Viateur in Orchids Digest, Vol 6, Issue 322 states: "It should be interesting to see if the question is part of the political debate during the coming months", referring to the US Conserve Roadless Areas Directive.
<> Unfortunately, I don't think environmental issues will be too prominent in the US presidential elections. These days' politics are run by polls. While 70 to 80 percent of Americans do believe in strong environmental regulations and oppose the Bushes Administration's environmental stance, the environment only ranks 8^th on the list of concerns for determining which presidential candidate Americans will vote for. Like with many issues most people don't become too concerned about an issue until it becomes a crisis. After some big environmental catastrophe there will be hearings, special investigating committees, finger pointing, and a wondering why the facts and intelligence could not have been put together to avert such a disaster. There are environmental concerns reaching near disaster status or arguably at disaster status. One big one AJ Hicks brings up in his response to Viateur, "None of which is to say we have nothing to be concerned about with regards to bulldozers, of course, but the continuing drought in the SW shows no signs of abatement." This is really a worldwide problem. The shortage of fresh water should be of concerned to all orchid growers, as water is a major component of growing orchids in situ or ex situ, and of keeping their caretakers alive. Currently private companies are trying to take control of municipal water facilities. They make many promises that are hollow. The public should fight to keep their municipal water facilities public, or you will be paying through the nose in no time. *The next Sultans will be those that control fresh water supplies.* Do to pollution, increase of population, destruction of watersheds and wetlands, and drought (climate change), fresh water is getting scarce. The water wars are happening all over the planet. From more obvious places like Mexico City to the US southwest, to what you may think of as less obvious places like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. The push to privatize municipal water is happening in place with lots of fresh water, like New Orleans with that big pipeline called the Mississippi. The reason is companies want to sell water from places that have it to places that don't. A while back I wrote about the Bush Administration's push to count salmon from hatcheries to determine whether or not a salmon species should be considered endangered and it spawning streams and rivers protected. (I was pointing out jokingly that we could use the same rational of counting orchids in flasks, and nurseries to determine status in CITES, and the protecting of orchid habitat.) Well the conservation of salmon in this issue is really secondary; the real reason why the Bush Administration is pushing this issue is so that the water from these salmon breeding grounds can be used for other purposes. The chopping down of large trees in US road less areas, Amazon, or anywhere can have repercussions on the amount of fresh water available. Trees help hold water in the soil, contain lakes and streams, and slow the melt of snow by shading it well into the summer in the mountains. Trees and plants in themselves are water holders. There are many articles on the web on the desertification of land. http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=1923&PHPSESSID=410a70c39aacffc6313bfe5f3e552a12 <http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=1923&PHPSESSID=410a70c39aacffc6313bfe5f3e552a12> In developed countries it is funny that people are willing to pay outrageous sums for bottled water compared to what they pay of gas, but complain about gas prices. They pay for the bottled water even though their tap water is already paid for by them and is often of better quality. Imagine having to pay near bottle-watered prices to clean your laundry, or wash your dishes, let alone water your orchids. Protect your watersheds, and your municipal water facilities. While some people may rail against taxes, there are many things that taxes pay for that are far cheaper then what you can get through the private sector. Politicians don't do a good job of connecting the value people get from paying taxes, and the consequences of privatization of basic things that can not be competively marketed. Businesses are better organized because there is profit involved. The public is often so disconnected from what is going on until it is to late. Many politicians fail to advocate for the benefit of all, and only advocate for a few. <> Mark Sullivan <> We could all go live in Hilo with Bill, I understand they have a lot of water and good orchid growing conditions.
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