The Salton Sea: Death and Politics in the Great American Water Wars | Wired Science | Wired.com
The article is long but I found it fascinating. The Salton Sea was created in California through an engineering mistake. It seems like no one wants to pay to "fix" it. And the environmental consequences are huge. Externalities, public choice, governmental versus market activity, its all here in the article. And for those of us in this class from the Great Lakes states, the story may be a harbinger of our future. Comments?
Based on the amount of toxins spreading in the air that are causing a highly increased rate of asthma in children I think the state government is ethically responsible to resolve this problem. Since the Salton Sea is so close to the city it will never become a toxic wasteland that is uninhabited, therefore they must do something. I didn't see the mention of any of the surrounding farmers changing their farming practices to reduce the amount of pesticides that run-off into the water. Would this be a possibility?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Beth, this is the state governments job to take care of this issue. What concerns me is why this hasn't already been taken care of. As a person being effected by the stench that sticks to your throat like "Elmer's glue", I would want to find out how to fix this! I also think the pollutants from this Salton Sea has caused a lot of sickness for citizens surrounding it. Why is this not a priority? It seems to be having such an impact on the people around it, and it seems that no one is taking responsibility or any action to solve this issue.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! An issue of this magnitude should have been a priority for the state a long time ago. Its been many years and the situation is only getting worse. It is obviously affecting a great amount of people and it surprises me that no one has done anything about it. It is also upsetting to see what has become of a very productive and attractive place and even more to see that as time has passed by, the state has not fixed the problem that was caused by "accident."
ReplyDeleteIt is rather unfortunate to see this issue be put on the back burner of the political agenda, especially after seeing how many adverse effects it has on not only the environment, but also the local citizens. I understand that budgets are tight everywhere you look right now, but it seems as though a reassessment of priorities might be in order for Southern California. As a Michigan resident, if something like this were to occur in one of the great lakes, it would be an absolute outrage among Michiganders. I understand that there are some who want to uphold the integrity of the Salton Sea, and not let it become labeled as some absolute disaster, however it is interesting to think about whether or not it might actually be worth it to sacrifice its current reputation in order to acquire the proper funding that would help fix it.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in the article, “the Sea will fall and bring Southern California with it.” Not only are resources like the fishery and water being destroyed, but also people’s health are being put at risk. With children who live in the area being three times more likely to have asthma, this has not only become an environmental problem, but also a major public health concern. By looking at the damaged, death fish I cannot believe this matter has not been attended to. As Horvitz mentioned, the Sea has been covered up by bad press and bad politics, which makes the solution of fixing the sea unachievable. The government need to take action to alter the image of the sea and protect the lives of their citizens. In terms of externalities, this sea holds the problems of the commons. In times where the Sea was still amiable, everyone was free to obtain utility from the Sea (i.e. fish, recreational activity, scenic enjoyment, etc.). Since the Sea was open to use but not specifically owned by anyone, there is no one to take care of the Sea. This is the type of circumstance where the government needs to obtain an ownership role. In my opinion, the commons equates to government responsibility.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Ajminch’s comment, I agree about Michiganders being outraged if this happened to a great lake. People with natural recourses in their region take pride in the area.
I think this story really stands to illustrate how political power is distributed and serves to function in our society. The reason that the Salton Sea hasn't undergone restorative efforts is simply because not enough people have advocated for it.
ReplyDeleteCases of pollution in a body of water, are par for the course in terms of environmental economics-- and this case is no different when it comes power dynamics. In the Imperial Valley where unemployment has reached 25-30%, a fresh water source could garner millions in revenue. This makes the problem all the more centered on the citizens of the surrounding area. With their collective voice, they have a greater power to get politicians attention.
However, this situation does have some unique qualities to it, given that multiple municipalities are involved through the distribution of a water source. While difficult to quantify the water supply from Colorado, it is clear that everyone wants as much as possible. It will be interesting to see where California takes this in the coming years. Especially because of that 2017 restorative clause. That certainly means, more legislative works will be introduced in the near future.