Making The Desert Bloom

Countries from all over the world are quickly depleting millions of years worth of ground water for shipping food overseas. Saudi Arabia exported wheat until the wells ran dry, now they're buying land in Arizona to grow alfalfa which requires 5 times more water than wheat, stealing all of the water from America. 130 million people in China are at risk of starvation when their aquifers dry up. The Colorado river is drained so thoroughly for agriculture that it no longer reaches the ocean. "Experts" will say oil is the lifeblood of modern civilisation, but in reality that title belongs to fresh water. The modern world exists only because of technology to tap ancient water supplies. When that water is gone the extra billions who were born thanks to the agricultural revolution of the late 20th century will face a dire future where food is in much shorter supply.

From the article:

"California is now threatening restaurants with a $500 fine if they serve drinking water to customers – unless a customer requests the water. But the entire state – all 38 million people – drink only about one-tenth of 1 percent of the state’s annual water use. In comparison, farmers, who face no water restrictions, use about 7 percent of its annual water to grow almonds for export overseas."

Meanwhile water is being wasted extracting gas from deep within the Earth instead of being used to sustain human life.