It All Boils Down to Water

Beijing is yellow - with dust. The annual spring sandstorm ritual is particularly bad this year, blanketing entire provinces from the Western interior through to the Southeast. Standard stuff.

But one thing in particular drew my attention:

The sandstorms underline the environmental degradation investors identify as one of the long-term constraints on growth...

The government has spent millions of dollars on projects to rein in the spread of deserts, planting trees and trying to protect what plant cover remains in marginal areas.

But the battle is being fought against a backdrop of rising average temperatures and increasing pressure on water resources after three decades of booming growth.

I am not a firm believer in Anthropomorphic Global Climate Change*. But I do believe Earth's resources are becoming strained. And China's confrontation with reality will be epic due to both its massive population and heretofore utter disregard for environmental concerns.

Their deserts are growing because folks are cutting down trees and sucking water out of ever-deeper wells. Meanwhile, industries and individuals alike are polluting rivers and streams with waste, fertilizer runoff, and toxic debris.

Look, I'm not one to criticize. The US has it's own issues with oil. But very simply, clean drinking water just isn't a priority for the Chinese. If it were, you could drink tap water in the nation's capital (municipal pop. 17.5 million). Or Shanghai (14 million). Or Chongquing (31.4 million) Or Chengdu (11 million). Or Jilin (4.5 million). Or Datong (3.1 million). Or Fushun (1.2 million).

Never piss in your own well. It'll cause you big problems.

Beware that bailout.

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* Somewhere, George Carlin is smiling. He once did a very funny bit about how simple terms get increasingly complex so as to conceal truth.

For instance, 'Shell shock' -- two simple syllables that convey everything -- became 'battle fatigue' (4 syllables) and then 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder' (8 syllables). Or, the CIA doesn't kill people anymore, they 'depopulate the area'.

Now, 'global warming' became 'global climate change' and has become 'anthropomorphic global climate change'. A net 6-syllable gain.

And fuzzier than ever.

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Oh, here's the video...

George Carlin - Soft Language