Water resources are failing to meet accelerating demand amid climate change and worsening water scarcity.  At the December 3 Wednesday Forum, Chuck Harwood and Dina Butcher will lead a discussion on this problem and governmental responses.

Following a three-year drought, the State of Washington, for the first time ever, prohibited surface water use by farmers and ranchers in the Yakima Basin in October. Treaties and laws to protect Tribal water rights in the U.S. continue to be challenged. By far the largest demand for water is crop irrigation. Recently however, attention has focused on data centers and the crypto industry.  Groundwater depletion is occurring in many parts of the world besides the U.S. 

Suggested readings beforehand:

• Water Availability in the U.S., U.S. Geological Survey: https://water.usgs.gov/vizlab/water-availability/index.html
• Water politics, Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_politics
• Watered Down: A Weakened Global Water Strategy, Center for Strategic & International Studies: https://www.csis.org/analysis/watered-down-weakened-global-water-strategy
  

The Forum's program from fall through mid winter features a broad range of interesting and timely topics. Each one keys to an article, podcast, or video that people can review before the meeting.

December 17   Ai Wei Wei and the Cultural Revolution

January 7         Political Violence                                                       

January 21       Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Thought:  Buddhism and Mindfulness

February 4      The Generation Z Revolt in Nepal

The Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions 2026 briefing book is available for pre-order at fpa.org/bookstore for $35 plus shipping. The books will be sent in early January. We will cover the eight topics from mid-February through June.

We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Knatvold room and via Zoom. All are welcome to join. If you are not already on the Forum list and would like to be, to receive the Zoom link and regular notices, please contact the UUC office at office@uuchurch.org or (206) 525-8400.