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You are here: Home / Climate Change / The Water Wars of the Future are Here Now

The Water Wars of the Future are Here Now

by John Cole|  August 31, 202211:07 pm| 44 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Assholes

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War over resources is as old as time itself, and sci-fi writers have been making bank for decades predicting wars over protecting and providing water (virtually every space book/movie for obvious reasons, hell, even the Bond franchise had a movie about it- Quantum of Solace iirc). It’s always been there, although very remote to the American mindset who all know of the Six Day War in the Middle East but have no memory of the water war that led to it.

At any rate, it’s been at work here for a long time, with differing levels of regional relevance (the west has been dealing, or more accurately, not dealing with this for decades), and there have long been communities scattered across the country who, for varying reasons, have not had access to “modern plumbing.” They run on well water, cisterns, whatever. There are lots of folks not too far out of town from me who don’t have “city water.”

We’re now entering a phase where a lot of people are running into the situation where they do not have safe drinking water, period. We’ve heard of the most infamous cases like Flint, but there are a lot of other places you are going to soon here about. And in many of those places, it’s not because there isn’t access to water, it’s that the water is undrinkable. Like Jackson, Mississippi, fer instance:

Recent torrential rain coupled with years of water system issues have resulted in a crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, where the city doesn’t have enough water to fight fires, flush toilets or even hand out to residents in need.

Jackson’s main water treatment facility began failing Monday, according to Gov. Tate Reeves. The National Guard was called up to help distribute bottled water as crews work to get the water treatment plant back online, state officials said.

But the distribution itself proved unsustainable. Residents of all ages were seen waiting in lines more than a mile long at Hawkins Field Airport for at least two hours Tuesday for just one case of bottled water. The event was supposed to span three hours, but barely ran two as people were eventually turned away when the 700 cases of water ran out.

There are any number of reasons why communities may not have access to water, including pollution of watersheds, drought, and other environmental factors, but the most maddening of the reasons is political malfeasance. Redirecting water to agriculture, not enforcing fair water use, profiteering (see Nestle in California, a Saudi Arabian firm growing fucking alfalfa in Arizona, or ranchers just saying fuck it yolo and destroying salmon runs) are other frequent causes. Hell, half of Chile has no water because it has all been redirected to big avocado.

But it’s the malicious politics that bothers me the most. There are a growing number of sacrifice zones in the United States where the simple basics of clean air, clean water, and unpoisoned land have been stripped from the residents. Entire regions of the gulf coast are theoretically unlivable because of petrochemical pollution, mining towns and steel mills have spoiled other areas, and mind you, people are still living there, just no one gives a fuck about them. And then there are areas like Jackson and Flint and others where it is the result of DECADES of intentional neglect. The people there have, for all intents and purposes, been completely and totally disfranchised through systemic racism and endemic poverty, and they have literally no voice, the government gives nary a shit about them, and their needs are completely and totally ignored.

Jackson city officials have spent decades screaming for upgrades to their water system, and there is no fucking reason on earth they should not have drinking water. There are ample surface water sources surrounding the region. It’s just because it is mostly poor, mostly minority, and not Republican that the state government hasn’t done fuck all for decades there. But don’t worry. Governor Tate Reeves is gonna be ok:

Hey Mississippi @tatereeves has an enormous water truck outside his governors mansion that is your tax payer money. Go tell him to share that water pic.twitter.com/08ohkJrek4

— TheSportsWhisperer… Monte🏈🏀⚾️🏒⚽️😷 (@Montejp231) August 31, 2022

All of this is going to get much, much worse with climate change and with half the country being fascist and openly racist.

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Reader Interactions

44Comments

  1. 1.

    danielx

    August 31, 2022 at 11:18 pm

    Hey Mississippi @tatereeves has an enormous water truck outside his governors mansion that is your tax payer money. Go tell him to share that water pic.twitter.com/08ohkJrek4

    That’s a little rich even for a Mississippi Republican governor.

  2. 2.

    Another Scott

    August 31, 2022 at 11:35 pm

    Yeah, we’ve known these days were coming.

    It’s fascinating to see shows about places like Petra and the work they did to conserve and distribute water. And how people eventually left because the water went away…

    In other news, ICYMI, ADN.com – Mary Peltola wins Special US House Election – Will be First Alaska Native Elected to Congress

    Good, good. More please.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  3. 3.

    Uncle Jeffy

    August 31, 2022 at 11:38 pm

    I was teaching about the upcoming war for water 35 years ago in my junior college economics classes and people thought I was living in a fantasy world. I wasn’t, as it turns out. Gotta admit that I didn’t envision the fascist/racist aspect though.

  4. 4.

    Tinare

    August 31, 2022 at 11:46 pm

    The rust belt will rebrand as the rain belt.

  5. 5.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    August 31, 2022 at 11:50 pm

    Beats Waterworld?

  6. 6.

    Tony G

    August 31, 2022 at 11:50 pm

    Aside from the human suffering (and inevitably death) in Mississippi (which, obviously, the Republicans who govern that state don’t give a damn about), Mississippi is effectively committing suicide economically.  What workers and what employers will want to move to a state that can’t even provide goddamn DRINKING WATER?  What residents of Mississippi who have a little bit of education and initiative will refrain from moving the hell out of that shit-hole?  The Republicans are destroying their own state, and they don’t give a shit about it.

  7. 7.

    Jharp

    August 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm

    “On August 2nd, 2014, residents of Toledo, Ohio awoke to urgent warnings not to drink or use their tap water. Half a million people were unable to drink their water, cook with it, or brush their teeth. The cause? Toxins from a harmful algal bloom growing in Lake Erie.”

  8. 8.

    trollhattan

    September 1, 2022 at 12:00 am

    Living where water can be scarce, it’s especially galling to know there are places where water is plentiful, sometimes over-plentiful, and the PTB simply can’t be bothered to ensure that water is safe to drink. Monsters, the lot.

  9. 9.

    trollhattan

    September 1, 2022 at 12:02 am

    Dark Brandon might could have a word.

    https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/overview-safe-drinking-water-act

  10. 10.

    Soprano2

    September 1, 2022 at 12:10 am

    The year they based the division of Colorado River water on was an unusually wet one; it’s caused problems ever since. What really boggles my mind is how much food we grow where water is scarce.

    In my department we’ve been saying water will be the oil of the 21st century for 20+ years.

  11. 11.

    Benw

    September 1, 2022 at 12:14 am

    Even a movie as gleefully dumb as Spaceballs had it’s bad guy politicians breathing cans of Perri-Air. We all know Reeves is not sharing his water truck

  12. 12.

    eclare

    September 1, 2022 at 12:18 am

    @Soprano2:   Absolutely.  It was not the only reason that I moved to Memphis, but the fact that it gets its water from an aquifer did weigh on my mind.  Now we just have to save it from TVA pollution!

  13. 13.

    RaflW

    September 1, 2022 at 12:31 am

    NPR had a segment about how Philly schools have had to shut hours early (meaning parents have to leave work or send a relative or …?) and kids learning and this early in the year, just socialization and habits, are screwed up too. Philly schools needs a huge investment to deal with a fleet of average age 70 years old physical plants which can’t handle the amperage to a/c all the classrooms, much less be up to date in other ways.

    And that segment, coupled with Jackson MS made me think about those m’fking $2.3 TRILLION in Trump-McConnell tax cuts. Just the latest in decades and decades of GOP tax cutting that has meant infrastructure all across this nation is in shambles. Those tax cuts, besides blowing up deficits, were really just ‘loans’ from the future, when all this stuff predictably crumbles and there’s not nearly enough money to just get us back to status quo.

    But the rich got to be extra rich now, so it’s all going to plan.

  14. 14.

    Keith P.

    September 1, 2022 at 12:43 am

    The Water Aquacola Wars of the Future are Here Now

    Fixed.

  15. 15.

    moops

    September 1, 2022 at 12:55 am

    but everyone got tax cuts, so you are dying of dysentery for a good cause.

  16. 16.

    Hkedi [Kang T. Q.]

    September 1, 2022 at 1:03 am

    @Keith P.: All restaurants are now Taco Bell

  17. 17.

    Omnes Omnibus

    September 1, 2022 at 1:08 am

    @moops: @Hkedi [Kang T. Q.]: That may explain the dysentery.

  18. 18.

    Darrin Ziliak (formerly glocksman)

    September 1, 2022 at 1:10 am

    @Tony G:

    Mississippi is effectively committing suicide economically. What workers and what employers will want to move to a state that can’t even provide goddamn DRINKING WATER? What residents of Mississippi who have a little bit of education and initiative will refrain from moving the hell out of that shit-hole?

    Especially when you consider that it’s the fucking state capitol without safe drinking water.

     

    Indiana’s state government is as Republican as Mississippi’s, but they’d never let that happen to Indianapolis.

  19. 19.

    moops

    September 1, 2022 at 1:12 am

    The water wars have not started.  We are still in the long slow burn as people try to adapt and get progressively more desperate.   We have not even really seen any significant numbers of water refugees.  We still have more suffering and denial to push through.

     

    People are not dying in large numbers in any of these compromised US locations.

     

    People are still far far away from war footing.

     

    calling it the future water war here today seems disingenuous.   We are seeing water poverty, and how to tackle poverty is different from how you tackle open warfare.

  20. 20.

    Jackie

    September 1, 2022 at 1:19 am

    Today the Governor of Mississippi held a press conference to “address” the problem. Officials attended the press conference. One official was noticeable missing: The Mayor of Jackson. Why?

    He WAS NOT INVITED.

    Eta: Last two posts I had to re-enter nym and email before posting.

  21. 21.

    Mike in NC

    September 1, 2022 at 1:57 am

    Lake Mead is at 25% capacity. Terrible news for westerners. But Fat Bastard said climate change was a Chinese hoax.

  22. 22.

    Edmund Dantes

    September 1, 2022 at 2:15 am

    I could have sworn I saw this here or maybe it was Daily Kos…

     

    https://twitter.com/bestforbritain/status/1549009663378788355?s=21&t=yx3VnZpaW1x_h_A3JKItjw

     

     

    when they tilt the animation for the side view is when you really notice it visually if you aren’t good at the 2D view.

  23. 23.

    Martin

    September 1, 2022 at 2:54 am

    Oh, you guys are missing the bigger drama. The most senior water rights to the Klamath river are held by the Klamath Tribe. The river also flows into California, and the water distribution folks in southern Oregon aren’t abiding by the legal requirements to curtail distribution in that area. They’re in violation of Oregon and federal law. These folks are pretty closely aligned with the Bundys and their bullshit up there on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

    They’ve been taking water by force for a while now, and they aren’t going to stop without force. California is getting really tired of their bullshit.

    And you think the biggest problem with the Arizona GOP candidates is what they’ll do in elections there? Wait until you see them fighting CA, NV, CO for water rights. Long ago CA had posted armed forces on the border to protect CA water rights. I’m expecting a return to that.

  24. 24.

    VeniceRiley

    September 1, 2022 at 2:58 am

    Weaponized minority rule by the wealthy and their racist enablers can and will get worse. I think they’ve figured water is the new buffalo. Republicans will use the lack of it to clear out those they consider undesirable. They’ll buy up the properties for a song and redevelop.

  25. 25.

    Martin

    September 1, 2022 at 3:07 am

    @Edmund Dantes: You’ll note the expansion didn’t really start with the industrial revolution. It started with the expansion of the suburbs. This is what I mean when I say that EVs won’t do enough for climate change, because it still encourages the expansion of suburbs, which carry all kinds of other climate costs which we aren’t addressing.

  26. 26.

    Martin

    September 1, 2022 at 3:09 am

    @Tony G: Mississippi is effectively committing suicide economically.

    That’s been true since 1861.

  27. 27.

    Amir Khalid

    September 1, 2022 at 3:26 am

    The latest from Najibland:

    Najib’s missus, Rosmah Mansur, is awaiting the judge’s verdict in a corruption trial of her very own. I tell you, if this doesn’t prove they were made for each other …

    By the way, Rosmah used to style herself First Lady of Malaysia. (Silly me, I’d always thought the First Lady of Malaysia was the Agong’s consort, Her Majesty the Permaisuri Agong.) FLOM and Malaysian Official 1 used to live so high on the hog, even our local royalty would mock them for their extravagance.

  28. 28.

    opiejeanne

    September 1, 2022 at 3:34 am

    Village of Delta, Louisiana on July 1, 2019, just across the Mississippi from Vicksburg.. Signs advising residents to boil their water.  There was flooding everywhere throughout Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi,  mostly in  fields that still had half their area covered with 3-6″ of standing water.

  29. 29.

    opiejeanne

    September 1, 2022 at 3:48 am

    @Another Scott: Casa Grande Ruins, a 4 story adobe structure, halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, dates from 1150 to 1450 but the Hohokam people had been living there for over 1000 years. It was built near a river, and they had an extensive irrigation system. They left when the river dried up.

  30. 30.

    A Good Woman

    September 1, 2022 at 4:18 am

    @VeniceRiley:

    Redevelop into what? Water won’t magically reappear just because developers show up.

  31. 31.

    mrmoshpotato

    September 1, 2022 at 4:21 am

    @A Good Woman:

    Water won’t magically reappear just because developers show up.

    Obviously, you’re not a developer (or a golfer)! 🤣

  32. 32.

    nickdag

    September 1, 2022 at 4:22 am

    Saw a post on Twitter — no idea if true — that Tate frequently refers to Mississippians. However, he never uses that word when referring to Jackson residents.
    I’d love for a journalist to check that out and see if it’s accurate.

  33. 33.

    Amir Khalid

    September 1, 2022 at 4:26 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    Rosmah Mansur was convicted an hour ago in the High Court on a charge of bribery. (See Reuters story at link in #27.) She’s looking at a long jail term and a multimillion dollar fine, plus another bribery trial.

  34. 34.

    Amir Khalid

    September 1, 2022 at 5:01 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    The sentence has been announced: ten years jail, fine of US$215 million or another ten years jail in default.

  35. 35.

    mrmoshpotato

    September 1, 2022 at 7:00 am

    @Amir Khalid: Woah.

  36. 36.

    Baud

    September 1, 2022 at 7:13 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    👍

    Thanks for setting a good example, 🇲🇾

  37. 37.

    Ocotillo

    September 1, 2022 at 7:54 am

    Recall when GOP in Michigan sent in a “manager” to take over, I think it was Detroit because it was not being run correctly.  Imagine the furor at Fox if Dark Brandon sent in a special manager to run the failed state of Mississippi.

  38. 38.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    September 1, 2022 at 7:59 am

    @Martin: I live about a mile from the DC border, and honestly I think it’s time for the city to ban cars that aren’t owned by residents of the city from driving in past a certain point. Many European cities do this. With the subway and e-scooters, e bikes etc. mobility would be fine. It would discourage further expansion into the exurbs because it’d make driving 60 plus miles into the city that much more of a pain in the ass.

     

    @Jharp: I’m originally from Michigan which has plentiful water but the way the Great Lakes are warming I’m starting to wonder how long before Lakes Michigan and Huron start having issues with those same algae blooms.

  39. 39.

    artem1s

    September 1, 2022 at 9:06 am

    I’m starting to wonder how long before Lakes Michigan and Huron start having issues with those same algae blooms.

    Erie is particularly susceptible to algae bloom because it is very shallow. The western end is very, very shallow. Lake temperatures in shallow areas reach high 60’s to low 70s by late summer. Prevailing winds in the late summer and fall can blow water out of Sandusky Bay and expose sand bars and rocks that are normally submerged. It’s not uncommon for larger recreational boats to get stranded. The Army Core has to constantly dredge out lanes for the ore barges and ferries coming in and out of port.
    Superior and Huron are incredibly deep and cold. Algae isn’t the problem there. The Great Lakes are facing increased pressure to remove water from the watershed though. The last GOP governor of Colorado tried suing the Great Lakes Consortium because they wanted to run a pipeline out west rather than impose conservation measures in his own state. If the Great Lakes Consortium blinks to commercial pressure to take water out of the watershed this country is doomed. Algae will be the least of our problems.

  40. 40.

    eachother

    September 1, 2022 at 11:14 am

    Caulk a couple of football stadiums for cisterns.

  41. 41.

    VOR

    September 1, 2022 at 11:43 am

    Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, spent much of 2021 officially in a drought. There are currently some restrictions on water use in Minneapolis/St. Paul suburbs.

    Officially, the Great Lakes Charter means 8 US states and 2 Canadian provinces would have to agree unanimously to any large diversion of water from the Great Lakes basin.

  42. 42.

    Paul in KY

    September 1, 2022 at 11:50 am

    @Amir Khalid: Assuming a Malaysian jail may not be the most comfy?

  43. 43.

    redoubtagain

    September 1, 2022 at 2:00 pm

    @Ocotillo: Flint was another city that got a Republican-appointed “manager”.  They were ordered to “save money” by switching from Detroit water to Flint River water.

  44. 44.

    S Cerevisiae

    September 1, 2022 at 5:00 pm

    SOO SOO SOOOOK!

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