Is Agriculture Sucking Fresh Water Dry?

sciencehabit writes "The average American uses enough water each year to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and global agriculture consumes a whopping 92% of all fresh water used annually. Those are the conclusions of the most comprehensive analysis to date of global water use, which also finds that one-fifth of humankind's water consumption flows across international borders as 'virtual water' — the water needed to produce a commodity, such as meat or electronics, if the ultimate consumers were to make it themselves rather than outsource its growth or manufacture."

Comments

Re:The real questions should be different

[ArcherB]

nah, they're used to it and have known it from childhood. Texas is a much more interesting example, as the town & city population density is much larger, and a large proportion of the state depends on "faith" for their resource planning needs and actively lobby against educating their own children.

Are you talking about the lesbian, Democrat mayor of Houston?

a big city like Houston running out of water is quite interesting to watch. (as has happened)

I guess you are.

I'm sorry, but I am offended by your comment. Saying that all Democrats and lesbians " actively lobby against educating their own children" is not just a stereotype, but like so many other stereotypes, is bigoted and is only separated from racism because it doesn't mention the color of anyone's skin.

Re:YES!

[Goldsmith]

Criticizing the water use of grain crops is sure to get a rise out of midwesterners.

I would never imagine that someone would claim that a professor of water management in the Netherlands needed to learn more about water in earth science. That is highly entertaining, thank you.