The western US is running out of water. What happens next? – Stateside with Kai and Carter
Jul 13, 2026
Thanks to pollution, overpopulation and the climate crisis, Earth is facing a terrifying new crisis: an irreversible 'water bankruptcy'. Now, fights over water have ramped up across the world, including in the US west. Host Carter Sherman speaks with Guardian extreme weather correspondent Gabrielle
Canon about the battle over the future of the Colorado River Basin, whose water sustains some 40 million people across seven states – but is now drying up. Gabrielle recently rafted down the basin's last 'wild' river, the Yampa. Damming or diverting the Yampa could bring the west some much-needed hydration. It may also devastate the vast natural ecosystem that relies on the river's free-flowing waters. Also: Carter and Kai Wright react to the death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey GrahamGabrielle Canon’s story on the Yampa RiverGuardian stories on Lindsey Graham:Analysis on Graham as dealmakerThe scramble to replace GrahamLindsey Graham in his own words Continue reading...
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