In Hot Water in the Western United States

The Natural Resources Defense Council released a report today on the impact of climate change on water resources in the western United States: In Hot Water - Water Management Strategies to Weather the Effects of Global Warming. The report guides water resource managers through analyzing water vulnerabilities, and putting into place policies and practices that will mitigate the impact of climate change to the extent possible.

The report is an excellent resource and required reading for communities as well. Learn about your water! We now need the social scientists and social justice advocates to look at this issue and report on how to ensure that each person have access to sufficient water to meet daily human needs. The right to water, in times of scarcity, should be a starting point for planning -- not a tag-on when the problems become acute in the midst of a crisis.