So today’s class was Urban Growth, and the class’s topic was on water — availability and the lack thereof. Among other things, we watched a film called The Last Drop: Is the World Running Out of Water?.
My first reaction: hell-o, I had no clue that water availability was such an issue in the Israel/Palestinian conflict. No clue. None. Had never even occurred to me. …probably because I live next to an enormous (one might even say “great”) lake chock full of it and have never really given it much thought at all. So, consider me educated on that point, ouch.
Second reaction, on the topic of Namibia’s water conservation efforts, coupled with heavy beef exports to the EU: I’m pretty sure I read that book
After the film we had a group discussion about the issues, and one of my classmates got really riled up about how we, who have so much fresh water, could be exporting it. She kept talking about why don’t we just pipe Lake Michigan west, if LA needs it? (She also thinks that her tap water should be free, because apparently the pipes and pumps and so forth to get it to her condo from the lake don’t require any further capital outlay or operational maintenance funds, but whatevs.) Or why don’t we build huge pipelines to take water to Namibia or Egypt or Palestine, if they’re so in need? All I could see with that was — totally apart from the infrastructure buildout issues, which I think are not exactly trifling matters — hello, security? Yeah, sure, let’s pipe Lake Michigan to Egypt and solve all their problems. I’m sure the fact that a small squad of armed nutjobs with a hand grenade could take out an entire country’s water supply is a minor one. Seriously, all I could think of were all the security implications of piping water in to a location. Your pipeline goes through Iran — let me introduce you to your former neighbor, now your new blackmailer, who can now make you do whatever they like! And better not piss off any rebels, because boy, won’t you look foolish when you’ve built up this huge urban area thanks to your ample new water supply, and suddenly said water goes away thanks to that nutjob with a hand grenade? Russian oil pipeline melodrama is nothing, compared to a single supply of drinking water. Oy. And talk about a single point of failure… sheesh.
It seems to me that creating a massive dependency on transporting fresh water is a bad, bad, bad idea. I mean, it’s a lovely idea, but a stupid one. Sure, go ahead, trade it on the free market like oil — I’m sure everyone in Africa won’t mind driving giant tanker ships across the ocean to Atlanta to pick it up. Desalination in situ for short-haul transport is the only thing that makes sense to me. (Hello, oceanfront property values!) Pity no one seems to have invented an inexpensive desalination technique. Hey, people complaining about lack of industry and innovation — I just gave you a free idea for your new startup! Go, invent cheap and effective desalination! You’ll be rich AND you’ll broker peace in the Middle East!
In other news, after seeing many images of people hauling buckets around, I now feel guilty for every time I wastefully ran through a sprinkler as a kid. Stupid Lake Michigan, stupid Illinois River, you jerkfaces with your easy availability and non-salt contamination. Jerks!
