But it’s not so cut-and-dry. Water is not priced on a global market. It’s heavy, and transporting it costs many more times its value. Depending on who you talk to, we’re in a recession, and water use drops in one. Currently, 40% of fresh water in the United States is consumed in industrial applications.
Over the long run, things look better. The United Nations Population Fund sees global consumption of water doubling every 20 years. The power industry is one of the biggest users. The food industry use another big consumer: hundreds of gallons are used to produce 2.2 pounds of wheat.
Meanwhile, can the water shortage be helped by Segway inventor Dean Kamen’s newest contraption, a water purifying machine?
