Wanna Save Water? Try Carpooling. By Peter N. Spotts,

Water probably is not the first thing that comes to mind in thinking about making cars and trucks move. Until, that is, you look at the amount of water needed to refine oil, produce biofuels, or cool power plants that will be needed to meet the demand for electricity as more electric vehicles hit the roads.

That's what Carey King and Michael Webber have done. The bottom line, according to the University of Texas researchers: As the United States tries to end what President Bush once referred to as the country's addiction to oil, the country likely will be trading foreign oil for domestic water. That's not a bad thing, they argue -- as long as people realize that rising water demand from the energy sector could have a significant effect on regional water supplies and plan accordingly. Energy represents one more set of users joining thirsty urban residents and farmers at the water trough.