America has shown that it can change its environmental behavior. A report issued in October 2009 by the US Geological Survey indicates that America now uses less water than it did in 1980, when water usage peaked. The reduction seems attributable to increased awareness that water is a scarce resource, which has led western states especially to seek conservation measures in homes, fields, factories, and utilities. About 80% of the more than 400 billion gallons of water used daily in the U.S. go to generate electricity or to irrigate fields. It is encouraging that as water supplies dwindle due to global warming, American industry, agriculture, and even the general public, have taken steps to conserve water.
