A GLOOMY BUT REALISTIC VISION

Jim,

In my big and expanding stack of books there’s stuff by Noam Chomsky - Howard Zinn – Derrick Jensen – Ed Abbey. Writers who tell the truth about what’s gone down, what’s going on and where it’s likely going to take us.

I’ve come around to the belief that humans are not as "evolved" much less enlightened a species as we would like to believe. Humans are still just critters with very basic, immutable instincts about power, reproduction, territory, domination and other natural traits. It is, still and evermore, a cold cruel world. It’s just that no other animal species, until ours, has had any success in defying every natural law that has protected and preserved our fragile planet - until now. Geologic time continues to tick on, regardless of our ego-centric constructs.

Nothing can save us. We will ruin the planet through greed, overpopulation, war, environmental catastrophe or some other hubris based f***-up. Fancy new light bulbs are a nice gesture, but without a fundamental, forward-looking sea change in the way we live, you really might as well just party on like it’s 1999 – or maybe 2012. Apologize to the grandkids by leaving them some grotesquely over-valued real estate. They’ll have to raze that 4th home to grow potatoes, but hey, accumulating unearned income was always fraught with worry about "the markets." (We sacrificed for you – we bought a Prius!)

The species may remain viable (maybe the Basques), but the next four-or-five generations of Americans will look upon the "BOOMERS" with regret, shame and disgust as every myth they have been led to believe about the American dream crumbles into the dust and toxic residue of 100 trillion smart phones.

It’d be kind of cool to see the melt-down play out in a potentially self-sufficient place like Moab. Here, we would at least be an opportunity to blow up the bridges and re-think everything.

Steve Russell

Moab, UT

WE NEED INVENTORS

Dear Jim

I was in Arizona last month, the price of petrol (to use the more precise international term) is about the same as here in Anchorage. Get out of town in rural Alaska it really goes up, to several times what it is in town in some places. Out in the bush people are dependent on petrol fueled transportation appliances, just like we are in town with the added bonus of a low cash economy and much higher fuel prices.

Functionally (here in Alaska anyway) what you are starting to see is people moving back to town and leaving the bush, and even the outlaying suburbs. People in town are starting to reassess those larger vehicles and long drives home in the direction of living close to work and a small rig. There is no need to legislate this, economics will take care of it handily and quickly. The price of fuel will continue to go up rather than down.

What really needs to be done is to invent and produce a compliant vehicle that costs a few thousand dollars, and gets about 100 miles / gallon . There needs to be some regulatory slack on the inventors out there to allow them to develop these devices so we can continue to cruise around in the future. Call them enhanced motorcycles. There will be a time in the near future that the use of a full sized vehicle will have a mission attached to it rather than a casual drive.

Bob White

Anchorage, AK

A CECIL GARLAND ADMIRER

Jim,

Enjoyed the latest issue, as ever, but particularly the article by Cecil Garland. I knew Cecil in the late 1980s and early 1990s when I worked for Sue Dutson at the Millard County Chronicle Progress in Delta. Sue took editorial exception to the Air Force’s proposed ECTC (Electronic Combat Test Capability), which would have been a vast intrusion into the West Desert, almsot as bold as the MX. (Cecil and Sue also fought that battle.) Sue introduced me to Cecil and I spent a number of days and nights in Calleo with Cecil and his family, riding in his pickup around his land and sitting at his kitchen table chatting. I’m glad to see Cecil is still ranching, but sorry to see that he has to (again) spend time defending his land from more government intrusion.

A good issue. Thankee.

Ken Rand

Salt Lake City

MORE BAD NEWS

Jim,

I enjoyed your observations about the water power-plays now taking place in the Southwest. What we are seeing are the opening salvos of the water wars. Soon enough though a perfect storm of population growth and climate change will easily blow away the fog that has filled the heads of water consumers and managers from El Paso to Winnemucca. Water consumers need to come to grips with the facts and try to pull their heads out of(ahem...) the sand.

As an anecdotal example, a while back I spoke with someone who lives in Phoenix. We discussed Xeriscaping, and I mentioned that people in Utah need to recognize that they live in a desert, and to prepare for the future, when water will be more scarce and much more expensive. His reply was that he was "working hard on getting his lawn nice and green." To say I was surprised is an understatement. Who knows how many gallons of precious water and pounds of toxic chemicals, all for a status symbol better suited to Kentucky than Kanab. This pervasive attitude of indifference, and non-accountability for the usage of a finite and delicate resource is what is allowing the Pat Mulroy’s of the world to execute their finely honed PR skills in the pursuit of unbridled "growth". And we remember what Cactus Ed said about growth, don’t we?

Las Vegas and Phoenix are two of the fastest growing metro areas in North America, and only because they have had ready access to stored water from the Colorado river basin. They’re influence on how the Colorado will be used is large, but let us not forget Southern California, who still has claim to much of that water. To add to the puzzle, the populations of the upper basin states are all scheduled to at least double in the next 50 years if not sooner. Lets just stop and think about that. Think about the Wasatch Front with AT LEAST twice as many people. Think about Grand Junction, the Uintah Basin cities, Price, Moab and Washington county with AT LEAST twice as many people. I cringe at the thought. And what about Denver, who is not part of the Colorado river basin? They are already trying to figure out how to get western slope water that should end up in the Colorado river. The Wasatch Front wants to divert the Bear River; Washington county wants a pipeline from Lake Powell. Madness? Most assuradely; yet the wasteful lifestyle status quo, similar to our addiction to fossil fuels, leads us down no other path...

So, whether climate change happens or not, the population increase alone will drastically alter water availability. But, lets say the predictions of the Scripps Institute and others play out. Already, climate change models show a drier and hotter West in the years to come. With less snowpack, and earlier spring melts, the only way to catch the precipitation will be more dams, more pumping of aquifers, more canals, which will only exaggerate stresses to the environment, in addition to the stresses added by the growing human population. Science, as well as the ancient knowledge of indigenous Americans shows us that damage to our environment also damages us. This ain’t rocket science...

Recently I read an editorial in the online version of the Uintah Basin Standard. The article was authored by "guest", and titled "Unity needed over water issues". Unity indeed. Three paragraphs into it I was struck at the ignorance of current hydrological realities.

Here are some bits from the editorial:

"For the Uintah Basin to play its part, people here need to support higher Green River water allocations from state officials and the building of new dams and massive pumping projects to use that water."

Later in the editorial, "guest" suggests pumping water from Flaming Gorge, over the Uintahs into the upper Uintah river. "Guest" also points out that "state water officials are contemplating taking back 99,000 acre feet of allocated Green River water from our region that is wanted downstream, particularly by the booming St. George area."

And here the gloves come off:

"By securing more water and building the infrastructure to store and deliver it, the Basin can become a major center of economic and political power. Vernal could rival the largest Utah cities in size, and surpass them in influence."

Fiddling while Rome burns? Perhaps that is too strong an anlaogy for some, yet these last two sentences sadly sum up the egregious disdain for common sense that is so badly needed now.

Ron Weales

Vernal, UT

AN ALLY OF TAMARISK

Stiles, "Let’s meet at Goose Island. Colorado river, first campground on the left." Easy to find and close enought to town to go have morning coffee at Uncle Bebop’s or breakfast at Cafe Eklectica. Great nighttime lightshow on the cliffs as the tourboats cruise down the river. Last August I camped there among the shady private hedges of flutteriing tamarisk. At dusk a deer wandered thru our campsite. We stayed up very late watching the lunar eclipse, the moon balanced along the cliff edge, red as the rocks.

Alas my friends, Goose Island lays in ruins. Nothing much left of it really, but blackened stumps and a few cottonwoods, otherwise stripped naked to the bones and thrust into the fire. Goose Island is a changed place.

The camp host at big Bend fills me in. "The tamarisk is a non-native species. It’s not healthy for the river. The birds don’t like it." Yeah, but the campers do. "Besides, now that it’s been cleaned up, we can keep an eye on what’s going on there. It’s cut out the wild parties." she tells me. Gosh, who’d wanna have a wild party on a camping trip? Or shade and privacy for that matter? In a climate this hot, shade is a resource. I tell the camp host that the tamarisk is difficult, some say impossible, to eradicate, that it is endemic throughout the southwest. "Oh, that shouldn’t be a problem. they’ve emported extoic beetles to kill the trees and poured poison on the stumps." WAY TOO GO BLM! Another brilliant plan!

As I drive along 128 and then out the Potash road, the devastated places are like a war zone. All those sweet little spots across from Negro Bill Canyon. Gone. Near Williams Bottom, across from Poison Spider trail, it looks like a scene from Dante’s Inferno. And it is only just beggining. These are merely previews of coming attractions. The entire area will be "treated." And not just once. A brochure, put out by the BLM states, "The restoration of the Colorado riverway is expected to take many years of continuous treatment." As to the release of the tamarisk leaf beetle, the brochure states, "there will always be a risk when releasing a foreign organism into a new environment."

The poor tamarisk. Our unwanted immigrant. I’ve always found it rather lovely. If it’s so hard to get rid of, perhaps we should just embrace it. The southwest willow flycatcher, an endangered bird, seems to like it well enough. Prediction: The actions being taken to suppress the growth of the tamarisk along the Colorado will prove to be bigger environmental disaster than the tamarisk itself. And in the end, years from now, I betcha the tamarisk will still be around.

Cyndy Hodo

Moab, UT

MY KIND OF IDIOTS

Jim Stiles - (Do not publish this under ANY circumstance) Read your blurb on Google earth. We have been using google earth to scope out locations for an awesome new sport in Canyon country for some time now (the sport shall remain nameless, not because it is harmful in any way to the environment - it leaves no trace whatsoever - it is just pretty radical and greatly misunderstood so we keep it obscure).

Also, as a BCS rock art hound and a rock climber, I have no fear that google earth will ever be able to see rock art. Besides the resolution issue, I can tell you as a rock climber that google earth completely distorts/destroys vertical rock faces in any view... Love the zephyr, keep up the great work.

terry

You’re wrong...

I wasnt suggesting that Google would use satellite images to reveal rock art. They are currently using 3D ground cameras to shoot every square inch of the planet and then using computer technology to fuse the two images..satellite and ground. THATS HOW IT WORKS.

And since your letter is unsigned, I will probably print it despite your admonitions not to. Anything that I can do to throw a wrench into yet another mind-numbing extreme sport seems like a plan to me...JS

IN PRAISE OF LOCH WADE

Thanks Jim, for publishing Loch Wade’s essay titled "Do We Really Need Wilderness – It Depends on your Definition." I’ve been waiting years for somebody, anybody, to fire the next salvo in the most important cultural debate we could have: How should we live with the land? I guess we civilized people would rather just pretend that our ship of state floats above it like some kind of Destroyer-class warship.

Do you remember when those first torpedoes started exploding below decks in 1995, fired by William Cronon with his "The Trouble with Wilderness" essay that just nailed what’s really wrong with us? (Euro-American white folks, that is.) I guess because they were mortally damaged then, professional environmentalists never did return effective fire, and now I’ll match their hopelessness with my own stupid hope that they can’t spin this sinking ship much longer.

First, Cronon showed us that one of our primary wilderness foundations, the idea of the sublime, comes from Western thinking that separates humans from both God and Nature. No matter which one we’re striving to be re-united with, we pursue it with an unearthly zeal that totally ignores the only thing that matters: what we do everyday in order to live. Then he reminded us of another (mostly American) cultural construct supporting wilderness: the passing of the frontier, and how that desperate attempt to preserve our defining moment in history led in no small part to the wilderness movement. Ever since Teddy Roosevelt, urbanized American elites have been trying to uncover their "rugged individualist" character, testing themselves in battle against "the wilderness" with what little remains of their leisure time. Finally, when we ignored and insulted the people who were here before us (again) by worshiping "uninhabited, pristine wilderness", we completed our recipe for disaster, and made it law, Zahnizer’s 1964 Wilderness Act.

Other, more sustainable cultures could and should preserve wild lands, but our official, legal rationale, reflecting misguided notions of who we are and what our history is, and including no thought at all about how we actually live, should make us wonder whether anything has really been saved. And obviously, the US is so fractured now that any attempt to rewrite the Wilderness Act would be impossible. So we’re stuck with another unworkable idea in our law. Anybody else hear the bell tolling?

Cronon says that "The dream of an unworked natural landscape is very much the fantasy of people who have never themselves had to work the land to make a living." Of course, the progressives would reply that with technology ripping more and more resources from the land faster and faster, we can have more and more people in the cities and still preserve wilderness. That kind of thinking leads to more and more idiots like me tiptoeing around cryptobiotic soil while carrying 40 lbs of food, water and gear on our backs, sure that we are "leaving no trace". As Loch Wade would say, "what is wild about that?"

After building expertly on Cronon’s thesis ("it was civilization that created the wilderness, where one had never been before!"), Loch is now finishing us off by showing us that we are horrified to even think about what it means to live sustainably with the land. And that real freedom is synonymous with the real wild. Talk about terrorism! Clearly, nobody is going to come up with an idea that allows all of us, all 6.5 billion, soon to be 9 billion farmers to live with this Earth sustainably. The professional enviros always complain that by talking about this unpretty picture we’re not helping anything. Obviously, they don’t remember that young people, more than anything else we can give them, need our honesty. At least this way, with Loch Wade’s essay by their side, they can start dreaming now about a real life in the wild!

Doug Meyer

Flagstaff AZ