The New Mexico legislature has repeatedly failed to grapple with the problem of who owns deep brackish groundwater, and how its use will be regulated. My colleague Sean Olson has a story in this morning’s Albuquerque Journal that illustrates the mess that has resulted, as folks with development interests elbow one another out of the …
Continue reading ‘Legislative Failings and New Mexico Water Wars’ »
Tony Davis had a story last week on Tucson’s approach to meeting (or not meeting) the water needs of new developments on its perimeter: A city water policy that had been described as “trick-or-treat” for new developers has been replaced by a tougher stance in which City Hall has denied service to four projects in …
A reader familiar with my longstanding interest in how one defines “drought” sent along this interesting story from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Federal Government-selected experts want people to start using the word “dryness” to describe Australia’s worst drought in a century. The word “drought” makes farmers feel bad, says the Government’s hand-picked Drought Policy Review …
I don’t know about you, but my right to enjoy bottled water is up there with freedom from search and seizure for me!
I don’t think this is exactly what David Zetland has in mind when he argues for establishing water markets, but hey, whatever works! From the International Herald Tribune: In the world’s driest inhabited continent, there is simply not enough water to go around, and households, cities, industries and agriculture all demand their share from stressed …
Today’s energy tip: low-flow shower heads and shorter showers. Yes, it’s an energy tip, not a water tip.
Oak Flat watering hole Originally uploaded by heinemanfleck. Lissa made a great discovery yesterday morning while we were walking in the woods at Oak Flat, in the Manzano Mountains east of town. The big thing in the background of the picture that looks like a UFO is a big cistern, with a flared top to …
Not doubt the economists* in the audience can explain this in terms of pricing and efficiency: Colorado’s largest water utility will raise rates 7.5 percent next year as it seeks to offset rising operating costs and soft water sales among its drought-conscious customers. * I’m not being sarcastic here. I genuinely believe economists have some …
If it happens every year, is it a drought? Severe drought and prolonged water shortages have hit the hamlet and the surrounding area with such a regularity that the villagers, like Sarikuma, have almost lost hope of finding an effective solution to the problem. “The dry season always brings a drought, which in turn leads …
David Foster argues that free water for the poor in India comes with a significant cost: Although water supply in virtually all Indian cities is heavily subsidized, very few BPL (Below Poverty Line) families have household connections. While upper income families benefit from those subsidies, the BPL families are often forced to buy water from …