My conversation with James Lawrence Powell:
"To discover to the world something which deeply concerns it, and of which it was previously ignorant; to prove to it that it had been mistaken on some vital point of temporal or spiritual interest, is as important a service as a human being can render to his fellow creatures..." John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Water,water, not everywhere
We already know that for the 2008/2009 winter season, rainfall in Northern California and in the Western States, is at least 40% below normal. Where will the water come from to sustain the great desert cities of the American West. In a provocative exploration of the past, present, and future of water in the West, James Lawrence Powell, author of Dead Pool: Lake Powell, Global Warming, and the Future of Water in the West and Director of the National Physical Science Consortium at USC, begins the story at Lake Powell, the vast reservoir that has become an emblem of this story and shows how the self-serving promoters of the Colorado River's dams have consistently ignored natural limits imposed by water supply, silt, and salt, creating a long-term crisis that may make ghost towns out of many of the overpopulated cities of the American West.