"Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink."

You may remember this line from your high school literature days (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner), but though we are surrounded by water on this planet, we are also in the midst of water disasters all around us. From a record drought here in California, to toxic spills in the east, to perpetual potable water shortages in the Third World, these could overwhelm civilization faster than global warming, terrorism or chemical/oil spills. Our species cannot survive without access to clean water. A human will expire in less than a week without it.

So what is the impact of water shortages, and what can we do about them? That's what we're here for! And fellow Deep Thinker Ken Murray is an expert on the subject. He'll be leading the discussion, and wrote this blurb for the occasion:What does the drought mean for Los Angeles?

Last year LA had the lowest rainfall in recorded history, and this year seems not much better. Stories abound of California cities running out of water, and ski resorts barely open. We are now asked by the Governor to conserve 20%. What is the context of all this for the future of Los Angeles? How bad is it for us? What options do we have? Can we secure our water future?

Water expert Ken Murray will be present to provide information and explore options with the group. His recent article on Time.com:

"How Los Angeles Can Become Water Independent" (http://ideas.time.com/2013/10/11/how-los-angeles-can-become-water-independent/)

Having Ken's keen insight and learned perspective should make this an especially compelling Meetup, so don't miss it!

Here are some additional resources to check out:

"The Coming Global Water Crisis" (http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/05/the-coming-global-water-crisis/256896/)

"Freshwater Crisis" (http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis/)

"In parched states, fracking's thirst grows" (http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-colorado-fracking-20140220,0,3689568.story#axzz2uhIG21TJ)

"The Water and Sanitation Crisis: An Obstacle to Survival" (http://www.sciencefriday.com/blogs/08/31/2011/the-water-and-sanitation-crisis-an-obstacle-to-survival.html)

And both Ken and I will be at this lecture on Monday, March 17 at MOCA:

"Will We Ever Have Clean Water for All?" (http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/event/?postId=52636)

I hope to see many of you for the Meetup!