Our Increasing Thirst for Energy is Putting this Country's Water Resources at Risk




When coal-fired or nuclear power plants make electricity, they use a lot of water. And our increasing thirst for energy is putting this country's water resources at risk. In places where freshwater supplies are scarce, this can have serious implications. A new Union of Concerned Scientists report finds that not only are power plants sucking up enormous amounts of our drinking water, but we don't even know the extent of the problem because companies aren’t accurately tracking their water usage! The good news is that there are technologies available today that can generate power with little to no water use. In a world where freshwater sources are already becoming scarce because of global warming, it's critical that we precisely monitor power plant water use and shift to low-water sources of electricity. —Karla
 

Science in Action

water and energy

Raise awareness about the water and energy collision
The tremendous amount of water used by our nation’s power plants is staggering and largely unrecognized, posing major risks including blackouts, depletion of freshwater supplies, and loss of fish and other wildlife. You can help ensure your state and local officials make smart decisions that accurately track and reduce the water footprint of our energy production by writing a letter to the editor in your local paper.

The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C. To subscribe or visit go to:  http://www.ucsusa.org