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  1. #1
    Senior Member Skip's Avatar
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    IMMIGRATION POLICIES ALSO AFFECT WATER USE : NCT COMMENTARY



    Immigration policies also affect water use

    By: LYNNETTE M. PERKES - Commentary


    Ninety percent of our country's population growth is due to immigration and the high birth rates of immigrants. At the current growth rate, our population will triple from today's 300 million to almost 1 billion before the end of the century. The Senate immigration bill, with its massive amnesty and its impossible enforcement provisions, would probably boost that number even higher. The issue is not the color or race of these 600 million additional people, it's their sheer numbers.

    How many people can this country sustain, and at what quality of life? The first limiting factor is water. Nowhere is the clash between population growth and water more dramatic than here, in Southern California. This has been the driest year in recorded history, and the snowpack in the Sierras, from which we import most of our water, is at historic lows.

    Our other water source, the Colorado River Basin is, itself, in the grip of an eight-year drought. This, climate scientists tell us, is no anomaly, it's the future. It's also the past. Tree-ring studies from living and fossil trees show that prolonged droughts, some lasting for decades, are historically normal weather for this region. Add in global warming, which is predicted to reduce average precipitation in the Rockies and the Sierras by at least a third and the flow of the Colorado River, lifeblood of seven fast-growing states, by up to one-half.


    Occasional floods and hurricanes notwithstanding, water shortage is the story over most of the country. As we drain our underground water sources to support a growing population, natural vegetation that depends on groundwater is left high and dry. Across the country, vast forest fires, on a scale we have never before seen, have incinerated millions of acres of drought-stricken trees. Even tropical Florida has recently been ravaged by drought-invoked fires.

    We have already exploited all our major rivers to the limit and, nationwide, we now extract about 25 percent more from underground sources than is replaced by rain and snowfall each year.

    The deficit is far higher in the Ogallala aquifer, the great, natural underground reservoir that underlies our Great Plains. This water, a remnant of the last ice age, is what has enabled us to turn an arid prairie into the "amber waves of grain" that feed our country and much of the rest of the world. We extract 4 to 6 feet of water from the Ogallala each year, while nature puts back less than an inch. Already, over vast areas, wells that once watered fields of wheat and corn now come up dry no matter how deep they're driven.

    Meanwhile, our nation adds 1.2 million new water consumers every year. Unless we do something real to curb immigration both legal and illegal (the current bill does neither), we face a future with one-third less surface water, with much of our groundwater exhausted, and with three times the number of people to share what's left.

    Lynnette M. Perkes lives in Poway

    http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06 ... _28_07.txt

  2. #2
    MW
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    Senior Member MW's Avatar
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    Excellent article, Skip! Thank you.

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" ** Edmund Burke**

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts athttps://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  3. #3
    Armybrat21's Avatar
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    About 10 years ago I started (jokingly) saying that this place was going to be like "Mad Max" before we know it.

    It's becoming more the truth every year.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Skip's Avatar
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    Comments On This Story

    Horrid wrote on Jun 28, 2007 11:12 PM:" This is a horrid, hate filled and inaccurate protrayal of the water problem. I am shocked that the NC Times would print this. "

    What? wrote on Jun 29, 2007 6:57 AM:" Well - at least no one can say that the anti-illegal population isn't creative in its arguments in support of their cause. Although I'm part of the anti-illegal immigration group, this 'chicken little' argument is a bit too far fetched for me. Let's stick to concrete facts and figures, like the cost of illegal immigration that is placed on the tax payer's shoulders through medical care, schooling, etc. This water stuff is rubbish. "

    Suzette wrote on Jun 29, 2007 6:59 AM:" Lynnette you are funny. I believe in Free Speech but I still do not understand why the NCT would print this ridiculous speculation. I heard we were not going to have any more gasoline for our cars because of the illegals. I also heard the illegals are the reason for the spread of e-coli. Lets see what other social woe can we put on them? HHHUUUMMM maybe they are responsible for Global Warming or maybe they are also responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer. So many things we can blame on them that some how make people like Lynnette to feel better rather than to take responsibilty for our failures as a Nation to preserve our natural resourses. It's called blame shifting and criminals on trial use that tactic all the time you know the blame game. "

    Howiek wrote on Jun 29, 2007 8:20 AM:" Actually, with the exception of where she got her facts from I think she is pretty much on target—I think we are entering a “timeâ€

  5. #5
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    Even without a drought, the American West is ARID. The appearance of wide open spaces is misunderstood, at best. We are at the limits of further growth & development but politicians need to be educated to these facts. Only Tancredo has spoken of our aridity in relation to population..........

    extex in Colorado

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    Funny you should post this article. I was just outside doing a little gardening and we are on water restrictions here in Georgia, it's been dry. I was thinking if we didn't have all these illegals here using up our resources, we'd have alot more water
    Just your ordinary, average, everyday, American mom!

  7. #7
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    Anyone who thinks we can take in 20 million people in such a short time without putting a serious strain on our infrastructure and resources is just not willing to look at reality.

    How can they not cause a strain, for goodness sakes?

    Texas has been concerned about it's water for a very long time. This year's rains are helping some of the drought situation, but it will not fix the depletion of our underground water. It is said the next war in TExas will be a water war.

    Also, if anyone has travelled in our western states and looked at the lakes that furnish water to people there, it is very sobering. You can see the water marks from years gone by and see the level today.

    Another thing the illegals, for the most part, have absolutely no concept of water conservation. Yes, if they have lived where they had to carry water, etc., they are careful there. When they get here and all that is necessary is turn on the spigot - they don't realize it isn't limitless.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  8. #8
    Senior Member Skip's Avatar
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    California Latino Water Coalition

    Water is a precious resource for all Californians.

    California's rapidly growing population -- estimated to reach 40 million by 2010 -- is putting mounting pressure on the state's water supplies. State officials now predict that California will experience annual shortages of 4 million acre-feet (MAF) to 6 MAF by 2010 unless steps are taken now to address the declining reliability of the state's water supply system.



    Paul Rodriguez speaks on California's water supply

    VIDEO
    http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/videoblog/frame/5983/

    http://www.gotwater.org/CA%20Latino%20W ... lition.htm

  9. #9
    Senior Member Skip's Avatar
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    I will be unable to post for the next week, as I will be out to sea.

    If anyone could make a few more posts on this story, I would appreciate it. I would like to see this story moved to the "Most Commented" section to get some more exposure.

    The first dozen posts were so against the writer, that I am personally getting it some proper exposure.


    R/ Skip

    Add Your Comments or Letter to the Editor

    http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06 ... _28_07.txt

    Comments On This Story

    Horrid wrote on Jun 28, 2007 11:12 PM:" This is a horrid, hate filled and inaccurate protrayal of the water problem. I am shocked that the NC Times would print this. "

    What? wrote on Jun 29, 2007 6:57 AM:" Well - at least no one can say that the anti-illegal population isn't creative in its arguments in support of their cause. Although I'm part of the anti-illegal immigration group, this 'chicken little' argument is a bit too far fetched for me. Let's stick to concrete facts and figures, like the cost of illegal immigration that is placed on the tax payer's shoulders through medical care, schooling, etc. This water stuff is rubbish. "

    Suzette wrote on Jun 29, 2007 6:59 AM:" Lynnette you are funny. I believe in Free Speech but I still do not understand why the NCT would print this ridiculous speculation. I heard we were not going to have any more gasoline for our cars because of the illegals. I also heard the illegals are the reason for the spread of e-coli. Lets see what other social woe can we put on them? HHHUUUMMM maybe they are responsible for Global Warming or maybe they are also responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer. So many things we can blame on them that some how make people like Lynnette to feel better rather than to take responsibilty for our failures as a Nation to preserve our natural resourses. It's called blame shifting and criminals on trial use that tactic all the time you know the blame game. "

    Howiek wrote on Jun 29, 2007 8:20 AM:" Actually, with the exception of where she got her facts from I think she is pretty much on target—I think we are entering a “timeâ€

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