Water Wars

The effects from climate change is not just a problem for future generations to worry about, we need to address the problem here and now as well as in the future. Right now our oceans and waterways are overflowing, mudslides are a regular occurrence, the polar ice is melted, fires are raging all over America, temperatures are rising that in Phoenix there are days with 120 degree heat forcing the destruction of buckling highways and closed airports.  Trump and his good buddy Putin who are going to have a face to face meeting soon doesn’t think the polar ice melting is a problem. They regard it as a gift because now they can ship on the new melted ice regions faster around the world and large oil reserves can be found where there used to be generations of ice. Forget humanity and the preservation of the earth, go for the money with your buddy.

So what can we do? What should we be doing? The damage is done. We perhaps can put in place more pollution controls on polluting industries to maybe slow the destructive process but with all the fossil fuels still being burned globally that is still a slow uphill battle. Trumps way of helping the economy and getting more jobs is to simply ease the regulations on corporations and let them pollute the whole town.  Maybe they won’t take the jobs elsewhere if they can pollute right here in America. Trump is such a sick puppy.

At least with the problem of rising waters destroying our land, we need to learn from the Dutch. They know how to control the water and use it to their advantage. Our infrastructure is a crumbling mess anyway. Now is the time to take radical steps to change things as it is to something better for Americans to live and thrive with. The Dutch has been raging a water war for a thousand years. They have windmills there that have been there for a hundred ears not to be a decoration on Blue Delft China but to pump water to farmland. Do we do that? NO. Our farmers just look to the sky and hope for rain as their crops burn up from the heat and the livestock dwindle from lack of good grass growing.

In Holland it is a matter of survival since 20% percent of the country is below sea level. They completed in 1997, a massive storm barrier that protects Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port. The massive structure is as tall as the Eiffel Tower but is laid on its side resting on the water. They have a water management position there. The Dutch are the go to water experts. Donald just likes to hang out with Putin. We need the Dutch to work with us and figure out what to do and how to avoid what happened to our country after Hurricane Sandy hit our coast line. You can’t prevent a disaster from happening but you can respond faster to stop eroding land and lost lives.

Preparedness is key to avoiding disasters. The Dutch built a fortress for flood protection. The company called Deltares built the largest wave pool in the world. Their business is to find ways to protect the coasts from destructive waves. Their designs are working with 140 countries to stop flooding. Rising sea levels also means higher waves. Sea levels in America are expected to rise by three feet by the end of the century. The Dutch is used to walling out water and now know how to redirect the water in instead. We can save our coastlines by letting the water in by manmade canals. There is a book called Sweet & Salt by Tracy Metz that explains how the Dutch farmers voluntarily gave up some land so a spill way can be made to let the excess water into the land and control its release into the land. The only thing Trump approved was a polluting pipe line to be spread all across America that doesn’t even benefit us. Creating canals across our land could create jobs too Donald. If our land is moist it won’t burn and could irrigate our land and keep our livestock alive.

The land is higher than the flood plain by creating huge man made slopes. Yes, bulldoze the land to be higher than the waterways. Learning to accommodate water is more beneficial than just watching your homes being destroyed each year from water damage. Our wealthy Insurance companies love destroyed and damaged homes and towns. It is good for business, their business. The Dutch created a 24 ton sand barrier on its ocean coasts with large grasses growing from the sand to stop sand erosion. We need to do that and not just cost the taxpayers millions of dollars to put sand on our beaches just to watch it all fall into the sea every year. Plant the damn grass too America. Save our beaches.

In south Florida flooding has become a regular occurrence. It is expected that along the Florida coast that sea levels will rise to as much as six feet by the end of this century. It will destroy trillions of dollars in real estate and effect seven million lives. How can we prevent the destruction? All new construction should be built higher. In Miami Beach roads should be rebuilt to be two and a half feet higher. Homes should be designed so that flood water can move through the foundations. Yes at least put Miami on stilts! Make it a law! In Rotterdam there is a floating Conference Center surrounded by floating trees. In Amsterdam there is an entire neighborhood with floating houses. Yes, expand the house boat idea. Use all that water to your advantage.

Many find water out their window a beautiful sight. Docks connect the homes together and as the water rises so do their homes and their sidewalks and streets rise. No problem. As a result the people are much happier and have no fear of all their belongings and homes being destroyed each year. Instead of dividing America why can’t our elected leaders do something to have us ALL   happier?  Water can be calm and peaceful.  Stop buying weapons and pay for engineers to make us a happier nation.