[SusDet Announce] GOP wants to divert ... WHAT?

Wed May 28 03:15:24 EDT 2008

Yes, its a spoof :) I wrote it because those scenarios aren't as far fetched
as they seem and it's good to get people planning ahead.

I wonder - did people who read it feel powerless? As if there was nothing
they could do about it? It would be interesting to know.

Mike

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 8:48 AM, Jacob Stevens Corvidae <
jacob at warmtraining.org> wrote:

> What was that? Either a spoof or really bad reporting, but I'm assuming
> it's a spoof. Where's it from?
>
> Jacob
>
> m c wrote:
>
> Republicans announced plans Memorial Day to pump water from the Great Lakes
> through pipelines to the states that have shown the greatest loyalty to the
> troops since 2001. By default, those end up being red states - who's
> citizens voted Republican one or more times in the last eight years - a
> heated debate that is quickly evaporating hopes of a less emotional solution
> to the water problem. The plan does not include efficiency measures red
> states must maintain or a cap on the amount of water that can be pumped and
> could actually cause the lakes to run dry affecting shipping as well as
> tourism and lives.
>
> Environmentalists in Michigan are alarmed by what they call a theft of
> natural resources they have diligently maintained while those same red
> states refused to implement water conservation and environmental protection
> plans recommended by water and non-profit groups for decades.
>
> "Water welfare is ok when it benefits conservatives. This is no different
> than corporate welfare. At least with corporate welfare they could claim
> profits would trickle down to the rest of us" said Gillian Mead, board
> supervisor of Sanislaus County Michigan.
>
> But trickle down profits is exactly how Republicans are describing the
> benefits of their water hijack plan. "Michigan doesn't support the troops,
> they are pro union which is why they don't have jobs and they refuse to vote
> patriotically or religiously. They don't deserve the water they have.
> Besides, they are losing population while Red States are gaining population.
> Obviously people want to be Republican and they ought to have water. The
> water we get will actually be used to create jobs Michigan can't create
> because of greedy unions. Red States want to build bottled water plants, but
> we don't have water". That's what senate hound and plan ambassador Luke
> Jenkins thinks. Jenkins is part of the consortium of companies led by
> PepsiCo and Lennar Homes to divert the water.
> Back in Michigan, there are genuine fears - "We don't have enough water as
> it is. Our lake levels are dropping in some cases. We're lucky if they stay
> stable, but they aren't. What we need are requirements to use waterless
> urinals in new construction and waterless lawn programs to start. Many
> companies are already familiar with low flow faucets but that's not enough.
> We have to be much more radical". Joel MacIntyre of Sustainable Design
> Associates isn't the only one who thinks that. Political activist
> Stephanie Love also agrees - "this plan is completely irresponsible. A
> massive, expensive pipeline to the south so they don't have to conserve.
> It's no different than saying we need to invade Iran so we won't have to
> drive hybrids. It's just plain stupid."
>
> Love did say that high tension powerlines from south to north full of solar
> power does make sense because the south can produce more solar electricity
> than it can use. The water relocation program however, simply decrees that
> water will be pumped until the lakes are dry. But Love doesn't condede to
> trading solar power for water. Conservation is her main agenda. She and
> others like Rocky Mountain Institute and Union of Concerned Scientists
> claims 70% of all water, energy and materials are wasted by inefficient use.
>
> Republicans who debate and deny that number are trounced as being spoiled
> children who cry that they can't get by on a college allowance from their
> parents of $5,000 a month. As populations increase, choices are going to
> have to be made. Steal water and oil - or use it more efficiently.
> Nuclear power could be the answer according to Jenkins. "If we accelerate
> the melting of the polar ice caps with nuclear power and pipe that water
> south before it melts into the ocean, it's cheaper than desalination and I
> can still water my lawn like a normal person" said Jenkins, adding "but
> liberals don't think nuclear power is good. They would rather live like
> hippies in caves".
>
> The debate over water however is not one that will run out of energy
> however. Democrats have proposed a counter measure that seals off the lakes
> from states that aren't tapped in now, caps useage from existing tapped
> states and calls for radical water conservation well in advance for any new
> state that wants to buy the water. And they plan on raising prices for that
> water above what is considered normal to motivate conservation.
>
> But even activists admit it will be hard to get that law passed in
> Michigan due to "vote poisoning" from local water bottlers like PepsiCo and
> Coca Cola who operate bottled beverage plants in Michigan who allegedly use
> the tactic to influence local voters to vote for those who protect employer
> interests thereby taking advatage of Michigan's bad economy and desperation.
> They even claim that Michigan could become a red state once the last union
> strongholds are reduced and locals don't see a need for Democratic party
> protection. At that point, the water diversion program will be guaranteed.
> Love continued: "If we don't pass laws pre-empting water theft of our lakes
> or at least requiring radical conservation to be implemented by those states
> who want to buy our water for a price BEFORE we sell it to them, we will
> die. Period. The waste we are commiting now cannot be sustained. Radical
> water conservation is the only answer and the good news is it doesn't have
> to impact the quality of life we already have. Trendy green buildings have
> already proved that you can live beautifully and save money and resources at
> the same time. Nobody is going to have to live in a cave."
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: YERT <YERT at mail.vresp.com>
> Date: Mon, May 26, 2008 at 7:54 AM
> Subject: [YERT] YERTpod26: Gambling on Water in Nevada
> To: ecadvocate at gmail.com
>
>
> Dear YERTians,
>
> Water is one of those topics that keeps surfacing on this trip. But unlike
> a spring, we appear to be seeing the *fall* of water availability across
> the country. With explosive growth in Las Vegas and equally explosive
> shrinkage in Lake Mead (Vegas' water supply), the stage is set for
> interesting times ahead - especially as Vegas begins trying to tap into
> other Nevada water basins.
>
> Just click here or the picture below to watch "YERTpod26: Gambling on Water
> in Nevada"<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/49ce9983cf/post_id=942827#SignTop>
> [image: Yp26-WaterNV]<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/da083aa4f2/post_id=942827#SignTop>
>
> We went to the source… of the water… with Dan Greenlee, a field scientist
> for the USDA's "SNOTEL<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/28482f5224>"
> program. SNOTEL stands for "SNOwpack TELemetry," which is basically a system
> of sensors at "over 660 remote sites in mountain snowpack zones" in the
> Western United States and Alaska. This system gives scientists and policy
> makers a pretty good prediction of water supplies for the coming year.
>
> Then we rolled on to Las Vegas—a city with perhaps *the most* sensitivity
> to the water supply. We all know that growing fast in a desert can be a
> recipe for trouble, but Doug Bennett, Southern Nevada Water Authority<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/e0403e0566>Conservation Manager (we met him in Las Vegas), is working hard to put his
> city on a path towards destruction… of lawns! That's right, one trick up his
> water conservation sleeve is a $1.50 payment for every square foot of lawn
> that residents destroy.
>
> And, of course, we sat down with Elvis at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel
> to discuss the finer points of water conservation.
>
> In the Flow,
>
> Ben, Mark, and Julie (and Erika)
>
> Your YERT Team
>
> team at yert.com
>
> P.S. Breadcrumbs! For more information about the topics in this video,
> check out the links below…
>
>    - - SNOTEL<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/13a0eb4168>:
>    From their website, The US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources
>    Conservation Service "operates and maintains an extensive, automated system
>    designed to collect snowpack and related climatic data in the Western United
>    States and Alaska. This system… operates over 660 remote sites in mountain
>    snowpack zones."
>    - - Southern Nevada Water Authority<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/96d4f4bb7f>:
>    This organization is essentially waging war against water scarcity, using a
>    barrage of innovative programs including the "Water Smart Landscapes
>    Rebate<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/c34cebc814>,"
>    which, according to their website, pays $1.50 for "every square foot of lawn
>    converted to water-smart landscaping." We even saw dedicated "lawn
>    demolition" companies when we drove through town. Cool.
>    - - We've tried a few composting toilets during YERT, and they really
>    don't smell! And heck, why would you want to put poop into fresh drinking
>    water anyway? For more information, check out the "scoop" on wikipedia<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/5aac1dbce1>,
>    and you can also watch our video "YERTpod24: Non-Invasive Ways to do
>    Holidays in Hawaii<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/4d33e18511/post_id=787475#SignTop>"
>    that describes the composting toilet in service at the Lova Lava Land<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MediaChangingMediaLL/007134e0c4/66cde0c3e2/c334f3a48e>eco-resort.
>
> YERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERTYERT
>
>
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