Hydrating Phoenix: Quenching a city in the desert
Photo courtesy Arizona Department of Water Resources
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Comments(16)
Posted By Will Novak - Fri, Aug 21 2009 at 1:22 AM ESTDesert cities...
...are quite 'natural' (whatever it means to have a natural city). Human life sprung forth in a desert after all. The Fertile Crescent of the Tigress and the Euphrates is very much like the Salt and Gila River Valleys of Central Arizona. Perhaps those living in the rust belt are the ones in the 'unnatural' places.
Posted By Anonymous - Sat, Aug 08 2009 at 12:14 PM ESTUninformed
Phoenix is a river town, not a desert. The fact that the rivers have been dammed and used for power does not mean that no water would exist in this area to support life. When people imagine deserts as barren wastelands forget that enormous green oases like the Salt River area exist and are more than large enough to support this population. Animal and plant life have been thriving here "naturally" long before we joined them, merely by using less water, which is what we are doing here. People.... More
Posted By Steve Olson - Fri, Aug 07 2009 at 7:47 AM ESTI find it a bit sensational
to simply say that a city in the desert isn't natural. Couldn''t the same be said for cities in the arctic, in the delta, or on islands? Yes, of course, the desert is a harsh environment, but it is just one of many that humans call home. I think the most natural thing people can do is attempt to live wherever. The should-have-could-have-would-have mind set of "people should have never lived in the desert" gets us nowhere. The unchangeable fact is, we do live here, and there, and just about.... More
Posted By Eon Flux - Fri, Aug 07 2009 at 1:49 AM ESTLet's kidd ourselves
I am so happy that Phoenixians(?) are consuming 20 % less water!!!
So, lets see, there were 1.6 million people in 1980 and now there are 3.2 million, for a whooping 200 percent increase in population.
Can some body explain how this is susteinable? or even "rational"
Posted By Sam Hall - Thu, Aug 06 2009 at 11:50 AM ESTRE: RE: A city in the desert
Humans are animals, and we evolved naturally. Our cities are as "natural" as the ones other animals build, like ant colonies, bee hives, and coral reefs. We just need to get better at integrating them with the surrounding ecosystem instead of ramming them down the desert's throat and expecting everything to somehow work out.
Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Aug 06 2009 at 11:15 AM ESTRE: A city in the desert
"A city in the desert still isn't natural." LOL, a city anywhere isn't "natural."
Posted By Oi - Thu, Aug 06 2009 at 8:09 AM ESTIt's easy...
when you allow the rest of the state to die of thirst.
Posted By LD - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 7:47 PM ESTDuh.
Let's be realistic here, you live in the desert. You would think from earlier then a couple decades ago they'd be thinking about ways to drastically reduce water usage. It is after all, a scare resource. I am sometimes amazed by the wasteful habits America has rutted themselves in.
Posted By John Neville - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 6:25 PM ESTSustainable Arizona
It is good to see the news about the Phoenix water conservation efforts. While their improvements are good, people still use around 4 times the water some people in Europe use - 35 gallons per day per person. So you can have a modern lifestyle without using a lot of water.
Also, we should note that 70% of the water used in Arizona is for agriculture while less than 1% of those products find their way to the local dinner tables. Arizona could cut their agricultural water use in half.... More
Posted By Elizabeth - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 12:04 PM ESTGood for Phoenix
Saving water is important, whether you live in the desert or not.
Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 11:01 AM ESTThe 'Naked Gun' guy
Love the random Phoneix-water-Leslie Nielson video. That guy looks exactly the same as he did 15 years ago.
Posted By GreenErinF - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 10:48 AM ESTwater conservation in Phoenix
It's sad that it has to come to a water crisis to put people to do something about water conservation. I hope they have continued success, but people tend to get complacent about water conservation when there seems to be enough water. But it sounds like they are asking people to make a complete lifestyle change, which is the only thing that will really make a difference.
Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 6:21 PM ESTit's not sad, it's
Realistic. I think you'd be surprised to know that I've got a rainwater collection system, and I live in North Texas, we get about 35 inches of rain per year. I do it because it's fun, it's cheap, and because I feel cool doing it. I definitely don't need to do it, maybe I feel guilty because I have a pool.
Anyway, the water issue is still at a stage where it is highly localized to areas that lack water. When water cost goes up, or areas grow enough to hurt the water supply, people in.... More
Posted By Pamela Drake - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 10:44 AM ESTA city in the desert...
still isn't natural. Yes, it's nice to read about Phoenix and their water conservation steps....let's face it...they really have no choice....they're in the desert!!! But the reality is that they have too many people doing too many things that require water.
Posted By Sean Roberts - Wed, Aug 05 2009 at 10:37 AM ESTRe: Save water
Some other areas of the country could learn a thing or two from Phoenix. I hope they do.



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Cities are NOT natural
Cities are artificial environments created by humans and are in no way natural or part of nature. In fact cities disconnect humans and other animals from nature and the environment.