A peer-reviewed study published in 2026 attributes part of the worsening water shortages in the western United States to emissions from fossil fuel producers.

Is it true that a peer-reviewed study published in 2026 attributes part of the worsening water shortages in the western United States to emissions from fossil fuel producers?

Unclear. Two 2026 peer-reviewed items (crossref-9 and its preprint duplicate synthesis_lit-10) attribute extreme heat and rainfall risk to emissions from major fossil fuel firms, and crossref-6 attributes roughly half of western US water-cycle impacts to fossil fuel company emissions. None of these items specifically addresses worsening water shortages as the claim states, so the evidence only partially covers the claim.

Verdict: PARTIAL LEAN · 3 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 2 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Phillips, C., Ortiz-Partida, J. P., Fernandez-Bou, A. S., & Merner, L. D. (2026). Wringing the West Dry: How Fossil Fuel Companies Drive Water Scarcity in the Western United States. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.47923/2026.16182

Callahan, C. W. (2026). Extreme Heat and Rainfall Risk Attributed to Cumulative CO
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                    Emissions From Fossil Fuel Producers. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1029/2026ef008278

Callahan, C. (2026). Extreme Heat and Rainfall Risk Attributed to Cumulative CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuel Producers. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.31223/x52j5f