Sunday, August 23, 2009

What About The Water?

I have been focused on Peak Oil, however that is not the only resource that we need, and is even less essential than some, particularly water. And there is only so much water to go around that is drinkable.

On a broad scale this Washington Post article addresses the issues of shortages. We have an increasing population, and a mobile one. That puts stress on the resources in any given location and has created a lot of notions about solving the problem. What if the worst happens, as in Las Vegas? Also, remember that the Hoover Dam does more than provide Las Vegas' primary source of water, it also provides electricity. What happens if Lake Mead's water levels drop to a level that cannot support operation of the turbines? Care to draw that picture? Especially in LA?

The way we use water now determines what will be available in the future. Having enough water is more important than having enough oil. What are we willing to do to ensure a drinkable supply?

2 comments:

The North Coast said...

It's interesting that we taxed our Midwestern and Northeastern cities to death to fund pharaonic water reclamation and diversion projects out in the great Western nowhere, just to make it possible to build cities of 4 million people in the most arid climate in the world.

Let's stop throwing more water over the dam, pun intended, and let Phoenix and Las Vegas and other water short cities in the sand states die a natural death. These cities are sustainable only under a cheap fuel regime, which is OVER. Let their denizens go back east and repopulate St. Louis, Memphis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Syracuse, Baltimore, Newark, and other former industrial powerhouses, with their favorable locations in temperate climates, on major water routes, with fertile hinterlands nearby.

It's sickening to see cities like Cleveland and Cincinnati and St. Louis and Detroit be destroyed to support places that cost three times as much to operate per head of population, underwritten with our taxes and cheap energy.

If I had the money and a 30 year timeframe, I'd buy every bit of property in Detroit and other decimated midwestern, northeastern, and mid-south cities I could. These old cities were located on major water routes so they could make a living, and water transport will be dominant once more in the energy-short future. And whoever has access to water and fertile hinterlands, will win.

Jack said...

Yeah,Let's stop throwing more water over the dam..Thats a great idea..
--
Jack
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