{
  "id": 3600694,
  "title": "Researchers traced the American West water crisis to just 122 companies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/researchers-traced-the-american-west-water-crisis-to-just-122",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T21:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91596811/researchers-traced-the-american-west-water-crisis-to-just-122-companies-bp-chevron-exxonmobil-shell"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The American West is grappling with a severe water crisis, as some of the largest reservoirs in the region have hit record low levels. A recent study published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal traced the crisis back to just 122 oil and cement companies. The research, which analyzed data from 2014 to 2024, found that these 122 carbon majors were responsible for around half of the water lost to climate change in the West. The companies' emissions of carbon dioxide were largely responsible for the decline in snowpack and streamflows, which together contributed to a significant loss of water. The study estimates that the water drained by these companies in just one decade amounts to the same capacity as Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir. This loss is equivalent to around 9 trillion gallons of water. The region's dry climate and high water demand from its agricultural industry make it particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As water scarcity continues to worsen, the impacts are felt by local communities and Indigenous populations who rely on healthy river systems for their cultural and economic livelihoods.",
  "summary": "As some of the largest water reservoirs in the United States fall to record-level-lows, it’s not just drought to blame, with 122 oil and cement companies responsible for around half of the water lost to climate change in the West, according to a recent study. In the study, published on August 25 in the Communications Earth & Environment journal, researchers examined how the 122 carbon majors,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}