The water crisis. Unfortunately, talking about the water crisis isn't just muttering about a gloom and doom prediction of what could happen if we don't straighten up and fly right. It is happening, and it is nearly upon us. If you need evidence, there is plenty of it in a new documentary highlighting the science, politics, and future of water on planet Earth entitled "Blue Gold: World Water Wars."We love to keep things light-hearted here on TreeHugger - there's enough bummer news coming at you throughout your day, so it's nice to get some positive green news and information to brighten your outlook. But we have to get pretty serious here for just a second.

A Harrowing Documentary

Blue Gold documents the environmental issues behind why we are rapidly losing our fresh water supplies, the politics behind water ownership and distribution that are worsening the situation, and the scenarios of what will happen as water becomes increasingly scarce.

The documentary looks at how we are using up water faster than it can be replenished through natural systems – we are mining as much as 15 times more groundwater than is being replenished, at the rate of 30 billion gallons a day. We're also polluting it beyond use, destroying the wetlands that are natural filters, and blocking the rivers that carry nutrients that keep the water healthy and lands fertile.

Basically, we're desertifying the planet, and helping to send all our fresh water straight to the ocean via soil erosion, building more and more hardscaps, and cutting down forests.

Water expert Dr. Michel Kravcik states in the film that we're only about 50 years from a collapse in the planet's water systems.

Saving the Earth's Water Supply

It also analyses the solutions we've come up with so far, from shipping water to desalination, and the side effects that negate the benefits. It shows that anything short of serious conservation will do little good.

Agriculture, building, product production, soft drinks, pollution... we have to completely overhaul the way we use water if we want to avoid serious wars over this precious resource in the near future. The countries that have it will gain significant power, the countries that don't will have to fight for it.

Or, we fight for it now, through activism, conservation, and coming up with technologies that help us conserve and purify the water we have, so that we can avoid world-wide water wars. Ultimately the world's water supply is at risk of disappearing, and rich or poor, no one can't escape it. Get informed and inspired – watch this film.