Water Wars or Water Peace? How Scarcity of Our Most Vital Resource Can Shape the 21st Century

Benjamin Franklin once said, "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water." According to science writer Fred Pearce, wells might be running dry sooner than we think. Long thought of as a renewable resource, across the world water is being consumed more quickly than it can be replaced. The result? In his book When the Rivers Run Dry: Water—The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century, Pearce suggests that water shortages will likely lead to conflict and war unless people are better able to manage the water cycle. The writer shares his ideas (and warnings) at this lecture, the perfect companion piece to Urinetown: The Musical, a parody about a drought-ridden future where peeing is no longer free, currently playing at the Bloomington Civic Center. Perhaps it's not too late to learn the worth of water.
Tue., Nov. 6, 7 p.m., 2007