Globally, 771 million people (10% of humanity) lack access to clean water, and women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours carrying water every day!

Meanwhile, aquifers are being drained faster than they can naturally replenish. A detailed NY Times analysis found that “The US is taking water out of the ground more quickly than nature is replenishing it. ‘There’s almost no way to convey how important it is,’ Don Cline, the associate director for water resources at the United States Geological Survey, told The Times. Already, there are consequences. In parts of Kansas, the shortage of water has reduced the amount of corn that an average acre can produce.”

Anyone else think this might not end well?

The best solutions to our global water crisis involve conservation and addressing the overpopulation problem. But given how dire our situation has become, we must also embrace sustainable technological solutions (note my emphasis on “sustainable”).

My guest during the second segment of this week’s program is Oliver Njamfa. He’s originally from Cameroon and has lived most of his life in France. Recently, he and his family visited Des Moines. We discussed the work of his non-profit, Aquavera, which extracts water from air. Continue Reading →