Friday, May 15, 2009

Cherishing Mussels and Despising Humans in Northeast Florida

A St. Johns "Riverkeeper" named Dan recently wrote a letter to my local liberal newspaper/fishwrap/catbox liner decrying the decision which allowed the citizens of Seminole County, Florida to withdraw an additional 5.5 million gallons per day. He claimed that "siphoning" (ya gotta love the imagery!) that much water would have "catastrophic results on the river's bio-diversity" and would kill clams and fish. That's a false claim to begin with, but Dan didn't display a scintilla of care that HUMAN BEINGS actually need that water. That's at the very heart of NE Florida's "water wars" over the St. Johns River and in my opinion drives much of the radical enviro movement. These radicals tend not to like human beings.

I'd love to know your opinions on the matter since my dogs just look at me funny, my wife thinks I'm kinda funny, and my daughter couldn't care either way! :-)

This was my reply to radical Dan:

This is an issue of basic humanity and even simpler math. Once you understand those basics, you'll know why you don't need the "results of the National Institutes of Health study" to allow Seminole county (the upstream source of the St. Johns River) to use water that comes from Seminole County!

Let's discuss basic humanity, which sadly seems in short supply. Are you prepared to allow your neighbors a veto power over YOUR water usage? Imagine if they had some sort of valve that they could turn off once they peeped at your meter. They could get together out in the street and say, "we think ole Dan and family have used enough water for the week. It's time to turn it off and let him appeal."

Now it's time for some simple math. Dan have you ever stopped to wonder just how much St. Johns River fresh water flows into the Atlantic Ocean in just one hour? All you have to do is stand at the base of the Buckman Bridge or on one of the high dunes ("bluffs") at the end of Monument Rd. to get a feel for the staggering flow of fresh water in just 5 minutes! Get your calculator...ready?

My numbers may be off by as much as 1o% because I'm eyeballing it, but this'll give you an idea of my point. An Olympic competition swimming pool is 50 meters (165 ft.) long, 25 meters (83 ft.) wide, and 8 feet deep. Multiply 165 x 83 x 8 = 109,560 cubic feet. There's approximately 7 gallons of water per cubic foot so you end up with 766,920 gallons per Michael Phelp's pool. Seminole County has been granted permission to use 5.5 million gallons/day.
That's roughly equivalent to 7.2 of those swimming pools full of water! This is the volume of water Seminole County has been given.

I've stood at Blount Island near the Dames Point Bridge and watched the seagulls and pelicans float by at 6-9 mph, and wondered at the STUPENDOUS amount of fresh water that flows into the world's 2nd largest body of salt water. How many of those swimming pools full of water flow into the Atlantic in one minute? We can only guess, but I think you'd be safe in guessing at least 20. Seminole County has been granted a drop of water from a GD barrell, and yet you and the other "Riverkeepers" would begrudge them that drop! It's tempting to blame the government schools for this level of abject stupidity, but all that's required is a $5 calculator.

Why did I take the time to point all of this out?

Increasingly I see our society getting away from the Founding Principles of freedom, minimal interference in the affairs of your neighbor, plain old Christian charity & tolerence, and I see us turning mean and petty with each other. This fight over a mere drop in a barrel of fresh water--the one thing we CANNOT live without--is the starkest example to date of mass hysteria and man's inhumanity towards his fellow man here in North Florida. If you are one of those who would begrudge your fellow human being fresh water given what you now know, SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!

14 comments:

  1. HEY, MORGAN!
    About time, good buddy...and it looks like you are about some common sense too.

    Most people scream about wasting water...where does that "wasted water" go?

    Into the ocean?
    Evaporated into the atmosphere?
    Into peoples glasses, food, cooking pots, bathtubs or showers?
    Then into the sewer system?
    Then into treatment plant?
    Then into the ground water, aquifer, river?
    WHAT IS WASTED?
    WHAT IS LOST?
    Nada!

    It's called the WATER CYCLE for a reason...it cycles round in circles.

    Rolling of eyes!

    Sic 'em, tiger!

    tmw

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  2. I used to live in Palatka and have swum, fished, boated and skied in the waters of the St. Johns. I have drunk from it, mostly from the faucet, occasionally right out of the river.

    There's plenty of water there not to have to deprive human beings of their needs.

    This is SO typical of the "the sky is falling" bunch.

    Good post!

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  3. Enviro-crackpot riparian rights arguments. The bane of sanity.

    Reminds me of a bridge repair project that was delayed through the winter months here because of some endangered fish-poop eating endangered "snail darters" had made their home under the bridge.

    Well, winter came, and a family in a minivan skidded on ice through the abandoned bridge construction work that had confined a 4 lane bridge into just one, and they went off the bridge and all but one of them froze to death in the river below.

    But the frickin snails are alive.

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  4. You're right TMW, it's not like the water is lost forever. You do know that these people are practicing a new religion that's nothing more than one of the oldest religions recycled? It's old-fashioned Earth worship. Oh boy!

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  5. Joe, not only is there plenty of water where Palatka is located, but it gains a HUGE amount downstream with more tributaries. These Riverkeepers are nuts!

    It's good to see a Palatka boy here. I played football and ran track against Palatka when i was in high school! That was back in 80-82.
    Thanks for stopping by Joe, us Florida boys need to stick together!

    Beamish!! You noticed that ole Dan put mussels above humans in the scheme of things. Doesn't that drive you nuts? That family that died so some enviros could dictate terms is a terrible shame, but not at all surprising.

    Riparian? Never seen that one before, thanks for the new word. :-)

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  6. To TMW, Joe, and Beamish. Thanks for stopping by ya'll! I responded to your wonderful comments already, but my comments have DISAPPEARED!

    There's something creepy going on and I'm going to find a flashlight...

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  7. Okay I give up. My comments have reappeared. Never mind. :-)

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  8. Yes, we should take care of our environment; we are God’s caretakers. Here we are, living on marvelously unique planet in the entire universe ... I think. But as with so many other issues, there does not appear to be a scintilla of thoughtful debate, nor even reason, as we attempt to resolve our differences.

    Well, as you know I watch the History Channel a lot … except when Ice Road Truckers, Axe Men, and Gangland USA are airing. The other day, I was fascinated to watch their new program “Earth after Humans.” Well, that lasted for about seven minutes; it took me that long to realize, what difference does it make what happens to Earth after humans? Animals don’t give a damn. So I turned it off. Naturally, we probably want to know why THC is even airing such programs. I’ve asked that question myself every time I see “Gangland” as an upcoming program. But then, they also have a series called Mega-Disasters. So it is probably likely that all humans will disappear once a massive meteor hits the earth, a mega volcano erupts in Yellowstone, a Force-10 Hurricane wipes out the entire Eastern Seaboard, global warming melts all the ice and covers all of Florida, or extraterrestrials finally reveal themselves. In that context, who gives a crap abut the St. John’s River, or the fish and clams who live there?

    Glad to see you’re blogging, Morgan. I’m blog rolling you.

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  9. I've blog-rolled you too...it's been a looooooooooong time coming!
    G*D bless and MARANATHA!

    tmw

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  10. Thanks TMW, you're the best! I stopped by and read your top opinion piece, good one. I also LOVED the music!

    Mustang you're absolutely right. We are shepherds of His creation, and we're charged with using the abundance of the earth, and taking care of it at the same time. These wackos (for lack of a better term) have created an entirely new earth worshipping religion. It's based on lies, which means nothing good can come from it.
    About the History Channel...You and I think along the same EXACT lines. I love the show when they're doing hard-hitting archaelogy or history. This "Earth After Humans" is like catnip to leftists/enviro-radicals in my opinion. I was saddened by the whole thought process. I watched half the 1st show and tuned it out. Once again it occurred to me that there is an entire self-loathing part of the population that cannot wait for their neighbor to disappear!

    Thanks for blog-rolling me, I'm still trying to find out the mechanism for doing that here. I have a part of the "profile" page where I list blogs I follow, and you are THERE.

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  11. As I see it, America is more divided today than she's ever been, with all manner of snapping at each other. Sure, Americans have always been a contentious bunch. But the example of such petty thinking as this fellow in Florida all wound up about the use of water is typical of the kind of so-called thinking today.

    In addition, the preserve-all-species-except-humans-at-all-costs attitude is permeating even some conservative circles as young people are becoming such staunch environmentalists. For example, one of my students is quite the environmentalist. For example, on of my high school students is always crying out, "Animals should live!" when discussing whether or not certain animals should be removed from the Endangered Species List. Never mind that he eats steak for dinner.

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  12. AOW there does seem to be an ideological civil war breaking out, and the lefties don't care to learn where their ways will bring us. Oy!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. We have something of a similar issue in the Delta area of Sacramento. Fornicalia, as you might expect, is the farming breadbasket of much of the US. Agriculture requires LOTS of water, and rightly so. The "war" is ON in Fornicalia where the farmers are battling Enviros who want the Delta Smelt to WIN. Let's see; farming in the delta area which provides FOOD to the ENTIRE country vs a stupid FISH.

    You know what? I vote for FOOD FOR HUMANS.

    FUCK the smelt. Not literally, of course.

    BZ

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  14. I'm with you BZ! I'll take humans over smelt any day. That sort of gaqrbage SHOULD expose these people and their wretched agenda.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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