I was startled, shocked, and horrified at the final
sentence of the Editor’s Note (HCN, 1/24/05: Who’ll Stop the
Rain?). Does the publisher really hope that a severe drought
becomes more severe? A more severe drought could have devastating
effects on people’s lives, perhaps causing famine and death.
Do the people of the West need to live with less water
than they currently use? I believe most definitely yes. Will water
managers and water consumers change their habits without a severe
consequence hanging over their heads? I believe probably not. Do I
want the current severe drought to get worse to teach them a
lesson? That is like hoping that the tornado tears up
someone’s home for daring to live in Tornado Alley, or that a
tsunami washes thousands of people to their deaths for daring to
live so close to the sea.
Paul
Flatt
Boise, Idaho
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline HCN wants more drought?.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
