Sat
Oct 20 2007
06:47 am
Thirsty Georgians want our water
By: Carole Borges

Not recognizing that the climate is changing and that it could have a dire affect on our planet is the same as saying over and over ad nauseum, "Saddam Hussien did have WMDs and biological stockpiles that were a direct threat to the United States of America."

That's Republican Kool-aid, and so many fools are willingly drinking it. Bush cultists just don't seem to be able to reason anymore.

Things are getting very serious down in Georgia. The lakes and rivers are drying up, and now some state's officials say there's only enough water to last for 90 days.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said the region should explore piping in additional sources of water — possibly from the Tennessee or Savannah rivers. She even suggested desalinating sea water from Georgia's Atlantic coast.

"We need to look beyond our borders," she said."
(link...)

(link...)

Hey, come on! Tennessee isn't exactly awash in water these days. Our rivers and lakes are drying up too.

To those who kept insisting global warming was a joke, the drying up of water reserves is coming as a shock, and contingency plans are almost non-existent.

No one is laughing now.

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Brian A.'s picture

Quote

Submitted by Brian A. on Sat, 2007/10/20 - 1:47pm.

I don't see that quote in the article--at least not as it stands now.

As a practical matter, how would they get water from Tennessee to Atlanta? Piping water that far doesn't seem like something they could get up and running overnight.

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

Carole Borges's picture

Sorry Brian I was looking at two articles. I added a link.

Submitted by Carole Borges on Sat, 2007/10/20 - 2:06pm.

It does sound far fetched. Especially with our drought, but that's what she said. It's a little more than halfway down.

Up Goose Creek's picture

Piping

Submitted by Up Goose Creek on Sun, 2007/10/21 - 7:56am.

Piping isn't all that far fetched. It's a drop in the bucket (so to speak) compared to the Tenn-Tom waterway. But it couldn't be done in 3 months.

What could be done is change the requirement to continue enough water flow to preserve an endangered mussel population downstream.

I don't know the pros and cons about this issue but it does seem to be putting idealism above the needs of millions of people.

____________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Carole Borges's picture

I think the Wildlife & Fisheries is questioning the panic...

Submitted by Carole Borges on Sun, 2007/10/21 - 10:03am.

I heard on CNN this morning that the W&F people think this is not such a great crisis. They are trying to perserve some species that are going extinct, so to them this really is a life and death issue. I think they imagine people can survive without using as much water as they do, so their existence is not in as much jeopardy. I heard the Governor on TV say he never thought the law that determines how much water is needed to perserve the mussels and other aqauatic life was meant to be put above human needs. That's why he is tryng to get the President to intercede. Apparently, in an emergency, Bush can order changes and bring in more water to the Atlanta area.

This water scarcity issue is causing all kinds of interstate problems too. It's a precious commodity we all mostly take for granted. Most of us waste a lot of water. That's about to change now though.

Factchecker's picture

Kool-Aid not enough?

Submitted by Factchecker on Sun, 2007/10/21 - 10:55am.

Piping isn't all that far fetched.

Concrete or plastic?

redmondkr's picture

I worked with a guy years

Submitted by redmondkr on Sun, 2007/10/21 - 11:08am.

I worked with a guy years ago who brought his own coffee from home because nobody in the coffee mess made it strong enough to suit him.

"Hell, Kenny", he told me one afternoon, "What would these people do if there was a water shortage? It don't take much water to make good coffee."

And he was right.

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Andy Axel's picture

Wyoming and Colorado have

Submitted by Andy Axel on Sun, 2007/10/21 - 11:08am.

Wyoming and Colorado have been in and out of the courts for nigh up on a century battling over who has rights to the Colorado River.

Welcome to the age of prior appropriation in the Southeast.

____________________________

"Respect mah authoritah!" - Fred Cartman Thompson

redmondkr's picture

Wyoming and Colorado have

Submitted by redmondkr on Sun, 2007/10/21 - 11:11am.

Wyoming and Colorado have been in and out of the courts for nigh up on a century battling over who has rights to the Colorado River.

And there are those who are wondering why Mr. Gore's prize was for peace.

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jbr's picture

I seem to recall a task

Submitted by jbr on Sun, 2007/10/21 - 11:50am.

I seem to recall a task force formed in 1997 to explore transporting water from the Tennessee River to the Atlanta metro area. Not because of drought but because of growth. I think UT Ag Extension Services may have been involved in some way.

There is probably a report from that research sitting around somewhere.

zoomfactor's picture

UT is all over this, if anyone would bother to ask!

Submitted by zoomfactor on Mon, 2007/10/22 - 11:19am.

New Law Holds Water
Treading Political Water
Building Tennessee's Water Law

Link to UT's work on southeastern water conflicts, which began back in the 1990s at the Energy, Environment and Resources Center. Dr. David Feldman, who spearheaded this effort, left UT for the University of California–Irvine (School of Social Ecology) very recently. He is author of the book "Water Policy for Sustainable Development" (2007).

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