"Global warming has focused
concern on land and sky as soaring temperatures intensify hurricanes,
droughts and wildfires. But another climate crisis is unfolding,
underfoot and out of view. Many of
the aquifers that supply 90 percent of the nation’s water systems, and
which have transformed vast stretches of America into some of the
world’s most bountiful farmland, are being severely depleted. These
declines are threatening irreversible harm to the American economy and
society as a whole. The New York
Times conducted a months-long examination of groundwater depletion,
interviewing more than 100 experts, traveling the country and creating a
comprehensive database using millions of readings from monitoring
sites. ..."
