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Show THE ZEPHYR/FEBRUARY-MARCH TWENTY continued 2009 Let me put it this way, if Grand County could use alternative energy sources like’wind and solar that allowed its population to double or triple, while keeping energy consumption at current levels, most “progressives” would consider that a success. If there is a personal silver lining to all this, it’s the comfort of knowing I’’ll be longgone by 2050. But if you’’re reading this and you”re under 35, you should be scared to YEARS eath story that draws much of its material from past issues of SUWA’s newsletter, “Red Rock 2007: BONDERMAN COMES TO MOAB August/September 2007 WORLD IN CRISIS Despite water and energy conservation efforts, population growth will still cause urban, suburban and exurban sprawl. Turning down your sprinklers ultimately only assures more lawns. Cranking down the thermostat only guarantees more air conditioners. Does anyone out there in the environmental community advocate smaller homes? Or fewer Wilderness.” In many cases, it’s their words more than mine. The Cathedral Re-emerges By this spring, Lake Institute's calculations, —Rich Ingebretsen and Two weeks ago, we , Powell had dropped another 60 feet; according to Glen Canyon Cathedral in the Desert should be completely out of the water— I decided to take another look. traveled again to the Cathedral via motorboat, the very form of transportation that would become obsolete if the reservoir ever runs dry, and both Rich and gadgets? Of course not. How could they? Environmental , awesi groups are funded by some of the most consumptive bil- sass I noted the contradiction. The lake has made it almost impossible to explore much of Glen Canyon by any other means. So there we were, in a $20,000 rented motorboat, spewing a spray of lake water in our wake, trying to grow accustomed to the smell of 2-cycle motor oil and the roar of the outboard engine (I brought ear plugs), in order to see one of the most stunning sights on lionaires on the planet. Take a drive past the Moab hospital to see David Bonderman’s latest 15000 square foot mansion. Bonderman, the most ‘corporate of raid- ers in the world, also sits on numerous environmental boards and has been called “the greatest conservationist in America today,” by one of his donor recipients, the Earth, and one that no one had viewed in almost 40 years. Oh the irony. Grand. Canyon Trust. As sprawl consumes more habitat, what chance And in 2005, NED MUDD joins The Zephyr in style... Of all the euphemistically- does wildlife have by the end of the century, if population growth is left unchecked? As the demand for con- called “modern” nations, America has one of the more flaky records on file. Anyone not en- gaged in cyclothymic denial is forced to acknowledge the squirrelly underbelly of our questionable heritage, starting with abuse one successful trolled adventure pone Tae. rei Seid isseg ess eS ereicecry of the local inhabitants, land rape, thievery, manslaughter, carpet bagging, brainwashing, graft, corruption, greed, and general ole shitty behavior. And, so as recreation grows, aS a population so disconnected from its natural past, yearns for distractions, “theme park Disneylands” will continue to proliferate across the country. And. so..we’re supposed to CONSERVE, so all this can come to pass? Are we insane? not to be awash in the Truth, our If we truly want a better future for our grandchildren, is this the path to take? If I thought Bonderman’s greedy habits and those of his pals were intended to bring all this madness to a precipitous end, I could almost admire them. Maybe that’s why the Grand media panders to those that own them [advertisers] while the sheep sit at home nibbling pizza and worrying about whether to snag that new Toyota Land Cruiser or the Chevy Suburban. Canyon Trust gushes such praise. Somehow though, I doubt it. 2006: POPULATION October/November 2006...300 MILLION AND COUNTING... Instead, even the allegedly most enlightened among us, the leaders of the environmental movement, continue to convince us that we can save the planet by using energy According to the Census Bureau, the population of the United States will reach 300 million on October 17. That figure probably fails to include another 10 to 20 million illegal migrants. Does anybody care? Four decades ago, the U.S. Department of the Interior published and widely distributed a remarkable glossy, full-color, 80 page booklet called, “The Population Challenge: What it means to America.” With great insight, Secretary of Interior Udall’s forward stated the challenge that awaited us and I fully expected the next 78 pages to bravely weigh the crisis ahead and to examine the choices we needed to make. But visionary thought ended with Udall’s forward. The rest of the publication failed miserably to deal with over-population and over-consumption. It failed to offer ways to re-discover the “richness in simplicity” that Udall longed for. Instead it offered a list of untapped natural resources that could be exploited and used to meet explosive future water and energy needs. Udall had railed against the “blind pursuit of immediate objectives;” yet the recent construction of Glen Canyon Dam was hailed in “The Population Challenge”as a great accomplishment that offered cheap hydro-electric energy while conserving water. Technology, it seems, would solve all our problems without any sacrifice. Nowhere, except in the title of the yearbook series, was the word “conservation” seriously discussed. The Secretary had captured the essence of the crisis when he said, “Our highest aims can be realized only if we face squarely the fact that we must have adequate resources if we are to have a quality existence. But now we must define the word ‘adequate.’ We are beginning to see that it includes purity of surroundings, an opportunity to stretch, a chance for solitude and quiet reflection.” , Yet many politicians and scientists and even social scientists fail to see the real danger. They believe that population no longer poses a significant threat to our future survival. But is merely “surviving” a noble goal here? “Experts” in a TIME magazine article advised that world population would peak at somewhere between nine and fourteen billion, a number they believed to be completely manageable. Even my liberal friends fail to attack the issue head-on. They talk about increasing fuel efficiency standards and embracing alternative energy technologies, but always with the promise that these changes would actually expand the economy ——it's a self-defeating goal. The more expansive the economy becomes, combined with an exploding population, the greater the demand for products— —for stuff——becomes. No one talks of trying to live a simpler less materialistic life. For a moment consider Moab. What do the more “progressive” elements of Grand County advocate? They praise the wind energy program, in affiliation with Rocky Mountain Power; yet Grand County, with its stunning and seemingly never ending construction, must be the largest consumer of natural resources of any county in SE Utah. They promote recycling, and light ordinances and bike paths, but aren’t these just band-aids? efficient shower heads and buying a Prius. THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF GLOBAL WARMING Guilt is a terrible thing to endure. It’s why, even now, some kindhearted enviropreneur has invented the Terra Pass. (www.terrapass.com). You can calculate your carbon contribution, whether by car or jet, and then make a payment to...well to somebody, so you won't feel bad about it anymore. According to NEWSWEEK, even parts of last year’s otherwise chilling report on global warming shined some happy light on the issue. British economist Nicholas Stern reported, “In higher latitude regions, such as Canada, Russia and Scandinavia, climate change may lead to net benefits through higher agricultural yields, lower winter mortality, lower heating costs and a possible boost in tourism.” In the end, it’s clear to see, there are no crises ahead. Everything is going to be just fine. Don’t think of the future in catastrophic terms. Just think of the money that is about: to be made. Ultimately, not only will we get what we deserve...we’ll get what we want 20 |