Water shortage in the Southwest - worst quote ever!

quarterpast

So, I'm a dork and I watch the Weather Channel (not just for weather, but for the little news clips in between). They were just talking about how there is a new 5,000 home community being built near Las Vegas and how that town wants to take water from Arizona, since there isn't enough near this town. (My first question is - why build a town where there isn't water?) Anywho, folks in Arizona are fighting to keep their water since there is continually less and less of it.

The best part - an older gentleman and potential home buyer in the new neighborhood was asked what he thought of the water shortage. His reply: "There is no water shortage...if you have enough money." Seriously? And then his wife said they wouldn't sell these homes if there wasn't enough water, looked to her husband for approval of the statement and he agreed. All I could think was "What?!"

Golf courses are not meant to be in deserts, nor are giant homes. Some people are taking the 8 year drought out there too lightly...and the fact that it doesn't look like things will get better any time soon. After all, it's a desert! Even Indian populations, much more adapted to the environment there, have been wiped out due to drought.

Im still here

we'll just move North when we run out

cool?

cool............

rgambs

http://abc7news.com/weather/nasa-official-says-calif-has-one-year-of-water-left/558932/

This drought in California is a big deal.

I am envisioning a novel where the demise of American society comes when the Central Valley stops growing Americas produce... Feed grain is siphoned from livestock to feed people, the meat and dairy industry collapses, the Ruskies send us relief rations that are poisoned and then invades and bada boom, that's the end.

Back in rreality, this is a very serious issue.

callen

Easter island baby. That is our future.

backseatLover12

And to think developers are still allowed to develop and getting approval to build.

brianlux

rgambs said:

http://abc7news.com/weather/nasa-official-says-calif-has-one-year-of-water-left/558932/

This drought in California is a big deal.

I am envisioning a novel where the demise of American society comes when the Central Valley stops growing Americas produce... Feed grain is siphoned from livestock to feed people, the meat and dairy industry collapses, the Ruskies send us relief rations that are poisoned and then invades and bada boom, that's the end.

Back in rreality, this is a very serious issue.

Yes indeed it is, Gambs! Since the early 50's, I've never seen the Sierra snow pack so thin this time of year (in fact, we were just checking it out today on our day off- it's BAD). It may have been this thin one other time around 1977 but that was one of the two years I lived in Western NY State so I'm not sure. California has often been referred to as the "Breadbasket of the World". If this keeps up well have to change that to "Hardtack Basket of the World".

And what is even more unsettling, I've read a few reports, (including the one linked below from National Geographic, so you know these are not all pseudo science reports) that indicate California may be entering a long extended period of drought- decades or even centuries long. Historically, this is has happened here before.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140213-california-drought-record-agriculture-pdo-climate/

Some key points from that article:

"B. Lynn Ingram, a paleoclimatologist at the University of California at Berkeley, thinks that California needs to brace itself for a megadrought—one that could last for 200 years or more."

"During the medieval period, there was over a century of drought in the Southwest and California. The past repeats itself,"

"Given that California is one of the largest agricultural regions in the world, the effects of any drought, never mind one that could last for centuries, are huge. About 80 percent of California's freshwater supply is used for agriculture. The cost of fruits and vegetables could soar, says Cantu. "There will be cataclysmic impacts."

PJ_Soul

A lot of people really REALLY lack foresight. Same thing is going on in Florida, where the waterfronts are already suffering from the effects of the rising sealevels. Yet people are still developing $1M properties on land that will be underwater in 10 years.

rr165892

PJ_Soul said:

A lot of people really REALLY lack foresight. Same thing is going on in Florida, where the waterfronts are already suffering from the effects of the rising sealevels. Yet people are still developing $1M properties on land that will be underwater in 10 years.

1 million.You can't buy land on a canal off the Intra coastal waterway for A million here in South Florida.Beach front or direct access waterfront lot will start Around 2mil off the inlets and sky up over 5 mil closer to the beach.Land only.And we probably got closer to 75 years before any real impactful water level rise impacts the peninsula.

PJ_Soul

rr165892 said:

PJ_Soul said:

A lot of people really REALLY lack foresight. Same thing is going on in Florida, where the waterfronts are already suffering from the effects of the rising sealevels. Yet people are still developing $1M properties on land that will be underwater in 10 years.

1 million.You can't buy land on a canal off the Intra coastal waterway for A million here in South Florida.Beach front or direct access waterfront lot will start Around 2mil off the inlets and sky up over 5 mil closer to the beach.Land only.And we probably got closer to 75 years before any real impactful water level rise impacts the peninsula.

Okay, $2M, whatever.
75 years before it's gone. Not 75 years before it's unlivable because of severe annual flooding (I was more being figurative when I said underwater, but yeah, give it 100 years and it will be a literal statement!).

rr165892

PJ_Soul said:

rr165892 said:

PJ_Soul said:

A lot of people really REALLY lack foresight. Same thing is going on in Florida, where the waterfronts are already suffering from the effects of the rising sealevels. Yet people are still developing $1M properties on land that will be underwater in 10 years.

1 million.You can't buy land on a canal off the Intra coastal waterway for A million here in South Florida.Beach front or direct access waterfront lot will start Around 2mil off the inlets and sky up over 5 mil closer to the beach.Land only.And we probably got closer to 75 years before any real impactful water level rise impacts the peninsula.

Okay, $2M, whatever.
75 years before it's gone. Not 75 years before it's unlivable because of severe annual flooding (I was more being figurative when I said underwater, but yeah, give it 100 years and it will be a literal statement!).

You however ,along with most of OR and WA are in the sweet spot for riding out the new world after heavy climate change.Your rain will slow and temps will get more moderate.

I think I need to build a Homestead in Washington.

brianlux

rr165892 said:

PJ_Soul said:

rr165892 said:

PJ_Soul said:

A lot of people really REALLY lack foresight. Same thing is going on in Florida, where the waterfronts are already suffering from the effects of the rising sealevels. Yet people are still developing $1M properties on land that will be underwater in 10 years.

1 million.You can't buy land on a canal off the Intra coastal waterway for A million here in South Florida.Beach front or direct access waterfront lot will start Around 2mil off the inlets and sky up over 5 mil closer to the beach.Land only.And we probably got closer to 75 years before any real impactful water level rise impacts the peninsula.

Okay, $2M, whatever.
75 years before it's gone. Not 75 years before it's unlivable because of severe annual flooding (I was more being figurative when I said underwater, but yeah, give it 100 years and it will be a literal statement!).

You however ,along with most of OR and WA are in the sweet spot for riding out the new world after heavy climate change.Your rain will slow and temps will get more moderate.

I think I need to build a Homestead in Washington.

I have family in Washington State and have lived there and yes, it's tempting.

Only one problem- the population in Washington when I was born was 2.424 million. Today it's 7.062 Imagine how those numbers will grow when people start mass exiting places like California and Phoenix, etc.

Washington's population numbers are much lower number than CA of course but the difference is usable land. Most of the population in Washington state is concentrated on the eastern half of the Olympic Peninsula and the areas surrounding the Puget Sound. Other than than you have Forks (that lovely place where the Twilight series books take place? Average rainfall 119 inches per year plus an additional 13" of snow , higher than average unemployment and a high murder rate to go along with all that... but it is green!) or Eastern Washington (everything east of the Cascades) which is a miserable part of the world- very dry and super hot summers/ super cold winter.

I lived in Washington from around 1990 to 1994 and saw the same kind of changes happening there I've seen her in my home state. I think the best place to ride out the new world is wherever family and friends are. In other words, where your support group is.

chadwick

never understood erecting communities & living in a dry ass spot. i mean slapping ppl senseless seems like a good comedy vvhen they're smuggling vvater from a neighboring state. get back to your brand spankin nevv community of 5,000 & vvhip out your ace.... novv go vvater that golf course dovvn the vvay from the sand dunes & cacti. maybe rub up on one real quick for avvhile

chadwick

im a reptile but im erecting a community in the north pole. got my hot rocks & heat lamps

brianlux

chadwick said:

never understood erecting communities & living in a dry ass spot. i mean slapping ppl senseless seems like a good comedy vvhen they're smuggling vvater from a neighboring state. get back to your brand spankin nevv community of 5,000 & vvhip out your ace.... novv go vvater that golf course dovvn the vvay from the sand dunes & cacti. maybe rub up on one real quick for avvhile

Totally agree, Chadwick- golf courses in the desert?? What brontosaurus brained genius came up with that idea?

PJ_Soul

I think it was the mob, wasn't it??

rr165892

PJ_Soul said:

I think it was the mob, wasn't it??

Bingo!Was going to say that.

kce8

Some people will always think they can have whatever they want bc they got enough money!
Everything else around them...they give a f..k ....

They build snowhalls for skiing in Dubai just to have fun.
Can you imagine how many water and energie is needed to make this successful in the desert 364 days a year?
Megalomania is greeting people everywhere in the world who don´t have enough water to live or got a poor crop without getting enough water.

We all stand behind things like this bc we do nothing.
No, we go to Las Vegas and have fun. And don´t look behind that. And let people built new homes in the desert...
and let big concerns take all the water for free for fracking to make heaps of money and pollute the nature...

Money rules the world - not sane and keen mind nor empathy or foresight...
We have to stand up!

brianlux

kce8 said:

Some people will always think they can have whatever they want bc they got enough money!
Everything else around them...they give a f..k ....

They build snowhalls for skiing in Dubai just to have fun.
Can you imagine how many water and energie is needed to make this successful in the desert 364 days a year?
Megalomania is greeting people everywhere in the world who don´t have enough water to live or got a poor crop without getting enough water.

We all stand behind things like this bc we do nothing.
No, we go to Las Vegas and have fun. And don´t look behind that. And let people built new homes in the desert...
and let big concerns take all the water for free for fracking to make heaps of money and pollute the nature...

Money rules the world - not sane and keen mind nor empathy or foresight...
We have to stand up!

Absolutely, kce8!

We hear people all the time say, "Nothing is going to change. We're helpless in a world run by greed. We can't make a difference so why bother?"

To that I would respond, how can we not bother? Why would we not do what makes sense and is the right thing? I don't understand that fatalistic view that doing nothing will not make a difference. Tell that to Gandhi. Tell that to the Civil Rights workers of the fifties and sixties. Tell that to the Sea Shepherds who have save thousands of sea mammals lives. Etc.

I stand with you kce8.

hedonist

Apparently it will cost around $14B to get Los Angeles' (yes, just LA) pipes up to snuff.

Local water main break this morning - one of many on a regular basis - and then we have the DWP royally fucking up. Or drunk assholes shearing fire hydrants.

So much waste.

It's just sad, because although money can certainly BUY the things kce mentioned, what is being bought is precious and semi-finite.

Sort of like health, if that makes sense - look at Steve Jobs; nature always trumps a large bank account.

"money can't buy me..."

brianlux

hedonist said:

Apparently it will cost around $14B to get Los Angeles' (yes, just LA) pipes up to snuff.

Local water main break this morning - one of many on a regular basis - and then we have the DWP royally fucking up. Or drunk assholes shearing fire hydrants.

So much waste.

It's just sad, because although money can certainly BUY the things kce mentioned, what is being bought is precious and semi-finite.

Sort of like health, if that makes sense - look at Steve Jobs; nature always trumps a large bank account.

"money can't buy me..."

Good point, Hedo. The limits to resources issue is either ignored or answered by lofty dreams of getting more of what we need from Mars or something. Reminds me of the logger bumper stickers I used to see up north: "First we'll log the earth... then we'll log the other planets."

rr165892

Maybe the key for Cali(and other areas) is to really dig in and get going with desalination plants and technology.I believe Sydney is doing some cutting edge work in this area.Sure is a lot of h20 on this earth,harnessing other ways of using it could really make a difference.