David Zetland studies water markets and keeps a blog (aguanomics.com) to discuss current water policies, events, key players, and myths. I had a chance to interview David and ask him some tough questions about water.

Since the beginning of DROP, we have been interacting with fellow nonprofits and activists who feel very passionately about this issue and fervently advocate that water is a basic human right and should be available to everybody. The different factions - corporations, municipal water managers, consumers, activists, etc. - all have varying views about how water should be distributed, priced, and conserved.

It was time to hear what an economist thinks about water privatization, shortages, access, human rights, etc. David was able to address all these issues through graphs and some of them actually made sense. For human rights, David argues that everybody should get some water for free and have to pay a ridiculous amount if they want more. Everyone would have enough water for basic human needs but watering the lawn, filling up the swimming pool and keeping a 24hour slip and slide would cost you big bucks! Check out the full interview with David and let us know where you stand.   

Over 70 percent of the United States will experience water shortages in the near future and this means that states will compete for the remaining availability of H2O. States will sue one another and pandemonium will ensue! Montana and Wyoming are already battling for water rights. Montana has sued Wyoming for taking too much water from the Tongue and Powder rivers which spring in Wyoming and flow into Montana (http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/10/21/news/state/25-waterrights.txt) California is already experiencing drought, the northwest is suffering shortages due to light showfall in the past few years... all this makes me think the water shortage is coming to town sooner than expected. Global warming plus diminishing resources will zap water availability from both ends and we will all feel the consequences.

With this scare in mind, I find some comfort in organizations like Food and Water Watch, who are trying to raise awareness of the impending global water crisis. Most people don't even have access to clean drinking water and those who do, waste it! It is about time for a movement to address the reality of our water supply.

I am glad YouthNoise is taking initiative to mobilize young people around issues of water. The DROP Summit on November 15th in NYC will definitely be a stepping stone to raising awareness and building a coalition of youth to stop this global crisis.