Tom Perreault, professor of geography, was interviewed for the Guardian article, "The ecological catastrophe that turned a vast Bolivian lake into a salt desert." Perreault says water withdrawals for irrigation from upstream rivers reduce the lake’s size, along with the huge amount of water used by nearby mines, and the contamination they produce. The left wing government has "blamed climate change exclusively for the lake’s disappearance, while ignoring the other factors," Perreault says, allowing it "to cast blame on industrialized countries, mostly the U.S., [and] avoid taking any responsibility for the lake’s drying or rehabilitation." 01/04/18