Photo: Cierva Cove, Antarctica. Gerald and Buff Corsi © 2001 California Academy of Sciences.

Earth is often called the "water planet" so we often take it for granted that there is an endless supply of water. In reality, only 3% of all Earth's water is freshwater, and of that 3% only 1% is available for human use. Learn more about some of the water issues we face by perusing the following books or watching the DVD. You can also find more resources in the Naturalist Center.

Books and Media Reviews

Glennon, Robert. Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to do About it.Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2009. Nat. Ctr. TD223 .G578 2009 “ Water is a valuable, exhaustible resource but we treat it as valueless and inexhaustible." Robert Glennon opens Unquenchable with a series of vignettes showing just how crazy our consumption of water is and how close we are to running out of water. While Las Vegas hotels continue to create flamboyant shows with millions of gallons of water, water shortages all over the West are forcing communities to change their way of life. There is also a strong linkage between water consumption and energy consumption. Glennon also shows how our enthusiasm for fossil fuels is draining our water supplies, but before we get too excited about biofuels we should consider that production of ethanol consumes even more water than oil or natural gas. Glennon manages to be both funny and scary as he leads us through the follies of our water consumption. But he is utterly clear: we must change our habits as a nation or we will run out of water sooner rather than later. Unquenchable, however, does not just tell us what the problem is: the final third of the book gives us solutions. Many of the changes Glennon proposes are ones that we as individuals can make: from re-examining what we plant in our gardens to installing composting toilets (what is a composting toilet? Find out here). In addition, as a nation, we need to abandon business as usual and create a new water infrastructure. This has to come from the federal government and, at the moment, there are no signs. Unquenchable is packed full of information and is extremely readable. There is an excellent list of sources at the end for further reading.

Shoveller, Herb. Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa that Brought Them Together. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2006. Nat. Ctr. Juv. HV28 .H74 S56 2006. Ryan Hreljac was six when he first became aware of the lack of safe drinking water for much of the world. His teacher told the class that it only cost $70 to build a well that could supply a village and surrounding area with safe, clean water. Ryan was inspired and decided to raise the money himself by doing chores around his neighborhood. But this was only the start of it: Ryan went on to raise first $2000 for a well for an African village and then $25000 for a power drill to make more wells. But this is not just Ryan’s story: It is also the story of Akana Jimmy; a boy in the village where Ryan’s well was drilled. Jimmy and Ryan become pen pals and then meet up when Ryan goes to Africa to see his well in place. But Jimmy soon has far greater problems and the book follows his story as his life is threatened in the Ugandan civil war. This is a story of both boys and their determination and bravery. Both face immense challenges and both Ryan and Jimmy overcome their fears to triumph. It is an inspiring story about what children, even young children, can achieve through persistence and courage. Parents should note that some of Jimmy’s story might be disturbing for younger children.

Read an engaging book or seen a riveting movie about water? Share the title and why you liked it with us below in our comments section.

What's the Difference?

Photo: G. Sharlow, 2009.

Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

Despite what many people think, tap water is much cleaner and safer than bottled water; strict federal regulations control it. It is much cheaper, about 100 times less expensive than bottled water, which can cost more than gas! It is also better for the environment. Forty-seven million gallons of oil are used to produce and transport plastic water bottles for Americans every year—the equivalent of putting 100,000 cars on the road and producing a billion pounds of carbon dioxide. Thirty billion plastic water bottles are thrown away each year in the United States and most aren’t recycled. They end up in landfills and can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

Want to know more about water? Visit:

1. American Museum of Natural History Water: H2O =Life
2. Circle of Blue
3. EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water
4. USGS Water Science for Schools