THE CRA PERSPECTIVE • EARTH SCIENCE How Much Water Is There on Earth? Can our planet ever run out of water? Exploring Earth's enormous water reserves, the freshwater shortage and the future of humanity. Water is one of the most extraordinary and essential resources on our planet. Our planet is called the Blue Planet for a reason. Approximately 71% of Earth's surface is covered by water. But does that mean we have an unlimited supply of water for human survival? Look at the oceans, rivers, lakes, glaciers and countless streams across the world. Water seems almost endless. It falls as rain, flows through rivers, disappears into the ground, freezes into ice and rises into the atmosphere as water vapour. Yet billions of people experience water shortages. Some communities struggle to obtain safe drinking water, groundwater reserves are declining in several regions, and pollution is making important water sour...
THE CRA PERSPECTIVE • GEOGRAPHY & NATURE The Largest Lakes in the World Exploring Earth's magnificent inland water giants, their extraordinary geography, biodiversity and importance to life. Some lakes are so vast that standing on their shores feels like standing beside an ocean. Yet these enormous bodies of water are inland, surrounded by land and shaped by the forces of nature over thousands or even millions of years. From the immense Caspian Sea between Europe and Asia to the icy wilderness of Canada's Great Bear Lake, the world's largest lakes are among the most remarkable features of our planet. They influence regional climates, support fisheries, provide freshwater, sustain wildlife, enable transportation and create livelihoods for millions of people. Some contain extraordinary depths, while others are famous for their unique ecosystems or geological history. In this exploration, we travel across contine...