Archive for September, 2009
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Flashback: 13 — 19 Sep 2008
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
These posts are still relevant, so please comment!
BEST: Mission Failure — when the Bureau of Reclamation continues to manage water without any customers.
Geo-Engineering — I was against it then, and I am now. Why? The Law of Unintended Consequences. Speaking of that, MET to End Subsidies to Farmers is good news for [...]
Monday Morning Smile
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
From the often brilliant XKCD:
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Delta Options: No People or No Fish
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
LP asks:
Do you answer questions from lay persons regarding the causes of water shortage in the Delta and the economics involved? I am interested in a simple language and time-frame or point explanation regarding the controversy over the EPA of the Delta Smeldt and farmers in the area, who say, “Just turn [...]
Weekend Discussion — A New Constitution
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!) [...]
Water Flowing Underground
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
In response to EBMUD’s plan to store water in San Joaquin country (see page 3-26 in this report [pdf]), KE says:
Here in rural Amador County, people went crazy a few years ago when they heard the county might pass an ordinance to measure groundwater use and prevent its offsite transfer.
I suggested to [...]
Senatorial Stumbles
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
(via JF) US Senators are calling for more price supports to help “struggling” dairy farmers.
That’s because dairy prices have dropped by more than input prices, and their profit margins are being squeezed.
This is a stupid idea — mostly because the current system of regulations and price supports is meant to prevent just [...]
Fear and Water Managers
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
In response to this post, Terry Spragg sent a comment worthy of a post of its own:
Regarding your “Nothing to Fear but…” blog comments, why do you think so many water authorities seem to “Fear” the new, but simple to test ideas that we have been proposing to use waterbags linked in [...]
Lessons Not Learned
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
This story (via DW and TS) recounts a familiar problem:
Water agencies ask customers to use x% less water, often increasing restrictions on water use.
Customers cut use by 2x%, reducing agency sales below projections based on x% reductions.
To cover the gap between revenue and expenses, agencies raise prices, reduce services and/or tap reserve [...]
Corn Ethanol Breakthrough?
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I just read an interesting story from Reuters courtesy of a reader:
UK technology could turn U.S. ethanol industry green
DUNSFOLD PARK, England (Reuters) - A compost bacteria bred by a British company could be set to transform both the profitability and environmental credentials of the U.S. ethanol industry.
“The application of our technology [...]
Making Reusable Bags from ‘Disposable’ Bags
Submitted by PlasticLess.com Blog
This isn’t exactly a review of Fat Bottom Bags. I chose local solutions as much as possible and these bags are made in the North West of America. They caught my eye because they look quite a bit like the grass basket that my wife bought in Hergla.
Fat Bottom Bags are made [...]
A Break with the Past
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
On the Record (via BT) notes how views are changing:
This is the turning point I’ve been waiting for. With water costs this high, she’d rather be in a city apartment. I’ve been wondering for years what would herd people in from the exurbs. It struck me as a race between costs of [...]
Poll Results — Weather Living
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Hey! There’s a new poll (pee in the shower?) to the right —->
Weather (heat, snow) determines where I live…
Always
23%
7
Often (>50 percent)
33%
10
Sometimes (<50>
17%
5
Never
27%
8
30 votes total
I wanted to ask this question to get an idea of how people will be affected by climate change. 27% say they wouldn’t move, but [...]
What Happens in Vegas…
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
…will be reported on this blog. I am going there to give a talk at the AWWA-CA-NV conference on October 7 (8:15 am). My topic is “The Political Economy of Water Rates.”
I tried to set up a water chat with Pat Mulroy, but she’s “busy.”
(I may be able to talk to someone [...]
Data! Data!
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Professor Joseph Dellapenna kindly sent this table [pdf] summarizing the different property rights regimes — Appropriative, Dual (appropriative & riparian), Regulated Riparianism, and Riparian — for each of the 50 states. Although I know that rights correspond to water scarcity (riparian is more common in wet places; appropriative in dry), I’d be [...]
Speed Blogging
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
The human toll from the Vegas meltdown. It is worse than elsewhere because Vegas grew so fast, so unsustainably. Thank Pat Mulroy.
“The lack of clean water is one of Egypt’s most urgent problems… Corruption, pollution and wastage are to blame… because water tariffs are too low. UN-appointed expert Catarina de Albuquerque reported [...]
Monday Morning Smile
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
ps: watch this video (the boat stimulus?), via Thirsty Gayle.
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Fewer People and Less Stuff
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
EF sent me this story:
People want to save the planet but are unwilling to make radical lifestyle changes like giving up air travel or red meat to reduce the effects of climate change…
It’s been obvious to me that two main adjustments are necessary to get climate change:
We need to reduce the population [...]
An Urban Legend Falls
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Figure 1. Classical Outlier or Amazing New Discovery?
On November 16, 2007 a study was released that stirred up a lot of excitement in ethanol circles. The study was titled Optimal Ethanol Blend-Level Investigation. The study was commissioned by the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), and the work was carried out by [...]
Flashback: 6 Sep — 12 Sep 2008
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
These posts are STILL relevant, so please comment!
Sierra non-Nevada — local warming is destroying California’s biggest “reservoir”
BEST: In these posts, I review the work of S.V. Ciriacy Wantrup, the UC Berkeley professor whose bequest pays my salary. His words on the institutions for managing natural resources are wise, wise, wise:
The problems of [...]
Krugman on Economics
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Several people have asked what I think of Krugman’s piece (How Did Economists Get It So Wrong?) in the NY Times. In it, he says:
As I see it, the economics profession went astray because economists, as a group, mistook beauty, clad in impressive-looking mathematics, for truth. Until the Great Depression, most economists [...]
Useless Discussions?
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
I am wondering if the “weekend discussions” are of any use or am I just picking boring topics.
Please tell me your thoughts and/or good topics…
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Better PhDs
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
It’s widely-acknowledged that many research professors bring a weak grasp of reality to their subject. This so-called “ivory tower” problem usually means that their research is irrelevant to the outside world, but sometimes that research is dangerous — as we have found with financial theory recently.
One way to reduce this problem is [...]
The First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in the U.S.
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I received a two-week reprieve on the book chapter deadline, as some of the other contributors aren’t finished. So I now have time to pick a few other things back up. I have ended up really reworking the structure of the chapter to discuss the size of the biomass resource base, [...]
Weekend Discussion — Worn Out Shoes
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!) [...]
Banksy on Sustainability
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
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