Las Vegas Sun

December 4, 2009

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Letter: Growth must be limited to cope with drought

Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004 | 9:10 a.m.

Our local politicians and others in positions of influence in this community continue to ignore the signs of a serious, ongoing drought of unknown duration. Houses, condos, golf courses and shopping centers continue to be built without serious concern for the real issue of a finite source of water.

Many continue to believe that water can be found or imported from other regions to make up for the current deficit. Their belief is that once water is imported from elsewhere all will be normal again.

The reality is that unless we take steps in the very near future to restrict the growing demand for water, we may be headed for a disaster. All the gold or cash in the world will not be able to turn sand into water.

Intelligent individuals need only do a little research on the natural history of deserts of the world to understand that desert formation is a growing problem worldwide. We live in the Mojave Desert and the current drought is but one of many of variable duration that has occurred in this region for eons. To ignore signs and warnings already present in nature is foolhardy. We will either limit growth to match the availability of water or nature will do it for us.

VIRGIL A. SESTINI

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