Water Wars

What is quickly becoming the most sought after and priceless commodity in the world; gold, silver, diamonds, grain, oil? How about water? No longer just the plot of a fictional James Bond movie, water wars are a very real threat in today’s world. For most of us who have grown up in the United States, water is something we have long taken for granted. It is available twenty-four seven for whatever particular need we have at any given moment throughout the day, washing dishes, brushing our teeth, getting a drink, watering the yard. But for more than a billion people across the globe being without clean water and being thirsty is something they have to face on a daily basis.  Now across the U.S., water for domestic use, and agricultural use is in crisis, with states like California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington finding themselves in legislative battles involving environmentalists, farmers, and tribal leaders. As one of the regional directors involved in these on-going water negotiations so aptly stated, “Everyone has a legitimate claim to the water. There’s just not enough water to go around, so compromises will have to be made”.