Think green

摘要

The mighty Colorado river, which traverses America's parched south-west before (these days) petering out on the way to the Gulf of California, has inspired great engineering minds to devise ways of harnessing its waters, and fine legal minds to construct rules governing its use. Squabbles over the river have been peaceful since 1934, when Arizona's governor dispatched troops to intimidate Californian engineers working on a dam that straddled the state line. But a new report shows how tight the squeeze on its water remains.