My apologies. It has been nearly a month since I last wrote
the elpasonaturally e-letter. I started on the 7th – but never finished. A
two-week flu/bronchitis bug bit me and, until this week, much has been a blur.
In the meantime a number of you emailed and wondered if I had dropped you off
the list or I had dropped off the face of the world. I hadn’t, of course. I was
just in the never-never land of chills and fever and coughs. And I had the flu
shot in September! Anyway – some words before the year disappears.
First, congratulations to John Balliew who has been chosen
by the PSB to be the next President/CEO of our water utility. This is great
news. John is a roll-up-your-sleeves and solve the problem kind of guy. He’s affable;
he listens; and, most important of all, he’s very, very smart. His selection
bodes well for El Paso.
And, congratulations to Ed Escudero who has left the PSB
where he has been the Chairman and has accepted a position on the board for El
Paso Electric. Ed built bridges between the PSB and the conservation community.
He brought that community to the table and made sure it was heard. Like Balliew,
Ed Escudero took time to go out to sites and see the situations of concern to
environmentalists.
One would have to write a tome on the work and
accomplishments of Ed Archuleta. I am so glad that he has been appointed to be
one of the Board of Governors that will oversee the mess at EPISD. El Paso will
benefit greatly for having his guidance.
I know that I often talk about the PSB or about water – but water
is the single most critical issue not just facing El Pasoans but the nation and
the world. Because of drought, climate
change, bad water practices in the Western United States for over a century,
and just living in a desert where water is a scarce resource, its use, re-use, and
conservation must be our key concerns. I do not share the optimism of some that
we will have water for centuries to come. Sooner not later there must be a
regional meeting of County, City, International, Water Utility, urban and rural
stakeholders regarding water. Until then, it will do us good not only to
continue PSB’s conservation policies but to make our building codes, landscape
codes and so forth much more water smart. (Ed Archuleta’s water smart home
project needs to come to full fruition.) Any water that falls as precipitation
should stay on the ground and not flood through the streets and down outdated,
technologically-dumb concrete canals with tiny culvert trash receptacles. If rainfall
stays on the ground, it nourishes landscapes that help cool us (or feed us). If
it stays on the ground it eventually helps to restore the aquifers below us.
Sooner not later state and national legislation regarding
water rights needs to be drastically re-written. Water belongs to all of us. As
it is now in El Paso, water is owned by a few agrarian interests, sold to the
municipality (EPWU) and piped (the Rio Grande has ceased being a living,
breathing creature and has been reduced to a mere plumbing system) to farms
that too often grow crops which require large amounts of water. Thousands of
people who previously could vote on water district policies were recently
disenfranchised and the ability to vote became more difficult – thus leaving
ultimate water decisions in the hands of a very few people. This needs to
change and so does much of our crop and irrigation choices.
Learn more about potable re-use as well as non-potable use
(purple pipe water). The National Academies has this good introduction:
Understanding Water Reuse
Wetlands can become integral parts of sewage re-use. They
are already in use in El Paso. But imagine recapturing the vitality of the Rio
Grande as a vast ecosystem performing ecosystem
services worth millions of dollars to taxpayers. Mike Landis of the Bureau
of Reclamation has imagined such. Read his String of Pearls on the Rio Grande:
String of Pearls on the Rio Grande
LEED, Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development, New
Urbanism – the tools are there. Development, economic growth – these are good
things if they are done smart with our grandchildren’s grandchildren in mind
and not just the instantaneous, private profit as its goal. Encourage infill
not sprawl.
More to talk about and learn for sure.
Some final thoughts: Today wasn’t the end of the world. (Did
anyone seriously think that it would be?) Some talk about the beginning of new
thinking. That’s always good. So let’s give up some bad thinking and get some
good thinking. By the signs of the last votes on bonds, etc., El Pasoans are
doing just that. I’m tired of those who say “we can’t”, “El Paso is too poor”, “it
can’t be done here”. Forgive the language . . . but . . . bullshit and baloney.
You’re an El Pasoan by birth or by choice. I’m an El Pasoan by birth and by
choice. We know that we can get things done. Our question is “what can’t we do
as El Pasoans?” The sky is the limit and we have lots of sky. As our exemplar we have Kevin Von Finger who our
County Judge and Commissioners just honored as “friend and environmental
activist”. I’m also tired of
scapegoating those with lots of money just because they have lots of money. Let
me just mention the medical school, the hospital, downtown re-development, etc.
I’m grateful not resentful for philanthropy. I am so thankful daily for people
like Eric Pearson, President of the El Paso Community Foundation, or souls such
as Dr. David and Carolyn Gough. Politics are in philanthropy too; but in
American politics we all have a right to speak up. And, speaking about politics
(and sustainable living in El Paso), government is only sustainable and stable
in its republican/representative form. As a democracy we elect representatives
and we protect the rights of each individual even from majority rule. Petitions
are great. I can think of more. But, this notion that we should get rid of a
representative just because we disagree with a decision he or she makes can
only lead to anarchy and failure of our governments to be effective for any of
us. Except for cases of misfeasance or malfeasance, we keep people in office,
respect them, speak up when we need to. We
elect people not just because we agree with them on some issues, but because we
believe that they will make the best decisions on our behalf. Time with
patience is our best perspective. You don’t get rid of someone just because you
don’t like this vote or that vote. You can’t keep changing policy on whim. An
apology restores harmony. Forgiveness sustains that harmony. Move on.
As El Pasoans what can we achieve? Everything.
Next question.
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