Archive for August, 2009
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Water Wars NOT! [2nd edition]
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
I am not a fan of the “water wars” motif that reporters and NGOs throw around; see this and this post.
Fleck mentioned a new research paper that points out water is more often associated with peace than war, and it got me to thinking…
Why would there be wars over oil or diamonds [...]
Dilbert Teaches Cost Benefit
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Original version
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Politics, Community and Climate
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
In Forget Shorter Showers (via SJ), Derrick Jensen reminds us that personal action cannot solve political problems. He suggests that people — as citizens (not consumers) — actively go after those in power, destroying those perpetuating injustice. (I’d do that, but this chair is sooo comfy
So how about the people [...]
Rentech Making Waves
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
The following story posed a bit of a dilemma for me. In my new role, there will be potential conflicts of interest in some of the stories I may post, and until I elaborate on what I am doing, I am trying to avoid posting anything that might fall into that [...]
Notes on Energy Efficiency
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I arrived in one piece in Hawaii a few days ago, and have been settling in. It is still hard to believe I am here, and I plan to elaborate a bit on why I am here in the near future.
In the interim - and because I haven’t posted anything new [...]
Speed Blogging
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Mosquitoes LOVE contaminated water (in Atlanta!) — because they have more buggies to eat. (I’d also guess that there are fewer fish to eat them…)
Prices up ($5/m^3), use down (15%) — and Israelis are just barely safe from saltwater intrusion destroying their aquifer.
This blogger been in charge of groundwater for 3 million [...]
WaterSource/WaterBank Comment Policy
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Dear Aguanauts,
I have sent Ray (retired water rights analyst, WaterSource/WaterBank) an email asking him to stay on topic — and stop promoting his “non-tributary” water.
Sorry if his comments bothered you.
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More Dams? No. More Politics
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
GJ says this at his blog:
Regarding… Schwartzenneger’s demand that new reservoirs and dams be included in California water legislation addressing the water crisis…
Are we approaching that point where sheer numbers of a growing population and its increasing demand on natural resources can no longer be sustained (or even that survival itself is [...]
Poll Results — Bad Ass Turtles
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Hey! There’s a new poll (schools) to the right —->
How many times did you watch the turtle before voting here?
0-5
74%
74
5-10
18%
18
10+
5%
5
Can’t remember
3%
3
Bottom Line: Sometimes you gotta watch out for the slow guy
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Swiss Pix
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
NF sent this pretty pic…
… and this comment: “Here, you can see 3 very well known tops of the Swiss mountains. The one which is in the building’s center is the Eiger and then to the right are the Mönch and the Jungfraujoch. The lake is Neuchâtel, the biggest inside Switzerland. (Leman [...]
Imagine H2O Night
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
“On Thursday August 20th, Imagine H2O, a San Francisco based not-for-profit organization committed to enabling water entrepreneurship is hosting an evening for identifying water customers’ needs, brainstorming ideas and building teams in anticipation of the upcoming launch of the inaugural Imagine H2O Prize (Info and tickets).
On September 1, Imagine H2O will kick [...]
Mulroy, Mulholland and Muddle
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
For those of you who do not read all the water blogs, there has been a series of posts on Mulroy’s grab for rural water to feed Vegas sprawl.
I wrote this.
Aquadoc wrote this.
Emily Green wrote a bunch of stuff.
Fleck wrote this.
Now Aquadoc wrote a great post comparing Mulroy to Robert Moses of [...]
Academic Economists
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Another in a series…
I was talking to my dad, explaining how academic economists are not very good at describing how markets work [seen the news recently?].
For example, many economists talk about “equilibrium,” i.e., when supply and demand are balanced. I asked him the last time he noticed the real estate market in [...]
Is this Recycling Bin Half Full or Half Empty?
Submitted by PlasticLess.com Blog
I was happy to see this big bin installed on the public beach access this summer. A lot of water bottles that may have otherwise ended up in the sea are placed in it. At the same time it serves as a daily reminder to me that collecting and recycling plastics is [...]
Speed Blogging
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Rich people are now having more children. Seems like the demographic transition is reversible
“Groundwater Availability in California’s Central Valley” comes from the USGS and provides a thorough and authoritative view of groundwater use and recharge. (The report cost $1 million; the USGS provides value for money!) The important numbers are [...]
Monday Morning Smile
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
(via JWT) “Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Senator (D-NV) Harry Reid’s great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common [...]
The Tragedy of the Anti-Commons
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Bretson and Hill have just published an important article [PDF] on the tragedy of the anti-commons in water markets. Unlike the tragedy of the commons (where anyone can exploit the resource), the tragedy of the anti-commons arises when everyone has a veto, preventing anyone from exploiting the resource.
And a word to those [...]
Weekend Discussion — Online Communities
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
NOTE: This post will stay here until Sunday night. Posts for Saturday and Sunday morning go below this post.
Dear Aguanauts,
Discussion posts allow you to discuss a topic among yourselves — exchanging views, learning and teaching. (I only read the comments.)
If you are interested, take a moment to check out (and add to!) [...]
Flashback: 9 — 15 Aug 2008
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
In Details Details, I discuss the nitty gritty of per capita water rates, i.e., counting people. [I recently learned that "liar inflation" is about 10%, i.e., households increase their population by an average of 10 percent.]
In Lame Responses, I say that NRDC and EDF are naive to think that the Delta can [...]
A Better Alternative to Cash for Clunkers
Submitted by PlasticLess.com Blog
Today is my last day of work as Engineering Director for Accsys Technologies/Titan Wood. After today, I will continue to maintain an advisory relationship with the company, as I still thoroughly believe in the company and the technology, and I want to help them succeed.
However, tomorrow I board a plane to Hawaii [...]
Growing Your Own Food
Submitted by PlasticLess.com Blog
I am not an expert on this subject, please do yourself a favor and seek out people who are. I just wanted to point out that a great way to cut down on food packaging is to have the food sitting on the vine or under the ground just outside your backdoor.
I [...]
Weekend Discussion — Online Communities
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
NOTE: This post will stay here until Sunday night. Posts for Saturday and Sunday morning go below this post.
Dear Aguanauts,
Discussion posts allow you to discuss a topic among yourselves — exchanging views, learning and teaching. (I only read the comments.)
If you are interested, take a moment to check out (and add to!) [...]
Aquashock — The Review
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
I just read an advance manuscript of Susan Adam’s Aquashock [Amazon].
The book was a disappointment. It was more of a series of notes and facts [some inaccurate] pulled from a reporter’s notebook than a book that gave analysis and context in a narrative that flowed from here to there.
Even worse (to me), [...]
Speed Blogging
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
The Economist says that the US ethanol program drives deforestation in Brazil, and they’re right. It’s all about pork for corn states, not the environment.
Cash for clunkers is a rip off [PDF] — $365/ton of avoided CO2 — but now we know why politicians love it. Reminds me of ethanol. When is [...]
The End of Abundance in Idaho
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
A guest post from Mark Solomon:
Over-appropriation is hitting the fan in south Idaho with IDWR ordering the first curtailment of use order in its history.
So far, the courts are upholding the agency order. The facts are complicated, but basically, junior groundwater pumpers are being curtailed to meet the call of senior surface [...]
