LeakBird

(April 26, 2009, The Oregonian)
“People think oil is something to fight about. Wait until we start running out of water,” said state Rep. Mike Schaufler, D-Happy Valley.
A handful of big farmers and their utility company engineered Oregon Oasis to get that water. They bought political access and nearly got their way.
“People who are well funded [...]

There’s a lot of talk comparing the oil boom to the coming water boom. Discussing whether water will be bigger and more important than oil is kind of a foolish tack, IMHO.  The point is that we can hardly do anything without water.  I think that rather than comparing the two industries, it’s more useful [...]

(March 7, 2009, The Merced Sun Star)

Kenneth Shackel is feeling more like an emergency-room doctor than an agricultural researcher these days as he helps west Valley farmers cope with little to no irrigation water this season.
“It’s like triage,” said Shackel, a University of California at Davis pomologist and plant science professor. “For some, this isn’t [...]

(Feb. 23, 2009, Tim Gamble, NextStrategies)
In January, I published an open letter to President Obama humbly giving him my unsolicited advice on what national policies he should follow in terms of national energy and sustainability policies. But what about local communities? What advice would I give local politicians, bureaucrats and community leaders?
First, I would suggest [...]

(Feb. 26, 2009, Ceres)
Global climate change is exacerbating water scarcity problems around the world, yet few businesses and investors are paying attention to this growing financial threat, according to a report issued today by Ceres and the Pacific Institute.
Water is crucial for the global economy – driving every industry from agriculture to electric power to [...]

(Feb. 17, 2009, The Wall Street Journal)
Taking a Cue From Carbon Tracking, Companies and Conservationists Tally Hidden Sources of Consumption
It takes roughly 20 gallons of water to make a pint of beer, as much as 132 gallons of water to make a 2-liter bottle of soda, and about 500 gallons, including water used to grow, [...]

(Feb. 11, 2009, Gim Gogek)
When people talk about conserving water in California, it’s always about turning off your yard sprinklers, taking shorter showers or shaving without the water running. We fret about watering golf courses and lawns in the suburbs. In presentations at schools, at Rotary clubs and on public service announcements, we’re continually told [...]

(Feb. 6, 2009, Fast Company)
It’s become a commonplace in the sustainability world to say water is the oil of the 21st century. But it may be more accurate to say it’s the new carbon. The problem is not about absolute scarcity–after all, the world’s supply of water has remained constant since forever. Instead, we must [...]