[Newsbot]

Title: Freshwater levels drop 8.5% in Southern Canada
Category: Environmental
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2010-09-13 19:39:01
Canadian

[Arctic_Menace]

Uh-oh...

[Brenda]

It's convenient that this comes out at the same time the water-genius says we have to pay more for water, because it's scarce...

[Gunnair]

No chance it's due to execessive and reckless overuse?

[wildrosegirl]

Of course not. That would make us accountable for our problem.

Can't have that.

[Gunnair]

Yeah. Phhht... stupid responsibility.

[Wada]

It's all that washing of recyclibles.

[desertdude]

Brenda Brenda:

It's convenient that this comes out at the same time the water-genius says we have to pay more for water, because it's scarce...

Hmmm think your on to something there.

[BartSimpson]

The good news is that if global warming is for real then an increased hydrological cycle is in order and you'll soon be seeing increased rainfall and snowfall.

[bootlegga]

Gunnair Gunnair:

No chance it's due to excessive and reckless overuse?

I'm sure some of it is, but as the article notes;

$1:

In 2005, more than 90 per cent of the fresh water being used went to the following sectors, in order: thermal-electric power generation, manufacturing and agricultural. The residential sector used just nine per cent.

The big change is the scale of industry and agriculture on the Prairies, which is far more intensive than it was 40 years go. The article notes that most of the water (67%) is used by hydro-electric dams.

The fact is that Western Canada lives largely on glacier water, and as they shrink, they are putting out less and less water every year. Tack on rising temps - which causes more evaporation - and voila, that's the formula for shrinking water supplies.

[mentalfloss]

To the arctic!

[PublicAnimalNo9]

The last stat I saw for this was fairly recent. Lake Superior is down a few inches from "normal" while Lakes Erie and Ontario are down about a foot and the St. Lawrence is down almost 2 ft.

[EyeBrock]

It was a pretty long and hot summer and evaporation plays a big part. That lake still looks pretty big to me.

[fifeboy]

Gunnair Gunnair:

Yeah. Phhht... stupid responsibility.

That's what I kept telling my dad when I was 16! Could he have been right?

[fifeboy]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

The good news is that if global warming is for real then an increased hydrological cycle is in order and you'll soon be seeing increased rainfall and snowfall.

Geeze Bart, that's already happening here. (Where the hell is it...ahh, there...)