NOT Whipped By Water

I did a tiny bit of activism today, other than my usual culture jamming on Facebook. I wrote a letter to Georgia Trend magazine. It is in response to a column by the publisher, in regards to Georgia's water problems. The column beats on some very tired and antiquated clichés:

1) Growth is good, and is needed to revive the economy.

2) A plentiful supply of fresh water is necessary for an ever-growing economy.

3) No mention of water conservation (such a typical little corporate attitude).

4) A mythical technological fix is proposed, such as desalination plants and miles of piping. But this columnist goes into outer space by suggesting we can FREEZE the water and transport it on trucks from the coast to north Georgia. (So funny!).

And here is the freakin' article: "Whipped by Water?" by Neely Young.

You know, every time I fire off a letter like this it makes me feel better. It makes me feel like I've got a good swing in at the Earth Destroyers. Yeah, I know, violence is bad, but I am trying to defend a big rock floating through space that can't defend itself. Yes, maybe I'm flipping.

Here is my letter:

Dear Editor,

A recent column by Neely Young on Georgia’s water issues had an interesting title — “Whipped by Water?” I can think of better titles like, “Whipped By Government Incompetence,” “Whipped By Greed,” and “Whipped By Unchecked and Unplanned Growth.”

In his article, once again a member of the business press is singing the old hymn about more growth. Do we really want to turn Georgia into a people-packed nation like Bangladesh? In our quest for eternal growth, won’t we hit diminishing returns at some point? What we should focus on instead is quality of life and a sustainable economy, not reckless overshoot for the benefit of Georgia’s elite.

It is tiring to see Mr. Young and his ilk always reaching for the magic technological fix. The idea of hundreds of ice trucks traversing around Georgia is so preposterous that it staggers the imagination. Wouldn’t it take a tremendous amount of energy to freeze all that water?

Allow me to propose a less dramatic fix: How about if Georgia businesses retrofitted their buildings with water-saving devices? Wouldn’t that be cheaper than desalination plants and hundreds of miles of piping? If we are “whipped” by anything, it’s the stubborn building owners and developers who fight most water conservation efforts, including low-flow toilets.

What we do need in Georgia is a new paradigm that recognizes that there are limits to growth and limits to nature. What we also need is serious sacrifice and commitment, and not more techno fantasies.

Sincerely,

The Goose