4 ms·

Let’s turn Utah into California. Drought and all.

by devmunchies 4y ago

seanmcdirmid 4y ago
> Drought and all. I never thought Democrats would be blamed for the drought as well.
- devmunchies 4y ago
  You’re grasping at straws. It wasn’t a political comment. Utah already has the the drought, now it just needs the urban technocrats.
  - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
    Sorry, I thought the comment was associating politics with environment. Utah is already one of the most urban states (90%). And "conservative technocrats" mostly run things at the state level (SLC itself is very Democrat), so I'm a bit surprised the governor comes from a farm.
    - masklinn 4y ago
      > Sorry, I thought the comment was associating politics with environment. It absolutely is and they're lying through their teeth.
      - devmunchies 4y ago
        You people who see everything as a demo vs repub battle are tiresome. I couldn’t care less about political parties. I know that concept is unthinkable to you.
        masklinn 4y ago
        Yep, sure, which is why you went with good ol' tired dumping on california. Very believable, thank you for the laugh. Have a nice day. But maybe try avoiding the obvious tell if you're trying to keep your ideological affiliations hidden?
        devmunchies 4y ago
        I was born and raised in CA. Give me a break. If anything, I see myself as more inline with the classic Berkley-style, free will, spiritual esotericism of the 60s/70s. But like I said, political dispassion is beyond your comprehension, does not compute.
        brewdad 4y ago
        Ah yes, a classic independent voter who just happens to have never voted for a Democrat ever. We see you.
        devmunchies 4y ago
        I’ve never voted. Check mate.
- Alupis 4y ago
  While it would obviously be ridiculous to blame a political party for the weather... we can indeed lay blame on a political party for refusing (and blocking attempts) to build new water reservoirs in an ever-expanding, highly populated and frequently dry state. Because that is a political decision, for better or worse. California is currently drowning in water from the recent storms... and an awful lot of it will run straight out to the ocean. During the summertime... we deliberately open upstream dams so that downstream rivers can be full enough to support Tubbing, Boating and Recreational Fishing... which is kind of weird if you think about it.
  - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
    California isn't one region, and the monsoon season does the same thing to Arizona as it does to Southern California. The opening of dams to support sports is usually a bipartisan decision (conservatives as well as liberals like their electorates to be happy).
    - Alupis 4y ago
      You're right about the sporting uses... it's just absurd given California's dry history. However, the lack of sufficient reservoirs is indeed a real problem. The population and it's water needs have greatly eclipsed the state's storage capabilities, which creates a negative feedback cycle during dryer seasons/years.
      - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
        There are plenty of underground aquifers that need to be recharged, I assume the limiting factor is that when the rain comes all at once (during a monsoon) it can't be absorbed quickly enough before running into the ocean. Usually snowpacks build up and then release gradually (that's how the Colorado river works), but the drought and global warming have been reducing those (and the ability to build them back up) at a very quick rate. I'm sure people who are more knowledgeable about the problem are trying to work out solutions, and there is probably a straightforward answer to why we don't have a working solution already?
- yongjik 4y ago
  Have you driven I-5, going through CA's central valley? They have such lovely signs as "Congress created dust bowl." People will absolutely blame Democrats for the drought (or Republicans, it doesn't matter) if that means they are absolved of responsibility.
  - aeternum 4y ago
    It's somewhat ironic that the government and specifically the army corps of engineers created the central valley. It was a desert / dust-bowl before. It's also sad that a central valley project could never happen today. There would be endless environmental impact studies.
zahma 4y ago
The real problem here is not seeing that nature doesn’t draw arbitrary lines in the soil. What affects Utah will make its way to California. Keystone ecosystem disruption is very bad news.

Let’s turn Utah into California. Drought and all.

seanmcdirmid 4y ago

> Drought and all. I never thought Democrats would be blamed for the drought as well.

devmunchies 4y ago
You’re grasping at straws. It wasn’t a political comment. Utah already has the the drought, now it just needs the urban technocrats.
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  Sorry, I thought the comment was associating politics with environment. Utah is already one of the most urban states (90%). And "conservative technocrats" mostly run things at the state level (SLC itself is very Democrat), so I'm a bit surprised the governor comes from a farm.
  - masklinn 4y ago
    > Sorry, I thought the comment was associating politics with environment. It absolutely is and they're lying through their teeth.
    - devmunchies 4y ago
      You people who see everything as a demo vs repub battle are tiresome. I couldn’t care less about political parties. I know that concept is unthinkable to you.
      - masklinn 4y ago
        Yep, sure, which is why you went with good ol' tired dumping on california. Very believable, thank you for the laugh. Have a nice day. But maybe try avoiding the obvious tell if you're trying to keep your ideological affiliations hidden?
        devmunchies 4y ago
        I was born and raised in CA. Give me a break. If anything, I see myself as more inline with the classic Berkley-style, free will, spiritual esotericism of the 60s/70s. But like I said, political dispassion is beyond your comprehension, does not compute.
        brewdad 4y ago
        Ah yes, a classic independent voter who just happens to have never voted for a Democrat ever. We see you.
        devmunchies 4y ago
        I’ve never voted. Check mate.
Alupis 4y ago
While it would obviously be ridiculous to blame a political party for the weather... we can indeed lay blame on a political party for refusing (and blocking attempts) to build new water reservoirs in an ever-expanding, highly populated and frequently dry state. Because that is a political decision, for better or worse. California is currently drowning in water from the recent storms... and an awful lot of it will run straight out to the ocean. During the summertime... we deliberately open upstream dams so that downstream rivers can be full enough to support Tubbing, Boating and Recreational Fishing... which is kind of weird if you think about it.
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  California isn't one region, and the monsoon season does the same thing to Arizona as it does to Southern California. The opening of dams to support sports is usually a bipartisan decision (conservatives as well as liberals like their electorates to be happy).
  - Alupis 4y ago
    You're right about the sporting uses... it's just absurd given California's dry history. However, the lack of sufficient reservoirs is indeed a real problem. The population and it's water needs have greatly eclipsed the state's storage capabilities, which creates a negative feedback cycle during dryer seasons/years.
    - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
      There are plenty of underground aquifers that need to be recharged, I assume the limiting factor is that when the rain comes all at once (during a monsoon) it can't be absorbed quickly enough before running into the ocean. Usually snowpacks build up and then release gradually (that's how the Colorado river works), but the drought and global warming have been reducing those (and the ability to build them back up) at a very quick rate. I'm sure people who are more knowledgeable about the problem are trying to work out solutions, and there is probably a straightforward answer to why we don't have a working solution already?
yongjik 4y ago
Have you driven I-5, going through CA's central valley? They have such lovely signs as "Congress created dust bowl." People will absolutely blame Democrats for the drought (or Republicans, it doesn't matter) if that means they are absolved of responsibility.
- aeternum 4y ago
  It's somewhat ironic that the government and specifically the army corps of engineers created the central valley. It was a desert / dust-bowl before. It's also sad that a central valley project could never happen today. There would be endless environmental impact studies.

zahma 4y ago

The real problem here is not seeing that nature doesn’t draw arbitrary lines in the soil. What affects Utah will make its way to California. Keystone ecosystem disruption is very bad news.