Comments on: Nor Any Drop to Drink? http://scienceprogress.org/2008/08/nor-any-drop-to-drink/ Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:59:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Terry Marasco http://scienceprogress.org/2008/08/nor-any-drop-to-drink/comment-page-1/#comment-2587 Terry Marasco Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:25:53 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/08/nor-any-drop-to-drink/#comment-2587 There are no water problems but there are problematic water managers. Pat Mulroy of the Southern NV Water Authority is proffering a pipeline to drain rural NV for the groth of Las Vegas. Two studies in her hands state that there is enough water in efficiency and conservation to obviate the need for the pipeline. Her statement in the article regarding Las Vegas as a transient community needing “ownership” re: conservation. Ms. Mulroy needs to get tough and require strict conservations. She is being assumptive in suggesting that neither transients nor locals will obey required strict laws. Are the transients not required to obey stop signs because they’ll be there only one or two years? In fact skilled leadership would make a case to Las Vegans as to why these laws need to be implemented and enforced – for the sustainable growth of Las Vegas. There are no water problems but there are problematic water managers. Pat Mulroy of the Southern NV Water Authority is proffering a pipeline to drain rural NV for the groth of Las Vegas. Two studies in her hands state that there is enough water in efficiency and conservation to obviate the need for the pipeline.

Her statement in the article regarding Las Vegas as a transient community needing “ownership” re: conservation. Ms. Mulroy needs to get tough and require strict conservations. She is being assumptive in suggesting that neither transients nor locals will obey required strict laws. Are the transients not required to obey stop signs because they’ll be there only one or two years? In fact skilled leadership would make a case to Las Vegans as to why these laws need to be implemented and enforced – for the sustainable growth of Las Vegas.

]]> By: Launce Rake http://scienceprogress.org/2008/08/nor-any-drop-to-drink/comment-page-1/#comment-2586 Launce Rake Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:21:13 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/08/nor-any-drop-to-drink/#comment-2586 There are efforts underway in some cities, such as Las Vegas, to conserve water. Those efforts are welcome and necessary. What is unwelcome and, in my view, thoroughly unhelpful is that every drop of water conserved is going to new and ultimately unsustainble development. Every drop! Ultimately, Southern Nevada's water agencies plan on bringing the unsustainable - literally unsustainable - pumping of groundwater to fuel continued commercial and residential growth. These growth policies, primarily targeting retirees and their pensions, would lead to the desertification and defoliation of huge areas of the Great Basin. The resulting dust issues will lead to earlier snow melt in the mountains of the West, and reduce the available surface water from the Colorado River. We need to collectively reconsider the profit-based demands of the developers and their municipal enablers. There are efforts underway in some cities, such as Las Vegas, to conserve water. Those efforts are welcome and necessary. What is unwelcome and, in my view, thoroughly unhelpful is that every drop of water conserved is going to new and ultimately unsustainble development. Every drop!
Ultimately, Southern Nevada’s water agencies plan on bringing the unsustainable – literally unsustainable – pumping of groundwater to fuel continued commercial and residential growth. These growth policies, primarily targeting retirees and their pensions, would lead to the desertification and defoliation of huge areas of the Great Basin. The resulting dust issues will lead to earlier snow melt in the mountains of the West, and reduce the available surface water from the Colorado River.
We need to collectively reconsider the profit-based demands of the developers and their municipal enablers.

]]> By: Gavin Andresen http://scienceprogress.org/2008/08/nor-any-drop-to-drink/comment-page-1/#comment-2585 Gavin Andresen Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:59:03 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/08/nor-any-drop-to-drink/#comment-2585 The recent consumer response to the increase in the price of gasoline ("As summer vacation season kicked in, Americans got out of their cars, driving 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than the same month a year earlier." -- cnn) would seem to me to be strong evidence that simply letting the price of water fluctuate in response to demand would fix the problem. And if there are good reasons to subsidize certain water users, then fine-- make that case and then give them cash (or vouchers) to pay for the water they use. The "water man" might think that three barrels per family a week is the right amount, but not all families are the same... The recent consumer response to the increase in the price of gasoline (“As summer vacation season kicked in, Americans got out of their cars, driving 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than the same month a year earlier.” — cnn) would seem to me to be strong evidence that simply letting the price of water fluctuate in response to demand would fix the problem.

And if there are good reasons to subsidize certain water users, then fine– make that case and then give them cash (or vouchers) to pay for the water they use.

The “water man” might think that three barrels per family a week is the right amount, but not all families are the same…

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