The week that was, 8/1-7/2010
Posted on | August 8, 2010 | 2 Comments
“It is unprecedented …” — Major General Athar Abbas, Half a million evacuated from Pakistan floods, Daily Telegraph, August 6, 2010
“I appeal to the world to help us.” — Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on floods now estimated to impact more than two million people, Rains worsen Pakistan flood misery, Al Jazeera, August 8, 2010*
Refugees from record monsoon flooding in Pakistan. Click on the image to make a donation to British Red Cross relief efforts. A £20 sterling donation will translate to roughly $32 US dollars.
“If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?” That’s an excellent question, but it turns out [Chief Seattle] never asked it. The entire “web of life” speech was concocted in 1972 by a Hollywood screenwriter. — H2Ownership: Ancient, Equitable Traditions of Efficient Water Resource Trading in Desert Cultures, Global Water Magazine, July 25, 2010*
“That blows me away. But in some ways it makes sense. Sequim is not a waterfront town.” — Sequim, Washington resident Pat McCauley on the news that instead of meaning “quiet waters,” the town’s Klallam language name means “place for going to shoot,” ‘Quiet waters’? Sequim means something else entirely, AP / Seattle Times, August 3, 2010
“It’s not cross-examination; it’s not testimony under oath. We took the best available science. It’s a term paper.” — Arthur Baggett, State Water Resources Control Board member on the resolution to adopt flow criteria for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that would reduce water deliveries to urban and agricultural users across California by half, Delta water users dismiss call for steep cutbacks, Oakland Tribune, August 3, 2010
BP today completed cementing operations at the MC252 well at 14:15 CDT, as part of the static kill procedure. — British Petroleum press release, August 5, 2010
Central Arizona Project canal
The former general manager of the Central Arizona Project, the former president of Arizona-American Water, a former state water regulator and a former Phoenix city manager have all joined the race for the CAP board of directors. — CAP race lures a few heavy hitters, Waterblogged, Arizona Republic, August 2, 2010
“We’ve been very inefficient with our water.” — John Rossi, general manager of the Western Municipal Water District, Agencies tackle water challenges, Ontario Daily Bulletin, August 5, 2010
Dreams of simple, low-cost solutions to meet EPA’s unreasonable unfunded mandates are little more than wishful thinking by those who want the world to be perfect – as long as someone else pays the tab. — The real costs of perfect water, opinion piece by Worcester, Massachusetts public works commissioner Robert Moylan, News Telegram, August 5, 2010
Park conditions that include non-contact water recreation, warm freshwater habitat, wildlife and wetland habitat would also see improvements … the list of temporary inconveniences could include … A rotten eggs smell from hydrogen sulfide as tons of muck gets excavated. — Echo Park lake clean-up no walk in the park, KPCC online on the planned $65m draining of the artificial lake next to downtown Los Angeles after a series of lotus-less lotus festivals, August 5, 2010
More than 2,000 people have died from drowning in rivers, reservoirs and elsewhere in July and June, often after seeking relief from the heat while intoxicated. — From fires to fish, heat wave batters Russia, New York Times, July 29, 2010*
The wildfire situation in Russia is under control, a spokesman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry told Itar-Tass on Sunday. — Itar-Tass, August 1, 2010
President Dmitry Medvedev declared a state of emergency in forest-fire-afflicted regions of Russia and the country’s grain authority lowered its harvest projection amid one of Russia’s hottest, driest summers on record. — Russia plagued by forest fires, wilting grain, Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2010
August 4, 2010 image of flooding in Pakistan. Source: NASA. Click on the image to be taken to the Earth Observatory.
Since Pakistan was founded more than 60 years ago, water availability per person in the country has shrunk by 80 per cent. — Record rains but Pakistan is dying for water, The Independent, August 1, 2010
“We chase after the water with steps. It changes every month. There is no permanent shore.” — Dead Sea lifeguard Yusef Matari, As it shrinks, Dead Sea feeds promises of an economic boom, New York Times, August 4, 2010
Each time I make a rare plunge into deep water I am reminded that Adjutor, the patron saint of swimmers also doubles as the patron of drowners. That frankly suggests a saint hedging his bets. — Sandi Toksvig, The Sunday Telegraph, August 8, 2010, via ProQuest*
“My wife who is a big gardener for the last year and a half, has been talking about you know, there is a flawed premise in the green house effect…” — Los Angeles City Council president and Democrat Eric Garcetti supporting with Republican councilman Greig Smith in the over-turning of the city’s two-day lawn-watering ordinance, Mr Smith goes to council, Chance of Rain, July 27, 2010*
“We can trust citizens of LA. They’re not dumb, they’re pretty smart. But when you put together a scheme like this, nobody can figure it out.” — Los Angeles City Council Greig Smith leading the over-turning of the city’s two-day lawn-watering ordinance, Mr Smith goes to council, Chance of Rain, July 27, 2010*
Grass has been made to seem like a culprit because of the amount of water it uses in comparison with some other plants, yet it is one of the best oxygen producers we have. — Letter in the Albuquerque Journal from a reader defending turf, Rain follows the lawn, jfleck at Inkstain, August 7, 2010
*Several items from last week’s news cycle, which was preempted by the monthly Lake Mead elevation report, have been carried forward. Also, given the severity of the floods in Pakistan, items from the current week have also been included. Chance of Rain urges all who can donate even a little to click on the link to the British Red Cross. For a full round-up of California water news, go to Aquafornia, the newsfeed of the Water Education Foundation, or to UC Berkeley’s On Water. For San Diego water news, try Groksurf’s San Diego. Or, for all things fresh water, do check in with WaterWired.
This post was updated at 8.27pm PST, August 8, 2010. The item about BP was added.
Comments
2 Responses to “The week that was, 8/1-7/2010”
Leave a Reply
North American Native Plant Societies
After the lawn
Garden blogs
August 10th, 2010 @ 7:34 am
Emily – FYI, I updated my lawn/oxygen post after realizing I’d left the impression that the letter to the editor came from Scotts. It was written by some random reader, and I added the Scotts image for comic effect.
August 10th, 2010 @ 3:06 pm
It was credited correctly on this site. People may have thought it came from Scotts Co. because their PRs do extoll the environmental virtues of lawn to do with urban heat island effect and air quality.