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Author discusses future of water at The Bookworm on April 16

With water levels of the Colorado River shrinking, issues of snowpack and water are more than just a local problem.
Special to the Daily

If You Go …

Who: Seamus McGraw, author of “Thirsty Land.”

When: Monday, April 16, 6 p.m.

Where: The Bookworm of Edwards.

Cost: $10, includes appetizers.

More information: Call 970-926-READ or visit http://www.bookwormofedwards.com.

Journalist and author Seamus McGraw will reflect on Colorado’s snowpack and future of the state’s water at The Bookworm of Edwards on Monday, April 16.

He’ll talk about the impact of water, the near-future outlook and what is being done for water across America. McGraw’s new book, “Thirsty Land,” is a comprehensive and comprehensible look at climate change, politicians, society and culture around the commodity of water.

After writing “Betting the Farm on a Drought,” McGraw spent the past two years interviewing and researching the state of water across America. “Thirsty Land” primarily focuses on water in Texas following the debates set out in “Cadillac Desert” and “Water is for Fighting Over.”



“As I waded into the project, I found that literally every possible permutation of the water crisis we face in this country, in a time of changing climate and increasingly hardened lines between communities and cultures, can be found in Texas,” McGraw said. “How Texas responds to it is reflective of the rest of the country.”

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Demands of Denver, Boulder or Vail are the same problems that are seen in East Coast cities and southern towns.

“When I leave Edwards, I will be having the same conversation in New Orleans and Atlanta, Georgia — where they have been experiencing a serious drought for years now.”

McGraw stresses that we can’t view our snowpack and water issues as a local problem.

“What I have seen, there was a time when we viewed these challenges as a national problem,” McGraw said. “What I see now is what worries me — balkanization — people never look at their issues as anything but local. Instead, they are system wide issues that manifest themselves.”

As individuals, what decisions we make regarding water can be seen reflected back into our communities. These decisions include voting for politicians focused on climate change, paying attention to local water issues, and simply using less water.

“The Edwards usage of water is slightly above the national average,” McGraw said. “There is no better strategy to approaching this issue than to use less water. One of the things to remember as we go forward is that water is becoming increasingly valuable; water is becoming a valuable commodity.”

As water is becoming a valuable commodity in the United States, McGraw says the first step is to be mindful.


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