endless ''describing ''of unfolding catastrophe does not equal a ''solution''. Whilst science helps to identify the physical problem, 'that' particular science does not provide a political solution. However we are in the habit of thinking it does. Why do we recognise the science of one , yet deny (with a passion) the science of the other ? This is arguably a definition of insanity.
can we get a map?
Harvest water from the air.
time to look into rainwater collection and areoponic / hydroponic indoor growing......mega agribusiness is in trouble. Grow your own !
Turn America into Texas. When do humans learn!!!!??
Duh
Your reporting about a widely known lack of infrastructure issue thus, minimally 40-50 years too late. For instance, the JFK era North American Water and Power Alliance (1964-NAWAPA) great project that sought a continental approach to water management for the American Continent. It would have taken the fresh water run-off from Alaska and Canada, redirected the flow down the Rocky Mountain Trench, through the Great American Desert all the way down to Mexico, but was never built. You can thank the eco-terror/Wall Street Counterculture mentacide which melted the minds of the now largely insane little people who won't tackle any real solutions to real problems! This could have never happened without YOU!
So more ketch baseness?
harvest water from the air.
Florida lose a lot of water
i love the clip but your just pissing up a rope from the bottom of these aquifers. very unlikely to reduce anything or put meters on wells.
whats more likely to happen is they will search for new aquifers to drill. thats how my city is fixing the problem.
But that is not a fix. You are actually depleting the natural filtration processes of future
Resources. Look at the amounts of runoff being wasted by paving of asphalt and concrete over lands. What happens to Norway when they run out of glacial melt and snowfall.
We have desalination technology and obviously able to route pipelines. The only argument I've ever heard is it's really expensive 🙄
What's a couple hundred billion to provide the world with clean water? We piss that away to private corporations in half of our yearly military budget alone 😒😥
it's not expensive, it's just slightly more expensive than access to free fresh water. Nearly every naval vessel has a desalinization plant onboard.
Sold it to nestle
cities are obsolete
"How the climate change impact?" Political question
A•qui•fer*
Miss Bowman is the size of Amy and Nermeen combined, why is she speaking.. Gluttons are part of the problem.
People should eat what they need and we must switch to growing plants humans can eat directly instead of inneficiently growing animal feed crops.
OH ya, and bottle more water too. That'll help🙄😑😒
humanity has
ten years max
that’s the facts
have a nice day
🎯 chicken today feathers tomorrow.
World Famous Lake Shasta in California filled to capacity in one season 2023. Sorry to piss on your climate catastrophy.
Spoken like a true vegan.
Never surprised when Democracy Now never has time to discuss solutions, just the complaint. Sums up their whole existence, emotional arsonists.
Good, hopefully our cities will completely collapse within the next few years.
Jesus is lord and we're going home soon.
Pssst Arizona is a desert, California should of never messed with the big lake they now farm in and I’m from Michigan…..we have water…😂
World Famous Lake Shasta in California filled to capacity in one season 2023. Sorry to piss on your climate catastrophy.
@@woodchipgardens9084 Okay now look at Lake Mead
Let's talk about all that bottled water, shall we?