[nth]

Experts have been saying water and energy are required to accommodate economic and population growth. Yet, US water consumption has been flat to down with US water consumption peaking in the 1970's. US economy and population continue to grow by conserving water and using water more efficiently.

Are these water lessons applicable to energy?
US water supply has been producing more agriculture goods and supporting larger urban/suburban population. Below is a good article discussing about US water demand.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/gleick/detail?entry_id=50564&tsp=1

[jbrovont]

A few years ago I remember seeing a statistic that somewhere on the order of 40% of energy use in the US ended up as wasted heat escaping or entering poorly insulated and designed buildings.

A quick drive through my local neighborhoods seems to confirm this at least locally - thousands of homes built ca. 1900.

Simply buldozing them and rebuilding them would probably pay for construction costs in energy savings over the next 20 years - and that's if energy didn't get any more expensive.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('nth', 'E')xperts have been saying water and energy are required to accommodate economic and population growth. Yet, US water consumption has been flat to down with US water consumption peaking in the 1970's. US economy and population continue to grow by conserving water and using water more efficiently.

Are these water lessons applicable to energy?
US water supply has been producing more agriculture goods and supporting larger urban/suburban population. Below is a good article discussing about US water demand.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/gleick/detail?entry_id=50564&tsp=1

[yesplease]

Probably. Energy just isn't expensive enough for people as a whole to care much, for now at least.

[shortonsense]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('nth', 'E')xperts have been saying water and energy are required to accommodate economic and population growth. Yet, US water consumption has been flat to down with US water consumption peaking in the 1970's. US economy and population continue to grow by conserving water and using water more efficiently.

Are these water lessons applicable to energy?

[AdamB]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')Cape Town, in South Africa, has been declared a natural disaster. Credit: Phillip Gardner/University of Melbourne Nature has declared that the world's supply of water is fixed. As a means of keeping humanity alive, it has no substitute. Recently, Cape Town has become painfully aware of the value of water. The unwelcome combination of a once-in-a-century drought, a booming population and a relatively inflexible water supply, means the South African city will have its taps turned off on 9 July. The dreaded Day Zero will mean people will be forced to queue for their water under police or military supervision. Experts say that Cape Town could be the first of many cities around the world to experience the brutal reality of water demand far outstripping supply. It raises a particularly dystopian question: could water, one of the world's most abundant resources, ever be