Another "in the news" post

[inulro]

Is it bad to be so amused by watching Ralph Klein squirm? Naah.

Current mood: smug

Back to Europe, I thought this article on water shortage in southern Europe was interesting & thought provoking. I've never lived somewhere that water was a real issue, but I appreciate that and think the anglo-saxon world should be grateful for what they have and should stop bitching about being asked to reduce their water usage. Although I love the whole western urban living thing, people should be more aware of where the resources they consume come from and the consequences.

The house where we stayed in France earlier this spring is almost certainly going to run out of water this summer as it's supplied by a well and not mains water, and it's in the region of France that's predicted to be the worst hit by the drought.

Plus, I've been to the Algarve. It's practically desert. Putting golf courses there is a contender for the stupidest damn idea ever, and I presume the Murcia region in Spain is similar.

current mood: worried

I must be more depressed or tired than I thought. I nearly posted a bunch of pictures of Norwegian forest kittens for no good reason besides they're cute.

Comments

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

I DEMAND KITTENS!!!

[inulro.livejournal.com]

Then google for images of norwegian forest cats like everyone else!

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

I nearly posted a bunch of pictures of Norwegian forest kittens for no good reason besides they're cute.

That's not a good reason?

[inulro.livejournal.com]

Isn't it one step above posting endless quiz results? it's not like they're my kittens or anything.

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

It's not just Murcia, parts of the Costa Blanca are the same, and they keep building courses in Almeria, Spain's desert province. A golf course uses as much water as a town of 15,000 people. Now, Almeria uses plenty of water anyway as the main industry is agriculture under plastic, but building a load of golf courses won't help. Only one of Almeria's courses is a US-style desert course.

The previous Spanish governmnent had the rather ridiculous idea of re-routing a large chunk of the river Ebro and sending it south. Lots of golf courses got approval on the back of that. The new Spanish government have ditched that plan and are putting in desalination plants instead, but it's still going to make water a) very expensive and b) short in supply.

It's the farmers who are suffering. The snow last winter really trashed the citrus crops anyway, but lack of water is the final killer.