barton.brookeCompetition for Water in U.S. Shale Energy

Posted by Brooke Barton on June 4th, 2013

Across the nation, hydraulic fracturing is booming. That trend is expected to continue into the future, with expansion in production of more than 50% for both shale gas [1] and tight oil [2] within the next 10-25 years. But shale energy extraction is a thirsty business. To free up the oil and gas from shale deposits, anywhere from two to 10 million gallons of water (along with sand and chemicals) are injected into each fracturing well. Multiply that times tens of thousands of wells and you're talking lots of water. Read More
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Posted in Economics, Environment, Future

GrowingBlueMay Updates

Posted by Growing Blue on May 31st, 2013

We’ve added new content. Read new case studies on water efficiency, smart water, the social impacts of water scarcity in Indian villages, and green infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay. Read More
Posted in Updates

GrowingBlueCeres and World Resources Institute Join Growing Blue

Posted by Growing Blue on May 29th, 2013

CHICAGO, May 28, 2013 – The World Resources Institute, a global non-profit organization that focuses on the environment and economic development, and Ceres, a non-profit group that mobilizes business and investor leadership on sustainability challenges, have become the newest members of the Growing Blue network.  Read More
Posted in Environment, Future, Updates

lall.upmanuWe need to think about drought when we think about water scarcity

Posted by Upmanu Lall on May 28th, 2013

Many online tools, including some on this site, have been developed in order to help businesses assess their water risk. The concern is centered on the very real impact of water scarcity. But unfortunately, these tools actually understate a very real issue - the risk of climate variations. Read More
Posted in Environment, Future

mehan.tracyThey came for the water, but were they misinformed?

Posted by Tracy Mehan on May 21st, 2013

In the classic film Casablanca (1942), Rick, played by Humphrey Bogart, and the French Captain Renault, played by Claude Rains, have the following exchange related to water. Captain Renault: “What in heaven’s name brought you to Casablanca?” Rick: “My health.  I came to Casablanca for the waters.” Captain Renault: “The waters? What waters? We’re in the desert.” Rick: “I was misinformed.” What in heaven’s name brought so many Americans to the arid west, and even parts of the south and southeast, in numbers which stretch the available water resources to the point that rivers are sucked dry before running to the sea?  Were they misinformed? Read More
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Posted in Economics, Environment, Future

GrowingBlueNew Report Reveals the Ten U.S. Areas Facing the Highest Climate-Related Risk of Water Shortages

Posted by Growing Blue on May 15th, 2013

CHICAGO, MAY 15, 2013 – A new report from the Columbia University Water Center, in conjunction with Veolia Water and Growing Blue, reveals that businesses and cities in some of America’s most iconic regions are now under even greater risk of water scarcity. Read More
Posted in Future, Updates

macnair.dougEcological Value of Water

Posted by Doug MacNair on May 7th, 2013

Slurp, splish, splash, kerplunk, cha-ching. Water is a finite, scarce, and vital resource to life and our economy. Water resources are under tremendous stress and the ecological value in water resource planning is increasingly critical for governments and corporations. The financial and ecological values of water are highly interdependent.  Sometimes they are complementary, but there can also be trade-offs. The key to effective water planning is having the framework and tools to understand these ecological values and the relationship to our well-being. Read More
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Posted in Economics, Environment

laurent.augusteUnfunded, Aging Water Infrastructure Needs a Dynamic Program to Stay Healthy

Posted by Laurent Auguste on April 30th, 2013

In a recent piece in Environmental Leader, I addressed the importance of asset management programs aimed at preserving a city’s water infrastructure. Read More
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Posted in Economics, Infrastructure, Solutions

GrowingBlueApril Updates

Posted by Growing Blue on April 30th, 2013

New content added on Mexican water security, European hydropower, Chinese water transfers, and American water infrastructure and endangered rivers. Read More
Posted in Updates

mcclain.gretchenGrowing Blue

Posted by Gretchen McClain on April 24th, 2013

Water shortages can threaten regional economic stability and public health. But threats exist even in water-rich areas of our country: the nation’s water infrastructure – the pipes and systems that transport and treat our water – is at severe risk. Read More

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Posted in Economics, Future, Infrastructure, Solutions

Writers on Water

  • amhaus.dean
    Dean Amhaus
    President & CEO of The Water Council
  • laurent.auguste
    Laurent Auguste
    President & CEO, Veolia Water Americas
  • barton.brooke
    Brooke Barton
    Director, Water Program at Ceres
  • beck.bruce
    Bruce Beck
    Wheatley-Georgia Research Alliance Professor & Eminent Scholar
  • eger.jeff
    Jeff Eger
    WEF Executive Director
  • christopher.gasson
    Christopher Gasson
    Publisher, Global Water Intelligence
  • goldsmith.stephen
    Stephen Goldsmith
    Daniel Paul Professor of the Practice of Government Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
  • GrowingBlue
    Growing Blue
    Water. Economics. Life.
  • ben.grumbles
    Ben Grumbles
    President, U.S. Water Alliance
  • keeling.mary
    Mary Keeling
    Dr. Mary Keeling, Manager, Center for Economic Analysis, IBM Institute for Business Value.
  • lall.upmanu
    Upmanu Lall
    Director, Columbia Water Center & Senior Research Scientist, International Research Institute for Climate & Society
  • macnair.doug
    Doug MacNair
    Economics Practice Leader at Cardno ENTRIX
  • mcclain.gretchen
    Gretchen McClain
    President and Chief Executive Officer of Xylem Inc.
  • jessica.mcglyn
    Jessica McGlyn
    Director, WBCSD U.S.
  • rich.meeusen
    Rich Meeusen
    Chairman, president and chief executive officer of Badger Meter
  • mehan.tracy
    Tracy Mehan
    Principal in the Environmental Science & Policy Division of the Cadmus Group, Inc. and former Assistant Administrator for Water, US EPA
  • jason.morrison
    Jason Morrison
    Director of the Pacific Institute's Globalization Program
  • duane.paul
    Duane Paul
    Senior economist, Cardno ENTRIX
  • richter.brian
    Brian Richter
    Director of Freshwater Strategies for The Nature Conservancy's Global Freshwater Program
  • richard.sandor
    Richard Sandor
    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Environmental Financial Products LLC
  • lynn.scarlett
    Lynn Scarlett
    Co-Director, Resources for the Future
  • kathy.shandling
    Kathy Shandling
    International Private Water Association, Executive Director
  • mark.smith
    Mark Smith
    Deputy Director, North America Freshwater Program, The Nature Conservancy
  • michael.sullivan
    Michael Sullivan
    Global Lead, IBM Smarter Water
  • david.zetland
    David Zetland
    Senior water economist