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Tuesday, November 11. 2008
Thirsty Times
It’s Monday Night, after a first day at a new job. Nothing going on in the brain … nothing to write about. New jobs … this one’s pretty good. So far just learning the system, which is fairly expansive, but it’s intuitive and works off Windows. I prefer the Apple system of course, but this is pretty easy to pick up.
Having an income is always preferable to living the homeless existence. Been there, done that. In Wisconsin no less when, in the winter, the temperature would often drop below zero.
Curious about that experience; can’t recall ever thinking I was living anything but a normal lifestyle. Now, I did live in a basement for a while, as well as an empty house that was being rehabbed. That was an experience. Electric in only one room, no heat except for a Coleman tent heater — you should have seen the black stain on the ceiling from that!
Here’s what you do to feed yourself: transport drugs across town using the bus system for your drug-dealing buddies and then you sell you blood and plasma. There were always enough places around town that you could sell plasma 2-3 times a week and blood once a week. That was living!
Then, there were dumpsters full of food! Fast food places were the best!
Anyway, the homeless lifestyle has been averted once again, but there may still be a problem with taking a shower every day.
Just heard on the news the City of San Diego will begin instituting mandatory water rationing. Water levels throughout the Southwest are at an all-time low and expected to get lower. The climate is it’s most arid in over a century and expected to get more arid. The two main reservoirs on the Colorado River are expected to be completely dry by 2021 — that’s just over 12 years away. In 12 years our main supply of water will be gone.
What locals don’t want to do: ration water, recycle water or desalinate ocean water. Of course no one wants to ration water. That means you can’t wash your car at home, you’ll have to take it to a car wash that recycles the used water. Can only water your lawn three times a week in the summer, once a week from November to May. And it could get more Draconian than that.
Recycling water … that means cleaning our sewage and reusing it. Toilet water included. You could never look at tap water the same way. It would always appear to have a brown hue.
Desalinating salt water, I’m not sure what the reasons are for opposing it, other than the cost of building plants large enough to service the entirety of Southern California. There are roughly 21 million people living between Malibu and the Mexican border and that number is expected to rise. California has over 30 million residents and in 15 years will have 20 million more — at least.
There’s that big expanse of water called the Pacific Ocean and we don’t want to invest in turning it into drinking water. Boggles the mind. We will have to make some decision soon about water usage and water supply because we are going to run out very soon.
One nice side effect of the water shortage: development has slowed. The developers can’t get guarantee a 20-year water supply and therefore permits for building are now being curtailed. A state law was passed a few years ago requiring developers to guarantee that 20-year supply before a permit could be issued. Now, the state and municipalities are enforcing it.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared California to be in a drought this past June, meaning state-mandated measures are coming soon.When you take the I-15 North from San Diego, you pass through a community called Rancho Bernardo on your way to Escondido. There’s a little bridge that crosses over the east end of Lake Hodges. Used to be, there was water under that bridge. Now, it’s dried up and over grown with vegetation. Great kindling for the next wildfire.
We would often see people in bass boats fishing in that area. Haven’t seen the fisherman or water in years. Locals notice the little changes. Many brush it off as if it means nothing. The general apathy — the head in the sand attitude — will eventually bite us in the ass. Most Californians like to think about things other than water shortages. While we’re busy denying Americans the right to get married, our supply of water is running out. Talk about misdirected priorities.
Is it worth living in California anymore? Used to be, I’d answer with a quick and enthusiastic “Yes!” Now, I’m wondering.
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