Comments on: It’s The Water http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/ Efficiency is the straightest path to hell.* Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:27:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Dan Staley http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4522 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:58:09 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4522 Kent: I don't know whether the fraction given is exactly correct, but its in the ballpark. And I'd like to know how you're going to pump water uphill from the Gulf all the way to Kansas. Sure. Kent: I don’t know whether the fraction given is exactly correct, but its in the ballpark. And I’d like to know how you’re going to pump water uphill from the Gulf all the way to Kansas. Sure.

]]> by: kent http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4458 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:32:53 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4458 westcoastghost - You're kidding. Where do you get that data. We will end up doing what they do in most of the Middle East - desalinization plants. westcoastghost - You’re kidding. Where do you get that data.

We will end up doing what they do in most of the Middle East - desalinization plants.

]]> by: Rightchus Dude http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4319 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:55:36 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4319 Right on, J Brer Dude when I hear about rolling black-outs I always turn on ALL the lights in my apartment. I watch the tv and listen to the stereo and let a dvd play even though i'm watching tv. If I can I try to be downloading something at the same time on my compter. Water shortages? Only when my roommate uses all the hot water before I can shower. I always flush at least three times to. Its all good to cause we'll just take water from someplace else if we need to. Having a kick ass milatary is awesome. Right on, J Brer

Dude when I hear about rolling black-outs I always turn on ALL the lights in my apartment. I watch the tv and listen to the stereo and let a dvd play even though i’m watching tv. If I can I try to be downloading something at the same time on my compter.

Water shortages? Only when my roommate uses all the hot water before I can shower. I always flush at least three times to.

Its all good to cause we’ll just take water from someplace else if we need to. Having a kick ass milatary is awesome.

]]> by: SH http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4305 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:38:46 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4305 As China has increased its standard of living, more people have access to clean water, which is exactly why it's being used at such great rates, which is one reason that rivers and aquifers are drying up. When you have hundreds of millions of people turn into germophobes over a single decade it affects water use. A higher standard of living in China has also brought about single-family homes on single-family lots, something that simply did not exist before the mid 1990s. This has in turn brought about lawns as status symbol, which increase water usage. The higher standard of living has also brought developers who are tearing up agricultural land to make golf courses, which are major water mis-users. Access to clean drinking and washing water is of extreme importance, and China has been working on that. But use of the clean drinking and washing water in cities used to be regulated, whereas it is now no longer restricted in any way. This has led to gross over-use. As China has increased its standard of living, more people have access to clean water, which is exactly why it’s being used at such great rates, which is one reason that rivers and aquifers are drying up. When you have hundreds of millions of people turn into germophobes over a single decade it affects water use. A higher standard of living in China has also brought about single-family homes on single-family lots, something that simply did not exist before the mid 1990s. This has in turn brought about lawns as status symbol, which increase water usage. The higher standard of living has also brought developers who are tearing up agricultural land to make golf courses, which are major water mis-users.

Access to clean drinking and washing water is of extreme importance, and China has been working on that. But use of the clean drinking and washing water in cities used to be regulated, whereas it is now no longer restricted in any way. This has led to gross over-use.

]]> by: Dan Staley http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4299 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:15:18 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4299 Clean water is a subset of the larger issue, which most policy-makers and water managers understand. IOW: clean water doesn't frame the issue properly. Clean water is a subset of the larger issue, which most policy-makers and water managers understand.

IOW: clean water doesn’t frame the issue properly.

]]> by: J Brer http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4266 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:08:33 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4266 Countries with higher standard of livings have better numbers for clean water. What does that tell us? As China increases it's standard of living its citizens will have more clean water, not less. Also, the percentage of world population with access to clean water has been increasing for decades, probably centuries. So the trend is for cleaner water for more people, not less. PostModernDecay, I can't believe you are citing the Romans as evidence of humans being not good at water. The Romans invented water networks. They kicked ass with water. I think I'll go take a shower now. Countries with higher standard of livings have better numbers for clean water. What does that tell us? As China increases it’s standard of living its citizens will have more clean water, not less.

Also, the percentage of world population with access to clean water has been increasing for decades, probably centuries. So the trend is for cleaner water for more people, not less.

PostModernDecay, I can’t believe you are citing the Romans as evidence of humans being not good at water. The Romans invented water networks. They kicked ass with water. I think I’ll go take a shower now.

]]> by: SH http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4247 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:54:28 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4247 In China, it's not just Beijing. There are rivers on the edge of the Tibetan plateau (in northwestern Sichuan not far from the earthquake epicenter) where rivers were already drying up five years ago because of overuse and misuse. Manufacturing and increased standard of living are the culprits. Central government policy is that Beijing and Shanghai will have all their needs met; every major city in China will have priority for water over rural and/or poorer areas. Water is already being siphoned away from people for golf courses in the wealthy coastal areas, despite encroaching desertification. A crisis is approaching, and it will not be slow in arriving. In China, it’s not just Beijing. There are rivers on the edge of the Tibetan plateau (in northwestern Sichuan not far from the earthquake epicenter) where rivers were already drying up five years ago because of overuse and misuse. Manufacturing and increased standard of living are the culprits. Central government policy is that Beijing and Shanghai will have all their needs met; every major city in China will have priority for water over rural and/or poorer areas. Water is already being siphoned away from people for golf courses in the wealthy coastal areas, despite encroaching desertification. A crisis is approaching, and it will not be slow in arriving.

]]> by: PostModernDecay http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4245 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:21:54 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4245 The aquifer under Beijing is dropping by three feet every year. Couple that with a growing population and you've got serious trouble ahead. Plus: Take a little drive through the various sprawling suburbs in Arizona and tell me how desalinization is going to water their lawns and fill their pools. Take a little drive through places like Iowa and Kanas and tell me how desalinization is going to help the agriculture that we all depend on to live. Plus: Half the population does NOT have access to clean water. I'd call that a Global problem, not a local anomalie. (See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/676064.stm) The aquifer under Beijing is dropping by three feet every year. Couple that with a growing population and you’ve got serious trouble ahead.

Plus:

Take a little drive through the various sprawling suburbs in Arizona and tell me how desalinization is going to water their lawns and fill their pools.

Take a little drive through places like Iowa and Kanas and tell me how desalinization is going to help the agriculture that we all depend on to live.

Plus:

Half the population does NOT have access to clean water. I’d call that a Global problem, not a local anomalie. (See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/676064.stm)

]]> by: J Brer http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4242 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:30:46 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4242 We've been hearing water scarcity alarmism for decades. Sparky, Dan, we've had water distribution technology for milleniums. Water is in abundance everywhere. Sure there are local anomalies, but, with aqueducts, pumps, de-salination plants there isn't going to be a 'global water' problem, because most of the globe is water. Take a little drive through California's central valley and tell me about water shortages. So go ahead and make your lawn green and get out the 5-iron, stop worrying so much. We’ve been hearing water scarcity alarmism for decades. Sparky, Dan, we’ve had water distribution technology for milleniums. Water is in abundance everywhere. Sure there are local anomalies, but, with aqueducts, pumps, de-salination plants there isn’t going to be a ‘global water’ problem, because most of the globe is water.

Take a little drive through California’s central valley and tell me about water shortages.

So go ahead and make your lawn green and get out the 5-iron, stop worrying so much.

]]> by: Dan Staley http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4153 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:37:43 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/07/12/its-the-water/#comment-4153 Folk on the Front Range don't like to hear me saying that there will be depopulation in a generation here. Why? Not enough water. I gave a presentation last year to a business group & I didn't get a briefing on the attendees, so I gave my standard speech on planning on the Front Range - we'll be water-short due to decreasing snowpack, increasing drought variability, problematic storage (pine beetle epidemic and fire), and more people. I was hastily shown the door, as the group was a group of high-water users looking to come to Colorado. BTW - have faith, as there was one guy in the group who trotted out his Limbaugh-ready 'ain't no globul warmin', and the rest of the group quickly dispatched his argument. Folk on the Front Range don’t like to hear me saying that there will be depopulation in a generation here. Why? Not enough water.

I gave a presentation last year to a business group & I didn’t get a briefing on the attendees, so I gave my standard speech on planning on the Front Range - we’ll be water-short due to decreasing snowpack, increasing drought variability, problematic storage (pine beetle epidemic and fire), and more people. I was hastily shown the door, as the group was a group of high-water users looking to come to Colorado.

BTW - have faith, as there was one guy in the group who trotted out his Limbaugh-ready ‘ain’t no globul warmin’, and the rest of the group quickly dispatched his argument.

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