As we left Metro Denver this morning, we observed a fleet of earth movers, clearing a swath of prairie east of the city. Of course, this is in preparation of a new suburban development, perhaps twenty miles from the downtown area.
Having just experienced a record-low snowpack in the mountains, a nearly snowless winter in Denver and an extremely hot and dry summer to date, one wonders what the developers and city planners are thinking. Already in a stage-one drought as the work begins, the Metro Area faces severe water shortages in the not-too-distant future.
Cities throughout the American Southwest are experiencing the same problem yet they continue to expand and place even more demand on limited water resources. As our climate warms, a widespread crisis is bound to occur. Perhaps a volcanic winter will rescue our species at some point.
