Sadly, this year we weren’t able to make the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where the world’s muckety-mucks meet to discuss major economic, environmental, and social challenges facing the globe.  So, we missed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s speech urging world leaders to put better water management near the top of their policy agendas for 2008.  Fortunately, DowJones has reported on the session for those of us who had other commitments:

"Water is running out….We need to adapt to this reality, just as we do to climate change," he said. "There is still enough water for all of us - but only so long as we can keep it clean, use it more wisely, and share it fairly."

This perspective isn’t just Ki-Moon’s; the article also quotes Andrew Liveris, the CEO of Dow Chemical: "Water is today's issue…It is the oil of this century, not a question."  

It’s an insight that also applies here at home in North Carolina: we can continue to live very well if we acknowledge the limits of supply, use it wisely, and share it fairly.  Take action today and urge your legislators to require efficient use of water, link growth decisions to water supplies, and update our water laws for the 21st century.

You can also click here for the full text of Ki-Moon’s short speech.