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Water

More than 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, the majority of which is salt water in the oceans and seas. Despite this seeming overabundance, only a small portion of this water is suitable for drinking. Merely 3 percent of all water, according to author Gary Null, is freshwater, which is the only type safe for human consumption.

Depleted sources of fresh water, severe droughts, and water contamination from both industry and consumers have combined to reduce the availability of good water, resulting in an escalating water crisis throughout the world

Source: Amy Smith/Natural Resources Conservation Service

With global warming shrinking our polar ice caps and glaciers—which together provide over 75 percent of planetary freshwater—and a global population well in excess of 6 billion people, ...

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