Saturday, December 18, 2010

water wars, economics, and water sharing

water wars, economics, and water sharing

Sun, 10/28/2007 - 11:49 — Dave Dempsey
The Sunday, October 28 Chicago Tribune carries a story on how water shortages across the U.S. are renewing attention on the 'supply' available in the Great Lakes. "It doesn't make economic sense to send Great Lakes water to the High Plains or the Southwest," author Peter Annin tells reporter Tim Jones, "but we know the thirsty will be calling."
It doesn't make economic sense unless you factor in the potential for huge federal taxpayer subsidies in the range of tens of billions of dollars. Members of Congress from the Southwest have been pulling these off for a century, and they have more power than ever.
It shouldn't make economic sense to capture water from France and send it to Chicago in bottles for sale, either, but as with Southwestern water projects, all kinds of true costs are not accounted for, or borne by the public through hidden subsidies.
Meanwhile, the Great Lakes states are hoping to ratify a compact which a) puts some limits on bulk water exports and b) allows communities inside Great Lakes states but outside the Great Lakes Basin to tap the lakes with consent of the other states and c) avoids putting any limits on the amount of Great Lakes water that can be captured and sold in bottles or other containers under 5.7 gallons in size. In other words, an unlimited market for trade in Great Lakes water based on container size.
Not long ago, Great Lakes Town Hall featured an on-line survey asking viewers to say under what circumstances Great Lakes water should be shared with those outside the Basin. Out of 242 responses, the runaway winner was "never to anyone" at 97 responses, or 40%. A distant second was "global humanitarian crises," at 16%. "Sell it to highest bidders" attracted 11%, the lowest of five options.
It's not a scientific survey, of course. But these opinions seem well out of whack with current policy -- and what the Great Lakes compact, which so many are laboring to pass, will actually deliver.
Here's the Tribune piece

Comments

Alan Maki's picture

Water wars, economics, and water sharing

Submitted by Alan Maki on Tue, 10/30/2007 - 17:35.
All around the Great Lakes peat bogs are being drained for a variety of reasons... all the reasons result in the same thing less water to replenish the Great Lakes.
Here in northern/northeastern Minnesota the bogs are being drained away from the Great Lakes watersheds and into watersheds emptying into Lake of the Woods which goes north towards Hudson's Bay.
Many of the drainage ditches are twelve to eighteen feet deep, thirty to forty feet wide.
I am wondering if there are any studies on the affects of draining these peat bogs and the impact on water levels.?
These are massive bogs and draining off so much water which would be destined for the Great Lakes would seem to me it would have some impact.
Whether the water gets diverted to other areas, bottled and sold, or the peat bogs get drained, what's the difference? It seems to me our freshwater is being squandered in in the same way our tax dollars get squandered on senseless wars.
Talking about the economy, how much longer can we continue to survive under the capitalist economic system that has no respect for anything that can't be turned into a quick buck; and, when it can be turned into a quick buck, like water, profit is the sole motivating factor.
—
Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Blog: h

bog drainage--effect on Great Lakes

Submitted by wernerehl on Thu, 11/01/2007 - 20:34.
In response to Alan Maki (Warroad, Minnesota)
Yes, there does seem to be a lot of serious ditching going on draining bogs into Lake of the Woods, which does drain north to Lake Winnipeg and then north to Hudson Bay. One can click on Google Maps
http://maps.google.com/maps?tab=wl&hl=en
and zoom to Lake of the Woods (SE of Winnipeg) and with the satellite view see clearly some large ditches draining the bogs to the south of the lake. This is a serious issue to be sure. But as to whether it actually steals water from Lake Superior is another matter. Unless those bogs already drain into both watersheds (not likely), you would have to move water uphill to shift the drainage to another watershed. If anyone would like to learn more about this watershed, there is quite a bit of active research going on. See http://www.rainybasinwater.org/index.htm
I think Mr. Maki was trying to make a wider point--that bogs around the Great Lakes are being drained. This would not lower the amount of water flowing into the lakes, but change both the quality and the periodicity of the water. In other words, water would flow in much faster after a period of wet weather, and would carry a good deal more nutrients, neither of which is a good thing for the animals and plants living in those watersheds.
Finally, it seems unlikely we can fix our entire economic system in this forum. It does what it does very efficiently, although the end result is generally not to the liking of environmentalists. Capitalism has it faults, but it also has the advantage (over centrally planned economies) of being able to turn on a dime and ameliorate social and environmental problems. Here is one example of where our economic system has learned to do things right. Compare this story to wastewater treatment in most of the rest of the world.
http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/fall2007/sponges.html
Enjoy.
Bob Wernerehl
PhD student in Botany
University of Wisconsin—Madison
Alan Maki's picture

Where is the water from the Great Lakes going?

Submitted by Alan Maki on Thu, 11/01/2007 - 22:43.
I have heard many reasons for the low water levels in the Great Lakes... is there an answer?
Many of the streams and rivers feeding into the Great Lakes are really low right now... many of those start in bogs.
I find it very difficult to believe draining these bogs has no significant affect on water levels in the Great Lakes... ditto for draining the wet lands.
Does anyone have links to scientific studies?
Maybe I should ask this question: Is there a legitimate reason to be draining these bogs and wetlands?" If so, what are they?
As to the use of the word "command" to describe what the writer is probably referring to as socialism... I would think a more accurate description would be to use the word "planned" economy. Maybe even include "democratic planning with full participation and involvement from the citizenry."
Maybe I should ask another question, too, relating to economics: Should public natural resources be the source of corporate profits? Seems to me the public should be the principal beneficiaries of natural resources, not Wall Street coupon clippers.
I am reading many articles suggesting future wars will be fought over water like wars are now being fought for oil. This suggests we need to combine work to protect natural resources with the struggle for peace and learning to resolve problems through diplomacy and respect for other people and their countrys' resources... in this case water.
Which leads me to another question: Do we simply allow our water resources to be privatized by corporations like Nestle?
Which leads to another question concerning water and economics: Is privatization of our water resources the way to go? Turn water into just another commodity to be bought and sold and those who can not afford this neccesity of life which the human body and all other living organisms require for survival just go without--- like health care--- and the poor die?
I am wondering if much of the problem in the Middle East isn't already about "water wars" with Israel gobbling up the land of others because there are rivers and streams flowing. Perhaps the "water wars" have already begun and we just don't know it? Kind of like we are kept in the dark on just about everything else... but then again, we have this great free media we rely upon for our information. Whoops, another bunch of Wall Street coupon clippers.
Obviously, I don't hold the capitalist system in the same high esteem many others do.
—
Alan L. Maki
58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763
Phone: 218-386-2432
Blog: h

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