The first waves of drought panic are starting, and I can't help but think we're being gamed in similar fashion to how the Louisiana folks were gamed during and after Katrina.
Georgia's congressional delegation has weighed in with a proposed bill (HR 3847) to allow the Corps of Engineers (or Sec. Army, IIRC) to override the Endangered Species Act in times of drought; say, our current plight here in the state. As applied to our situation, such action is a drop in the bucket (pun intended, of course). Applied permanently and nationwide, that's where the gaming comes in.
Given who's in the White House, and their penchant for disregarding interpreting law "for the good of our nation", the fact that the Corps hasn't been directed to alter their operations indicates that said administration is playing the game. In short, environmental protection legislation is being targeted, using Georgia's well-being as bargaining chips and the Army acting as a strawman. Sound familiar?
So, let's de-spin a little bit... [the following was supposed to be a separate post, but now I'd just as soon keep them as one]
- Corps of Engineers: Not the problem, by the 'shooting the messenger' rule. They're going to do what they've been ordered to do, which is to maintain flow in the 'Hooch. And, contrary to previous reports of reducing that flow, the Corps has apparently been ordered to drain Lake Lanier at the current rate; presumably, to provide impetus for the current "drought exemption" bill. As such, the CoE is an "easy target" for externalizers and rationalizers who wish to avoid actual discussion of the problem.
- Environmental regulations: tangentially, part of the problem, and might be dealt with via the bill mentioned above [I will spare discussion of fifth columns for later].
- Distorted Worldviews: Then again, if safety, security, etc. were enough reason to conduct warrantless surveillance, and irrigation needs were enough reason to divert water from a river at the expense of salmon, the prospect of 5 million people without water is enough reason to adjust a dam's operation for a few months or a year, at the expense of shellfish. But, there have been no such directives, and that indicates different priorities. Taking Katrina and New Orleans as a precedent, I expect that levying penalties on Atlanta for dissension is a likely Administration priority here, perhaps of a more srategic nature than the previously mentioned gutting of legislation.
- Lack of Rain: The "rock" portion of the problem. Every so often, we just don't get rain around here. Specifically, we don't get tropical rain around here, and the water runs off or dries up. It's basically "hurricane or bust," in that regard.
- Slack leaders: Part of the "hard place". When rain does fall, most of it runs off, due to all the development that's gone on around here. This development, of course, was made courtesy of the patchwork of local governments who strive to capture external capital to pad their tax base.
So, how many (tens of) thousands of acres of parking lot and building are now occupied by strip malls and McMansions? I'll save the urban blight argument for later, and instead point out that paved surfaces and buildings won't soak water. That which does not run off can soak through and eventually evaporate, feeding that "water cycle" thing I recall hearing about in 2nd grade. So, we can owe part of our lack of usable water to poor, corrupt leadership, disguised in "free market" clothing.
- Slack leaders, part II: There has been next to zero preparation for any such drought. No additional reservoirs, few preventative measures aside from the rate increases of the past few years, no efforts to transport water from beyond the municipal level (and plague be on he who suggests that water be pumped from elsewhere in the state, into Atlanta). Further, the 'conservation' measures are too little, too late, and "calls to action" are just about meaningless at this point.
As for the City of Atlanta proper, drought preparation (along with everything else) took a back seat to racial corruption and embezzlement, from which we are still years away from recovering. As for the rest of metro, drought preparation takes a back seat to everything else, because the concepts of planning and sharing, are anathema to the beneficiaries of the property-based economy.
- "I drove past the Chattahoochee, and it was HIGH.": Chew on this (courtesy USGS realtime survey). Each peak in flow (and corresponding height) is a release from the lake. As an aside, I wonder if the relatively low releases on 10/14 and 10/15 were scheduled, or if they were intended to be the reduced amount going forward.
- "Illegals": I'm eagerly waiting to hear some wingnut point its finger at "illegals" as part of the problem, not a year after spouting the "Americans don't want these jobs" line.
- Massive people migrations: Part of the "hard place". Folks moved here from all over: yankees, looking for cheap real estate. Mexicans, looking for better pay and an outlook. South Asians, looking for an even better exchange rate, and a better outlook. Half of Detroit, looking for jobs. Floridians, looking for affordable housing and weakened hurricanes. Business people from all over the globe, stopping here for a few years while they further their careers.
Then, they all made babies, fulfilling Atlanta and its suburbs as the place Where America Goes To Breed(tm). It looks like about 5 million or so people now live in metro Atlanta (no, I haven't checked the official numbers). See "Slack Leaders", above, for how this growth has been handled.
- Slack Individuals: Part of the "hard place". In spite of the impending disaster, I note the near complete lack of adjustment made by anyone around here...
- I have yet to see rain barrels or dew catchers going up anywhere.
- I have yet to see more people go an extra day without a shower. For that matter, the sidewalks and gyms are just as full of sweaty joggers as they were last week.
- My car is still one of the few that hasn't had a bath in months.
- I can't tell who's done laundry, so I'll just have to gauge that by checking for jeans.
- Swimming pools are still full.
- I'm still the only person I know who put a switching valve behind their showerhead (4 years ago), and I still get weird looks for running up $10 water bills (instead of $18-20, I suppose).
Apparently, news of the drought hasn't made the Discovery/TLC/HGTV circuit yet. Feel free to openly mock people who drink (municipally sourced) Dasani in an effort to "save water".
- Distorted worldviews, part II: I described my opinions of Sandy Springs' government in an earlier post (see below) about this water problem. Mrs. Jenkins' comments reveal an inherently irresponsible attitude, yet that attitude is shared enough to elect her to a City Council seat. Having grown up in the midstate, I find such statements unsurprising from the likes of Ashley Jenkins or the people who elected her; and I don't think for one second that the delusions required to have such an attitude are isolated to one district of one city. That condition is quite pervasive in the south, and to Georgians in particular, and generally contributes to the lack of preparation mentioned in "slack leaders, II", above.
- FEMA. There, I said it, and that ought to scare the hell out of everybody. At some point, they'll get involved, distributing drinking water for people. After the mandatory weeklong delay. And oh, how fun will that be? I vaguely recall Macon's pumping stations being shut down with silt left from Alberto's flooding; that was 1995. Now imagine the scale necessary to provide relief for millions of people for a solid year, or a few months every year for the next 3 or 4 years. I'll put 100 to 1 that such relief efforts are merely imaginary at this point.
So, what happens from here? Well, first, we get to see finger-pointing and political jockeying for position, as Atlanta metro runs out of water. Then, we run out of water, followed by Columbus and points south. Then all sorts of fun social disruption will occur, as the finger-pointing turns into blame and accusation. In such an event, look for Sandy Springs and Atlanta to get into a huge fight over the dwindling water supply, and look for political favor to manifest as FEMA treatment (i.e., Atlanta gets SSP's dregs). And this pattern continues until legitimate action is taken to collect, conserve, and legitimately manage water in a constructive manner.
So, if you're thinking about moving to Georgia (or the Southeast, for that matter), don't. If you're thinking about visiting Atlanta, put off those plans for a year, or bring your own water. If you're living in or near Atlanta, you might want to think about packing for at least a long vacation, or moving. |
This is what your cat looks like while you're at work all day. (Image trolled from Craigslist)