Water Weakening Enviro Appeal

Every pendulum swings, and the momentum of the environmental movement's swing to the left is visibly slowing.

Two of the main reasons that this is happening is, first, that as momentum slows, more radical voices move to the fore to sustain the movement, and the cost of alienating the moderates. And the even more influencial second reason: Social movements can't control natural events, and local movements can't control international events.

ANWR will be drilled because the American environmental movement can't control international oil markets.

And now, news (h/t LATimes) that the continuing mountain state drought will lead to decidedly anti-whacko policies.

Still struggling with drought on the Colorado River despite a winter of bountiful storms in the Southwest, water managers are dusting off provocative ideas for filling the river — among them, logging mountainsides to wring more runoff out of national forests and seeding clouds to pull more snow out of the sky.

"A lot of things that are controversial will be looked at," said Central Arizona Project general manager Sid Wilson. "We can't do things the way we've always done them. We have to find ways that are creative to address tomorrow's problems."

Faced with a destructive regional drought, the enviros don't have much to say:

"Those[suggestions] are ludicrous," said Jennifer Pitt of Environmental Defense's Colorado office. "We're going to cut down our national forests so we can water our lawns on the front range? Give me a break. There's no way people are going to accept that."

Actually, they will. It's because Environmental Defenses rhetoric about watering lawns doesn't play to a public that is just having babies, buying homes so they can stay close to family, and are worrying about water for future generations. The old environmental message -- conserve so we don't touch our natural resources -- just isn't going to play much longer as it becomes evident that there are sensible management alternatives to sticking our head in the dirt.

Oh, and the enviros want us to get a permit before we disturb that dirt.

See also:
Refined Refinery Thinking
Greenthink Gone Wild