Somewhat more sadly, there was this article today on collateral damage from (non-existant) global warming:
Near Vast Bodies of Water, Land Lies Parched nytimes.com
Dick Cheney's probably already on the case, though
It was the prospect of these growing national water scarcities,
combined with a global problem in which nearly a billion people do
not have access to clean drinking water, that prompted Enron, the
Houston-based energy conglomerate, to enter the water business.
Already, bottled water costs more than gasoline in most stores, but
nearly 90 percent of all municipal water systems are publicly owned. Enron, the nation's No. 1 marketer of
natural gas and electricity, saw water as a commodity that would eventually be deregulated, just as electric
power was in California. If that happened, Enron would be free to buy and sell water to the highest bidders
— no different from oil or megawatts. |
