Water management: Contributing to water-saving measures

Almost every day, there is fresh evidence and striking headlines that make the complex connections between food, water and energy unavoidably real and impossible to ignore.Last year’s report from the New Scientist suggests that droughts across the United States are having an impact on the country's power supply.

The link between the US droughts and energy production is most direct, and perhaps the easiest to explain.

Vast quantities of water are required to cool energy-generating plants. According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, water that is used for cooling purposes accounts for half the water usage in the United States. Without a ready and reliable water supply, power plants are becoming overheated, operating at lower capacity and as a result, are at risk of shutting down. Another article from National Geographic has reported that reduced access to water is one reason which has resulted in at least one nuclear power station suspending its operations in the US. The problem has been compounded by the country's heavy dependence on biofuel, a subject I have written about in the past. Because of this, water shortages are not only impacting food supplies but it is also important to consider that crops are being used for fuel.

At the same time in 2012, India's widely reported power problems plunged 670 million people into darkness, with water shortages to blame for the issues.

More here: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130417131801-230883806-water-as-the-hidden-power-behind...