Water issues and climate change are inescapably linked. Unlike other natural resources, water can be present in all three forms: a liquid (fluid water), a solid (ice), and a gas (vapor).

Think back to your high school science class (back when science was taught). Remember British Therma Units (BTU)? Stay with me for two sentences. It may sound boring but stick with me. Boring Sentence One: A BTU is the unit of energy used to measure heat. Boring Sentence Two: Inextricably, it is tied to water as one BTU is the amount of energy needed to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

Yawn, what does this have to do with water and climate change, you ask?

Heat is energy. Heat flows in one direction, from a warm object to a cooler one. So, when the oceans and land masses warm, the atmosphere warms. The result is water vapor (moisture in the atmosphere) increases. Stronger and more frequent storms. More violent weather patterns, and this can occur in two directions, more frequent and longer droughts.

Hey, you say, what’s one degree to anyone? For every one degree Celsius rise, the atmosphere stores an additional 7% more water, heat, and energy.

The impact to agriculture is dramatic, but also to municipal water supplies, industrial output, water pollution, and your pocketbook. Think, storm damage, insurance rates, availability of mortgages, and increased taxes to harden water and wastewater infrastructure.

So, the next time you hear someone describe climate change as a hoax, ask whether they believe water scarcity and severe weather events are also hoaxes. Those involved with agriculture, municipal finance, insurance risk, utility planning, or just live in the state of Florida (yes, hurricanes have become more frequent and severe there in the last forty years) likely won’t use the term hoax.