The Ancient Mariner ain’t seen nothin yet. Just a few items from the news. Of course mainstream media doesn’t cover these mere details that affect tens of millions. Not to mention what is happening in Queensland right now.
1. Brazil’s drought
This week’s most popular story was Fabiola Ortiz’s account of life in Brazil as the country deals with its worst drought in 84 years. Poor rains, deforestation and high water consumption has led to parts of the country declaring a state of emergency. Even carnival dancers will suffer – water used to cool them off has been banned. In the country’s biggest city, Sao Paulo, the mayor is close to restricting water access to two days a week.
2. From Stratfor. There are links to other articles on water scarcity at the end of this one.
Industrial Expansion Will Strain Mexico’s Water Resources
3. And let’s not mention sea level rise and storm surges
Troubled Coastlines From Louisiana To Maine
Bob Marshall on the massive undertaking of reversing a century and a half of
policies that have left the Mississippi River Delta region battered,and former Maine
State Representative Seth Berry about his state’s coastal problems.
4. Across the world climate impacts are already changing lives, and forcing people to
leave their homes. Sophie Yeo has mapped some critical areas of concern
Ronda,
My wife and I holidayed in Brazil 30 years ago, I can remember marvelling at the country’s gigantic rivers and huge hydro projects, Itaipu was extremely impressive. At the time a drought would have been inconceivable, of course the economic effects will be doubly devastating since so much of the country’s electricity is supplied by hydro,
Comment by RussellW — February 21, 2015 @ 8:56 am
Exactly Russell, and excellent reasons not to rely on hydro, but particularly when we have so much cheaper than coal, carbon free thorium! Enough to supply the world for 700 years?
Given my druthers, I’ prefer to keep and use it here, via much more pragmatic micro grids; just to gain and keep the advantages that cheaper than hydro (half price) power (real competition) would bestow on our own economy!
Moreover, given available supplies, for literally thousands of years; and plenty of time for humanity to iron out all the bugs in even cheaper fusion power?
And given we’re never ever going to run out of biological waste any time soon; get busy producing biogas, which if coupled to ceramic fuel cells, will produce mostly water vapor as the exhaust product, and very local domestic power, half the price of cheap as chips thorium power; and free domestic free hot water!
[How much domestic stimulus could we create, just by cutting current domestic power bills by 75%]
If only we could just set them up with that combination in the likes of the Ukraine, or any other nation depending on the (price gouging) Russians for their (economic weapon)energy products?
Why even NZ has had problems with Hydro power; that include unforeseen silting up, and just running out of essential rain. And mud just doesn’t work well in hydro schemes!
Even so, dams can and do serve a number of useful purposes; ironing out the feast or famine nature of rainfall numbers, provide far more reliable water supplies, and mitigate against floods, lower the salt table if sited as myriad small upland dams that force the water into the landscape/block the further progress of silt! Where an envelope of fresh forces the salt far lower.
From where fresh water can and does leak, when we are in the driest times, thereby guaranteeing extended environmental flows, well into the deepest most enduring droughts.
And further assisted by moving our rice production to the much wetter north, and then replacing it and similarly thirsty crops, with algae (bio-fuel) production; and for just 1-2% of the water of the former irrigation reliant crops.
Which in turn then could help extend the supply side for normally viable hydro projects/irrigation specific/ environmental flow guaranteeing (a fresh flush when essential) dams/artificial wet lands?
Also, sluice gates must be able to respond to much more timely remote control; to eliminate a number of dangers/personal risk during storm or tempest, or its aftermath?
Alan B. Goulding.
Comment by Alan B. Goulding — February 21, 2015 @ 12:02 pm
Alan,
As usual, I don’t disagree with most of your ideas, however there’s no chance for ‘alternatives’ under the present ideologically-blinkered government. Because of Australia’s second rate managerial class most of those projects would require at least some type of indicative planning, and perhaps, soft loans, which are anathema to the current regime ( unless the recipients are primary industries). I doubt that the current pretender to the throne, Malcolm Turnbull would modify the Coalition’s neoliberal ideology to any significant extent.
As far as I know, there are no commercial thorium reactors on the market,could you imagine the Coalition supporting energy research that wasn’t for the benefit of coal and oil companies?
Comment by RussellW — February 21, 2015 @ 12:32 pm