Georgian Uses 400,000 Gallons Of Water While State Remains Parched

[MobBoss]

Maybe he pays for it using carbon offsets....

 

[FriendlyFire]

Maybe he pays for it using carbon offsets....

maybe he dosnt believe in globel warmming ?

 

[Newbunkle]

Before the crisis, I wonder how many ordinary people were actually conserving water, and not wasting it left right and centre. I wonder how many of those people gave a thought to people dying for lack of clean water in third world countries as they used their water supply. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and all of a sudden they're crying foul, lol.

I've read about this, and what he's using is about the same as 60 normal homes. Ok, so that's a lot, but its not enough to solve everyone's water problems if it was divided up among the population. Go ahead and march on his home with pitchforks and burning torches if it makes you feel better, but it won't do any good.

 

[nc-1701]

But yeah, if he can afford it then water must not be that scarce or something. Let the market decide and whatnot. It may be insensitive but since when is that a crime? The problem is probably distribution then, if he has access to it.

Actually water is scarce right now. At current consumption rates lake Lanier (Atlanta's primary reservoir) will be empty in like 2 months unless it rains. Then the 5 million or so people in metro Atlanta will have virtually no water. If that's not a crisis I don't know what is...
The drought here is really serious... Our governor has ads on the radio I hear everyday begging us to conserve water. Hell he's getting people to come pray for rain... It really is becoming scarce here...

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

What is "scarce" though? Isn't overall consumption high enough that 400,000 gallons is really just a . . . drop in the bucket?

 

[El_Machinae]

Is he paying for it? If so, what's the probelm with it? Or are we going with "to each according to his need?"

I'll say it again and again and again.

We don't price water properly in our society. We don't amortise it, even though it's a diminishing supply. We price it at 'nearly free' while there are water stores and then we use supply/demand when the stores run out.

It's idiotic. If I were to run a business where I treated a diminishing resource as 'free' until it was nearly run out, my accountants would quit.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

What is he doing with all this water ?
Storing it somewhere to sell it when the shortage get's worse ?

 

[bhsup]

Man, wouldn't it be embarrassing if it turned out to be a leaking underground pipe and the utility was at fault all along?

 

[Che Guava]

Maybe he's 50 feet tall....

 

[El_Machinae]

What is he doing with all this water ?
Storing it somewhere to sell it when the shortage get's worse ?

Gravy! That's an awesome idea. Plus he can show 'economic need'!

 

[nc-1701]

What is "scarce" though? Isn't overall consumption high enough that 400,000 gallons is really just a . . . drop in the bucket?

Yes, overall is about 100 million gallons a day so he uses like 0.0013333333% of Atlanta's total water if my math's right... (Double check if you want there's so many zero I may have one too many or too few) So no he isn't gonna' screw it all up himself, but that doesn't mean he should be doing it. Especially because it's almost certain he is breaking the water restriction laws against use of water outdoors. Though the govt can't do anything, because they have no proof.

 

[MobBoss]

I'll say it again and again and again.

We don't price water properly in our society. We don't amortise it, even though it's a diminishing supply. We price it at 'nearly free' while there are water stores and then we use supply/demand when the stores run out.

It's idiotic. If I were to run a business where I treated a diminishing resource as 'free' until it was nearly run out, my accountants would quit.

How is water a diminishing supply? Is the earth somehow losing water vapor?

 

[Che Guava]

How is water a diminishing supply? Is the earth somehow losing water vapor?

Not all water, just fresh potable water. And yes, that resource is diminishing...

 

[skadistic]

Not all water, just fresh potable water. And yes, that resource is diminishing...

So make more.Its not hard.Catch rain water.Desalinate.

 

[MobBoss]

Not all water, just fresh potable water. And yes, that resource is diminishing...

How so? You are the second person to state this, but I dont see a lot of proof here.

Draughts happen. Simply because they happen, is not an indicator that the earth is somehow running out of water. Less than 1000 miles away from Georgia, certain areas in the USA were experiencing flooding...not draught.

 

[nc-1701]

So make more.Its not hard.Catch rain water.Desalinate.

You don't get it do you? It's not raining here! No i'm not kidding I can't remember the last time it rained... It's been at least a month... So far this year Atlanta has recieved 26.11" of rain... The average is 48.86"... This month has had no measurable percipitation. I'm not going to bring global warming into this, but for whatever reason it's just not raining. You can't capture rainwater that doesn't exist ok?

 

[Aegis]

Maybe he needs all of that water because he's such a giant douche.

 

[Irish Caesar]

You don't get it do you? It's not raining here! No i'm not kidding I can't remember the last time it rained... It's been at least a month...

Yep, not sure when... but stuff drawn on the sidewalk with chalk two weeks ago yesterday is still there.

Lucky for me, it's xkcd cartoons.

I'm not going to bring global warming into this, but for whatever reason it's just not raining. You can't capture rainwater that doesn't exist ok?

That's good that you're not going to, because droughts are a cyclical thing here. Predictions are that we're in the second year of a four-year drought.

 

[Che Guava]

How so? You are the second person to state this, but I dont see a lot of proof here.

Draughts happen. Simply because they happen, is not an indicator that the earth is somehow running out of water. Less than 1000 miles away from Georgia, certain areas in the USA were experiencing flooding...not draught.

It's a question of rates. While a portion of our freshwater comes from rainfall directly, much more (especially in North America) comes from underground aquifers andrunoff from glaciers. Aquifers are often tapped for human consumption often at a rate that does not allow for the water to be replaced. Worse yet, tapped aquifers near salt water often drawn in brackish water, potentially ruining the supply.

As for the glaciers, they are a finite resource, and due to climate change (anthropogenic or not..!) are melting at rates faster than we are used to seeing, barreling down towards the salty brine of the sea...

 

[MobBoss]

It's a question of rates. While a portion of our freshwater comes from rainfall directly, much more (especially in North America) comes from underground aquifers andrunoff from glaciers. Aquifers are often tapped for human consumption often at a rate that does not allow for the water to be replaced. Worse yet, tapped aquifers near salt water often drawn in brackish water, potentially ruining the supply.

As for the glaciers, they are a finite resource, and due to climate change (anthropogenic or not..!) are melting at rates faster than we are used to seeing, barreling down towards the salty brine of the sea...

Only in the arctic. Correct me if I am wrong, but arent the glaciers growing in the ant-arctic?