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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 7/27/2013 4:42 PM, Gerry Gras wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:51F45AE9.40108@earthlink.net" type="cite">That's
a disturbing thought. Can you say anything more
<br>
about how likely / unlikely the fracking or steam recovery
<br>
issues are?
</blockquote>
Gerry and all, <br>
Those are good questions that are easily answered with 1 name:
Stewart Resnick. Resnick has a history of making very targeted
political contributions: Pete Wilson, Gray Davis, Arnold
Schwarzenegget (get the picture... it is the office not the party)
and most specifically Diane Feinstein whose husband is a poker
playing, cigar smoking buddy of Resnick. <br>
<br>
The connection to Fracking is through the Kern County Water Bank.
Resnick gained control over the water bank during the Davis
Administration. It basically allows the accumulation of water at
agricultural rates subsidized by tax payers and the resale of that
water at commercial rates to the highest bidder. To show just how
much profit there is to be made, the Santa Clara Valley Water
District sets groundwater charges for agricultural use at $18.30 per
acre ft and for residential / industrial use at > $305 per a/f.
in S. County and $680 in the rest of it's area. <br>
<br>
Some good background on the relationship of Kern County Water Bank
is available in this item by Burt Wilson on the web site of the
California Water Impact Network:<i> Will Oil Companies Benefit Most
From Delta Tunnels?</i>
<div style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0); "> </div>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.c-win.org/content/burt-wilson-will-oil-companies-benefit-most-delta-tunnels.html">http://www.c-win.org/content/burt-wilson-will-oil-companies-benefit-most-delta-tunnels.html</a><br>
<br>
If we really want to think about this or pursue it as an action
area, it might be necessary to think about water as an economic
issue, something that David Zetland does quite well. Zetland was
quoted recently on a blog called WaterWired, owned by Michael
Campana, Prof of Hydrology at Oregon State:
<blockquote type="cite"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, I moderated a
discussion over "Delta exports" (taking water from the
environment for farmers), and found people anchored in
unrealistic positions. The environmentalists, for example, want
to restore the ecosystem at the same time as exports continue.
That "cooperative" view is worthless to both sides. Exports need
to end if California is going to cope with climate change and
move to sustainable water use. A good share of farmers need to
go out of business (those without secure water rights already
are), and urban dwellers need to stop using 800
liters/capita/day. That can happen via political fiat or <strong><a
href="https://exmail.oregonstate.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=vlOAny2MHkyIPlH5LWMFa4A6i9x8XtAIT8R6C0AT_8nQS12POhj7XBf8POovy9uLOa2Wspwch3s.&URL=http%3a%2f%2faguanomics.hosted.phplist.com%2flists%2flt.php%3fid%3dLEUGAwROUAYZAFcC"
target="_blank">the process I described three years ago</a>.</strong></span></blockquote>
<br>
It is not going to be easy to resolve any of this, but all
resolutions deserve to begin with the truth of the physical world. <br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you
don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth"
- <i>Roberto Clemente</i></div>
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