Just returned from the latest County Council meeting and heard the head of the local water management district tell the Council that if no more people were allowed to relocate here, that we are already terminal as far a the water supply problem is concerned. Also, it is going to get a lot worse. The County's (consumptive use permit (CUP) is going to be steadily reduced over the next 10 years. That means that the amount of water that the County is allowed to draw out of the aquifer is going to be permanently reduced. The local lakes are already dry to the point that there is grass and brush growing in the bottoms and our few artesian springs are now flowing at one-half their usual flow. Here is my question: when the municipal wells do finally run dry, and they will, what is life going to be like? I wasn't too worried because we get by with our own windmill-pumped well and solar power so I didn't think that we would be affected by the collapse of the cities. Then I began to wonder...what if the medical community leaves town? Will other essential services fail if water has to be trucked in? It will probably be like some of those communities whose economy was based upon one large factory which closed up. Is there anyone out there who has been through it? When the local economy imploded, were there still a few hardy souls who managed to stay on or did the community become a ghost town? Need to know. I have nearly half a lifetime invested in this place and don't want to leave, but if I have to, I'll walk away and start over somewhere where they won't allow growth to outstrip the carrying capacity of the environment.

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), May 19, 2001

Answers

John, thankfully haven't been in your situation, but could be I guess with the right circumstances- do you mind telling me approximately where you live, I now am in north Florida- which could be reaching overpopulation status in the next few years. We have suddenly seen lots of growth restriction in our area, which is good for the environment- but harder for anyone wanting a reasonably priced piece of land without lots of restrictions. Definitly not conducive to homesteaders I am afraid, but such a great place if the economy adjusts! Joy

-- Joy (JNews1223@hotmail.com), May 19, 2001.

In my opinion, part of the water problem will be cured by limiting immigrants that are allowed to enter here. The governments open door policy forgets that the resources are limited. We do not owe the immigrants anything; we did not build this country for them but rather for our children. Yes my people came here in 1838, but the other half were here for centuries before that. Over population is the problem, lack of respect for the resources is another problem; over comsumption is another. The list is endless.... Now electricity is becomming a big consern; the west coast has enough tidal energy to cure their problems at the cost of giving up a bit of nature, but instead of giving up their air conditioners they want someone else to cure the problems. Gasoline prices are rising because it is profitable for the "old money" crowd and because we are not thinking (and developing) ahead. In Califorina, where the electrical problems are very large, there are homeowners associations that do not allow clothes lines. Dud!! In the words of Pogo "We have met the enemy and they are us".

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), May 20, 2001.

Yeah right, 5% of the world's population already scoff up about 40% of the world's resources so let's see what else we can do. Re Tidal power, tides are created by the movement of the moon, if we restrict the movement of the tides we must be putting a load on the moon, if we slow down the moon it will fall out of orbit and land on our heads. Maybe that is what Chicken Little meant!

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), May 20, 2001.

I didn't make this post to stir up an argument about the excesses of government, growth and consumerism. I need to know, from someone who has been through it, what happens when the only game in town shuts down. Is it better to get out early or play the waiting game and hope that there is enough of civilization left to live in reasonable security.

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), May 21, 2001.

John, why is the CUP being reduced? is the idea to bring consumption to a level that is sustainable? How many people do you, or the regulators, think the water supply is capable of supporting? i guess that is an important number before anyone can speculate on how it's going to be "after".

Regardless of your intentions, the situation you describe was bound to grab people's attention--and rightly so! This is an issue which many, many areas of the U.S, and the rest of the world, will be facing sooner or later, if they haven't already.

We're on a finite planet, with seemingly infinite desires for both "things" and limitless reproduction.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), May 21, 2001.

John james, security is a state of mind. IMHO it exists nowhere anymore. If you like your place and are fairly self sufficient...why would you leave??? People leaving could be a good thing. I have lived in a town that survived quite well the leaving of a "town business". The term ghost town is so relative. To me, less would be better and a good thing. There is really no need in this day in age for anyone to feel "isolated". You need to be more specific as to what you are calling "essential services". As a homesteader I have very little need for any "services" but must admit I would be a sad sally if I lost my computer power. With the new technology though, it is possible to be totally off the grid and have the computer. We did in Haiti via satellite. (as missionaries we didn't have that capacity but someone did who shared with us) IMHO what you need to do is really figure out what it is you think you need and what you want and see if perhaps you don't have most of it already, with or without your "town".

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), May 21, 2001.

In response to Diane and Joe: If you were in a 747 airliner that was on a collision course with a mountain, would you sit in the front, to get it over with as soon as possible, or sit in the back and hope to survive the crash or at least delay the inevitable for a second or two? I believe that the Water Management District has reduced the county's CUP in the hope of delaying the inevitable. The "town" I am referring to is any large city in Florida. Miami, Tampa, Orlando, etc.. I live sixty miles north of Orlando in a small town of 1,000. I live in an earth-sheltered home with wind and solar power. Have my own garden and small livestock. Have tractor, tools, guns and enough spare parts to last several lifetimes. I'll do great unless I am the only one left and I need to get a tooth filled or a bone set. I lived in rural (desolate) Nebraska in the '40's when medical help and spare parts and stuff you couldn't grow was 60 miles away. It wasn't fun. Don't want to do it again. When we do run out of ground water, the large cities are not going to be nice places to be in and here in Florida, you can't get too far from a large city. So I ask again, has anyone out there had experience with the collapse of a community? I'll bet that some ex-peace corps people have some stories to tell. I didn't specify that it had to be an American community.

-- John James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), May 21, 2001.

I am sorry John I can't claim to have ever experienced the collapse of a community but I have seen a few that have. In my part of the world there are many 'towns' that are now only a name on a map and a lonely country cross roads. These have not died through lack of resources rather lack of people. I can't exactly explain why those towns died it seems that people just liked living in bigger towns and could once motorised transport came along. Maybe bigger farms bought up their smaller neighbours.

I recently flew over parts of Afghanistan (at low level in a Cessna) and was quite saddened at the obviously once prosperous towns and villages that now show only as rectangles of walls under drifting sand. Afghanistan has had 20 years of civil war followed by very bad droughts that have extended over several years (at least in some areas).

We once lived on a Pacific Island that had minimal medical services for the population of 3000 (now down to <2000). I was quite a bit younger then and perhaps it was not so relevant but even now I don't think I would leave a place I enjoyed just to be closer to medical facilities, we all have to die of something, someday.

It sounds unlikely to me that any town, big or small, could survive long on trucked water. My guess is that nothing much will change until financial instutions (such as banks and lending societies) decide they have no future in the town, then they will be the first to leave. Property prices will fall, young people will decide to make their lives elswhere and the average age will increase. Shops will close perhaps exacerbated by opening of a mega-mall within 20 miles or so. Some houses might get trucked away and others stay empty, schools will close and remaining kids will face a long day on the school bus. Not very pretty is it? But if you REALLY like the place and stick it out it might not be so bad, after all when the demand decreases will the aquifer recover?

I don't think everyone will leave town on the same day and a few new people will come into the area to take advantage of the property prices.

I hope things works out for you and your neighbours.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), May 22, 2001.

50 miles north of Miami, here...I am considering solar power to run largescale dehumidifiers, available at Service Merchandise. I used to hate Florida's high humidity, now it may be our salvation.

-- Mitzi Giles (Egiles2@prodigy.net), May 24, 2001.