The worst drought in 1200 years
didn't begin yesterday. I've been watching it's urgency increase for decades. Absolutely nothing has been done to address it. And now, for the first time in nine years, the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources is convening to discuss it. This is likely the first time you've heard of this sub-committee and its equally likely to be the last. Why? Because no matter how sincere and energized the chair of this committee may be the answers lie in restricting the activities of the timber companies, the mining companies, the oil and gas exploration companies, the water profiteers like Nestle, and the real estate speculators. Does the good Senator who chairs this committee have the power to face down these capital interests?
America's wild lands are only seen as Capital to be exploited, or preserved for future exploitation. They are, after all, fundamental to the American Dream of endless growth. One flight over Phoenix, the jewel of the desert, will paint the whole picture for you.
It's nice to think that this honored sub-committee will do something beyond lip service to the problem but this being the first hearing in the last nine years shows the actual urgency felt in the Senate, despite the hyperbole of "five alarm crisis".
The "worst drought in 1200 years" didn't begin yesterday. I can't get excited about a sub-committee hearing that's convening a day late and a dollar short that hasn't heard any alarm bells until now. But hey, enjoy the sensations of hope.
