Did you know that the world uses:
- 70 percent freshwater for irrigation
- 22 percent freshwater for industry
- 8 percent freshwater for domestic use
"For instance, wheat requires 132 gallons of water per pound, and a pound of cheese takes about 600 gallons. Therefore, a cheese sandwich represents approximately 100 gallons of water (and that’s just for a couple of cheese slices). Throw in a bag of potato chips and it takes about 150 gallons of water to make your lunch! Thirsty? If you feel like rinsing it down with a cold glass of milk, add an extra 100 gallons of water onto your tab. The sheer amount of water used to make the food we eat every day can be mind-boggling.
On average it takes about 108 gallons of water to produce one pound of corn. If that corn is then used as cattle feed, additional water is required for cleaning and processing. Factoring in feed and water, it can take around 1,800 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef. Considering that the average American eats about 171 pounds of meat a year – three times the international average and twice the amount recommended for good nutritional health! – it’s clear that by eating less meat, you conserve water and eat a healthier diet. "
Drinking a bit a water, washing your bum, and even washing you car is small stuff.
It takes a lot of water to feed a person.
It is projected the the US will be a net food importer by 2030. I kind of doubt it unless we get this weenie population a whole lot more competitive. To import says some one will let you have the food to import. Maybe not. It is projected that the glaciers with be gone between 30n and 30s. That means no rivers running year round out of the Himalayas and a large chunk of the Andes.
Man, talk about a water shortage! Where we going to get the food to import? Better get the reservoirs started, if you can't store it in ice you best store the liquid when it comes down if you like to eat. (I would post a link but the data on glaciers was from seminar I attended at SW Community College.)
Note the water needed to grow corn. We currently (taxpayers) pay a subsidy to crow corn to make fuel out of the corn. How fucking dumb is that government work?
http://www.ifad.org/english/water/key.htm