Not that we should slack off on reducing our collective carbon footprint, but there's another issue starting to loom large: our water footprint. I remember a scientist friend of mine saying several years ago, "Water will be the next oil" -- in other words, the next vanishing "commodity" with a skyrocketing value. There's only so much fresh water on the planet, folks, and the stuff we consume uses up a LOT of it ... for example, a typical 9-ounce cotton t-shirt takes 713 gallons of water to produce, according to the Netherlands-based Water Footprint Network. And don't even get me started on the amount of water it takes to make a hamburger (OK, it's 63 gallons).

This recent article in Mother Jones, What's Your Water Footprint?, helpfully puts the issue in layman's terms. And check out these 20 easy ways to save water now. What does this mean to you? Is it something you're concerned about? If so, what action do you take?