The Oil Drum

A new Energy and Environment Round-Up has been posted at TOD:Canada.

We have seen much attention paid lately to the potential for large sea level rises due to climate change, but global warming also has other effects on water systems - most significantly a potentially substantial reduction in the amount of fresh water available to sustain human populations.

In Australia, Tim Flannery pointed out some time ago that a 10% drop in rainfall resulted in a 70% drop in available water due to increased evaporation from warmer temperatures, which is why Australia is currently experiencing such severe water shortages. Other areas could be set to experience something similar, especially if the glaciers supplying major river systems in populous regions melt. In a world of falling water tables, and less energy available for pumping water from ever-increasing depths, this is a trend to watch, and not just for the purpose of making money from scarcity as investment newsletters would have you believe.

Also in this Energy & Environment Round-Up, we follow the on-going resource royalty debate in Alberta, the row over equalization payments and resource ownership in the Maritimes, and the opening of a token hydrogen refueling station in Ottawa. On the international stage, we look at China's tidal wave of growth and increasing energy demand, and the developing geopolitical tensions that are combining with rampant speculation to push the price of oil to record highs.

Finally, check out the October 2007 Special Tar Sands Issue of The Dominion.

The Future Is Drying Up