Ray's Thought for the Day - Another BCP Crisis

Periodically, what passes for a daily newspaper in these parts puts an environment article on the front page. The articles are never big picture intelligible, but are always semi-entertaining. Today's article semi-describes a COA presumptive water treatment plant, proposed for location on a parcel of land set aside for endangered species, naturally. Apparently, studies promulgated by water engineers, ooooooo, show that these same engineers need to have some work between now and 2013, when, according to the study, the COA will need another water treatment plant to lath its ever thirsting gullet. More water, I need more water, my Escalade has spots.

Let's see, on one side of the dispute are the land brokers, developers and happy believers in the notion that natural resources, like water, are infinite, because all the waters are pissed out by Jesus and he won't let us run short. In other words, the local rulers and their brainy minions. In short, this side believes human population growth in the Austin area is not only inevitable, but sustainable, forever, or at least until the rulers and true believers can cash in and move somewhere else. Er, or maybe they just like asphault deserts.

There is no other side of the dispute, not really.

So the dispute turns on whether the water engineers, ooooooo, told everybody they were supposed to tell, about what they were up to, before they contracted out a bunch of the preliminary work. They didn't. So that pissed off some of those in the government that should have been told. But now they know, so everything's hunky dory, maybe.

The "proposed" water treatment plant would be erected on occupied black-capped vireo habitat in a preserve set up to protect the black-capped vireos. But that's OK. Lot's of expert biologists were contacted by the newspaper and are quoted as having a diversity of opinions with regard to the dispute. No doubt, the bioligists were all quoted accurately. Scientific incertitude promotes progress.