What do you think about a city of 4 million without water for the sake of a few fish?

Question

Atlanta's water situation is critical. The Corps has been draining lakes at the rate of 10 times the inflow to satisfy about a dozen sturgeon fish and a few mollusks, all at the requirement of the US Fish and Game. The governor has threatened to sue the Corps to stop. Here's their response:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14362968/detail.html

Is this not environmentalism run amuck?

Rahrah, the EPA and US Fish and Wildlife must be loaded up with workers who think like you. Did you not know that over 90% of all species that have ever existed on earth are not here, through no fault of mankind? They went extinct before man was of any significance on earth. It's the natural course of life, what environmentalists like to call "natural selection." These stupid fish should have died out a long time ago. I say, let's help them on their way so that Atlanta can survive.

Answer 1

.Total Stupidity Which our supposed great country thrives on.I am not at all surprised.

Answer 2

I seriously doubt that the actions being taken by the Corps to ensure the survival of the sturgeon and mollusks will continue, if the city of Atlanta ever actually gets to the point of not having sufficient drinking water for the 4 million humans to survive.

The survival of the sturgeon and the mollusks is currently more threatened than the survival of the 4 million people in Atlanta. Especially since the Atlantan humans can move away to places with more water, and the sturgeon and mollusks cannot!!

Thus, it is my opinion that the environmentalism in this particular situation has not yet "run amuck" at this time.

Thanks for the interesting question!

Answer 3

There is so much wrong with your premise I hardly know where to begin. The city is not without water, for starters. One of your biggest problems is relying on a TV news station for information. You really think they're better informed than US Fish & Wildlife and the Corp?

Not environmentalism run amuck, just an agency trying to carry out its mandate, and a governor looking for a publicity as a precursor for seeking a higher office.

Answer 4

I thought that part of the problem was that Georgia was having to share their water with other states.

In California we are also going thru a similar thing. The Delta smelt needs protection so they have shut off one of the pipelines that serves Southern California. That's an area of about 17 million people.

Good question and one that requires a lot of thought. These are fish that feed a lot of our wildlife and are necessary for the whole circle of life thing. On the other hand, it is scary to put humans at a risk of not having water.

Answer 5

Your Governor might want to think about a desalinization plant.
The whole country or the whole world even should start thinking about desalinization facilities to keep up with the growing water needs of the human race, and the dry cycle that the Earth is in right now.
This situation is going to get worse, but it wont be until it affects enough of the rich population before something is done about it.
If the Earth is warming, then less snow. Less snow means less water in reserve.
So when you see a snow capped mountain, it's holding water for future use.
All the southern rivers are fed from melting snow up north.
The only solution is, again, desalinization plants so we can get water right out of the ocean.

Answer 6

Atlanta is not going to die of thirst. Atlantans are still watering their lawns with drinking water. Stop that and the lawns won't look bright green for awhile but will be back to "normal" next spring. Kill the mussels and sturgeon and that is forever. People can survive quite well on much less water than they use as a matter of course.

Answer 7

well, our great powerful society proves it self one more time... impossible to keep balance. always someone will lose. that's why we will vanish... ain't clever enough to satisfy our needs and keep the environment save at one time. Sad.

Isn't it a joke... people can separate matter and anti-matter... but cant get a solution for a proper water supply that won't damage the environment.

PS. I do not think that those people have to suffer for the failure of the government, that is payed and gets the money from the taxes to solve this kind of problems. It is the worse thing to not to have... water. And if anyone believes that those people can just get their stuff and move somwhere else... i want to see this anyone facing that kind of trouble themself.
I bet the affected area is populated by the middleclass... or even less fortunated people.

Answer 8

You would also have to argue with the water systems downstream from Lake Lanier that depend on those releases for THEIR drinking water. It's not just fish downstream.
Local officials need to stop water usage for all watering, car washing and non essential uses before anything else. Here in Ohio we have had total watering bans since July. So the grass is brown, who cares.

Answer 9

If Atlanta really does have that much of a water problem,then it ought to at least think of investing in some desalination plants. Georgia happens to have a coastline too,even if a really small one. or they could build a pipeline to the great lakes,that's if Michigan permits.We in Albuquerque happen to have the same problem as well.We now have to get water from the Colorado River these days.

Answer 10

Here is an easy fix to Atlanta water shortage,
increase the price of water.
The democrats might not like it, but it will work.

Lets not forget about the people that live downstream. Alot of communities below Atlanta rely on the Chattahoochee and it's not their fault Atlanta can't conserve water.

Answer 11

And the Air, for the sake of a few Birds. We own that Air, and can pollute it if we want!

Don`t those Fish know that Atlanta has to flush millions of Toilets?

The nerve of them Fishies!

Perhaps people should realise, that our resources are finite, and stop destroying the Earth.

Nah! Rip it up Dude!