Study Links Major Oil and Gas Companies' Emissions to Western U.S. Water Crisis
A new scientific study has found that 122 major oil, gas, coal, and cement companies and state-owned operations are partially responsible for the severe drought and water scarcity in the Western United States. The peer-reviewed paper, titled 'Carbon emissions exacerbating the Western US water crisis,' published in Communications Earth & Environment, attributes a significant portion of the decline in mountain snowpacks and streamflows, as well as the increased need for agricultural irrigation, to the climate pollution generated by these entities. Specifically, the study indicates that about 40% of the 36% decline in annual average mountain snowpacks over the last 70 years is linked to these 122 companies' emissions. This annual loss is equivalent to the full capacity of Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir. Furthermore, global warming from greenhouse gas emissions has led to a 13% decline in average annual streamflows and a 4.3% increase in agricultural irrigation needs, with roughly half of these impa...
