Page - 24 - in Water, Energy, and Environment - A Primer

injection into conventional oil wells to increase production; in production of oil from tar sands; in the extraction of oil and natural gas from fracking of underground shales; and in the conversion of petroleum into products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and plastics. In addition, water is essential to the growth of biomass, increasingly seen as a source of alternative liquid and gaseous fuels. Finally, if in the future we move toward greater use of hydrogen as an energy carrier and energy storage medium, large quantities of water will be required to provide the neededhydrogenvia electrolysis. 3.1 INDIRECTLINKAGES Other, indirect, linkages exist aswell. Theproductionanduseof energy creates emissions and waste products that can pollute surface and underground water supplies. Energy production is also recognized as a major contributor to global warming and climate change (see Chapters 4 and 10), which can disrupt the hydrological cycle and affect globalwater resources longbefore other impacts are felt. A US National Assessment in 1998 stated that ‘In many cases and in many locations, there is compelling evidence that climate changes will produce serious challenges to our water systems’. The 2008 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ‘Technical Paper on Climate Change and Water’ stated that ‘Observational records and climate change projections provide abundant evidence that freshwater resources are vulnerable and have the potential to be strongly impacted by climate change.’ By altering the timing of winter snows, snowmelt, and spring rains, climate change could overload reservoirs earlier in the year than usual, forcing unanticipated releases of water that leave areas like the Himalayas and California dry later in the year. Coastal areas and island nations also face a serious threat from global warming: elevated sea levels, which destroy property, flood Water,Energy, andEnvironment–APrimer24