OSHER 108 - Water: The New Oil

Many people feel that oil is the quintessential non-renewable resource. Because of its utility and scarcity, the map of the world has been changed and wars have been fought to control it. Water, on the other hand, is the ultimate renewable resource: it is all around us and has been from the beginning of time. Our own bodies are 80% water. Yet water supplies are becoming increasingly scarce, especially as populations expand and require ever more clean, fresh water. We already see the beginnings of struggles over water availability. Oil may be useful for energy, but, quite literally, water is life. This class will examine water issues worldwide, with an emphasis on the Mountain West, including supply, the technologies of clean and safe water, and the increasingly political issues of who gets water, how much, and at what cost.