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Last week we examined the amount of energy it takes to transport and treat water–and how we can conserve energy by using less water. This week, we’ll look at the inverse of that: how much water it takes to produce energy and how our energy conservation efforts reduce water use.

The water intensity of energy

Whenever water shortages loom anywhere, we hear about how much “embodied water” there is in various products. According to the Water Footprint Network, producing a slice of bread requires 11 gallons of water and producing a pound of beef takes 1,800 gallons. The same sort of analysis can be done with our energy sources. As with foods, different types of energy have different water intensities.

Electricity:
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photo via wonderofcreation.org With Labor Day around the corner, people are trying to get their last licks of summer in before the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler. One suggestion where you can travel close to a big city, but still feel worlds away are the San Juan Islands in Washington. The San Juan Islands, which are located in the northwest corner of the state are actually an archipelago of 172 named islands, but the Washington State Ferry serves only…Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo via flickr
Chalk it up to eco-awareness, The Great Recession, or increased availability of pregnancy prevention methods but people in the US are having fewer kids. News stats from the National Center for Health Statistics show that for 1,000 people in the US, there are 13.5 births. That’s down from 14.3 in 2007, and around 30 in early part of the 20th century The question is: Is this good green news or just another statistic that amazes for a minute but carries no consequence?…Read the full story on TreeHugger

photo: minnemom via flickr I admit there’s no direct connection between this next one and sustainability, but from a science perspective it’s just too interesting to pass by: New research shows that tobacco plants have evolved a “chemical SOS” signal that attracts insect predators when caterpillars are eating their leaves. Like TreeHugger said back in 2007, Plants, they’re smarter than you think……Read the full story on TreeHugger

Buckwheat, with 2009 prices… photo: Luigi Guarino via flickr. Take it as a sign of things to common in more places without more concerted action on climate change: As the BBC reports, the recent millennial heat wave in Russia may be over but the effects on the economy will be felt for some time. Estimates of its impact are official reported as knocking 0.8% off GDP, whi…Read the full story on TreeHugger