Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25253
HOW WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A GLOBAL WATER CRISIS Fortune magazine says water will be the oil of the 21st century, political commentators predict wars will be fought over it and scientists warn the planet is literally running out of it. Sound crazy? Well, read on ... it's not. Freshwater is soon to become our most precious and hotly desired commodity and if you're the average North American you're probably only just realizing it. BLUE contributing editor Shermakaye Bass investigates how the human race got itself into this mess. SACRED PLAYGROUNDS, ENDANGERED SHRINES THE WATERS ARE OUR TEMPLE, THE WAVES OUR CHURCH Surfers, paddlers, divers and other water fanatics have long petitioned for an end to the pollution of oceans, lakes, rivers and seas; and among their ranks are some of the strongest and most passionate environmental advocates. Here a BLUE update on the issues that threaten reefs, surf breaks, whitewater, and coral reefs. SURFING IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS, by Will Henry> DIVING THE CORAL DUSTBOWL by Lou Mazzante> PADDLING UPSTREAM by Aaron Bible SEA OF BROKEN MIRRORS THE STORY OF A SEA GONE SOUR Will Henry heads out for a most unusual paddle-one you definitely won't find in a typical kayak magazine. A would-have-been Palm Springs, California's Salton Sea offers a surreal glimpse into what happens when financiers and resort planners have a wild shindig, forget to invite the ecologists, and no one's around to clean up after the party. THE MANY WORLDS OF WATER A ROUND-THE-WORLD TOUR OF THE H2 0 EXPERIENCE From California to Libya, from the Brazilian Amazon to the Baja desert, humankind's experience with water could not be more different from region to region. Explore the diversity of our water world through the words of world-renowned water experts and activists Maude Barlow, Tony Clarke, Vandana Shiva, and the images of Hartmut Schwarzbach, Luca Zanetti, Mark Edwards and others. Additional reporting: Shlomi Dinar, Aaron Clark. THE DEBATES Aaron Clark looks at the hottest debates in the cool, freshwater world. POLLUTION OR PURITY BOTTLED IN PLASTIC> That glacier on the label may look environmentally friendly, but bottled water may be more pollutive than you think_ NOT FREE AT LAST> Seventy percent of the globe's public water systems are now run by private companies. Should we resist selling our water delivery services to corporations, or put a price on public water as a route to conservation? AB RACADAB RA> Taking the salt out of the sea. The process of desalination is both widespread and controversial. Is technology keeping us hydrated or will it push us deeper under water? WATER BABY The birth of a new nonprofit whose aim is to ensure the right of all human beings to water_ BLUE talks with Rob Kramer and Steve Reiss, founders of the Global Water Trust.