In announcing a long-term ban on uranium and other mining around the Grand Canyon, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar emphasized a link that is all too clear to anyone following energy news.

Whether the subject is hydraulic fracturing, or tar sands, or oil spills, or power plant impacts, the connection between water and energy is one of the most difficult challenges faced on the planet.

“We can no longer afford to turn our back on the rivers of America,” Salazar said, announcing protection for a 1-million acre (405,000-hectare) buffer around the spectacular gorge for the next 20 years, the longest time allowable under the law.

“All waters ultimately flow into one,” Salazar said. “The waters that roar through the canyon feed our