Conserving water now not only will help with California’s current drought, but it could save the state from future droughts.
According to a newly published report, the Future of California’s Water-Energy-Climate-Nexus, water and energy usage are closely connected.
The systems that pump, treat, and heat our water already use a lot of energy, which produces climate changing greenhouse gas emissions
And that relationship can impact the state’s carbon footprint. "As we increase our population, we’re going to likely increase our energy usage and the associated greenhouse gases," said Julia Szinai, a researcher with the Pacific Institute and lead author of the new report.
The state could wind up in a vicious cycle if droughts continue to worsen. "As climate change makes our surface water sources more scarce, we’re going to likely rely on alternative water sources, and groundwater is often more energy-intensive to pump, to produce," said Szinai.
Since drought conditions are expected become more frequent and intense because of climate change, the report suggests that if we conserve now, we could significantly cut down on energy use and greenhouse gases, and help prevent future droughts before they happen.
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