We’re running out of the delicious juice that keeps us running.
No, we’re not talking about oil or gas or Capri Sun today. Instead we’re talking about delicious & refreshing (and most importantly, potable) water. It’s an issue without borders, as the climate changes and the wealthy hoard precious resources, people all around the world are struggling and will continue to struggle to access the good stuff.
The battlefront of the water access war is currently taking place in Honduras, which has been one of the most dangerous places in the world for environmental activists for years. This comes despite the fact that Honduran president Xiomara Castro promised to support historically persecuted groups and their territories.
Earlier this month two Honduran water defenders were killed, sparking international outrage as the United Nations called for an investigation. Aly Dominguez, 38, and Jairo Bonilla, 28, were members of the Guapinol water defenders movement, a Honduran organization focused on protecting their rivers from a controversial open-pit iron oxide mining project in Carlos Escaleras National Park. In recent years, several activists have been killed in “unclear circumstances” as the local community protests against the mine.
The Dominguez and Bonilla families say their loved ones were killed by unidentified gunmen after weeks of threats related to their activism. It’s easy to believe in a country where activists have been targeted by hit squads linked to corrupt business interests and state security forces. The mining company they resisted, Inversiones Los Pinares, is co-owned by Lenir Perez, one of the most powerful business magnates in Honduras. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
Side Items
Surviving An Arizona Drought: Here’s an interesting article on what happened to a small town outside Scottsdale, AZ as the droughts got increasingly worse. Rio Verde was a suburb housing a few hundred families until recently when water prices got so expensive that the city of Scottsdale, the community’s longtime water supplier, had to turn off their taps. In a scramble to conserve, people are forced to flush their toilets with rainwater and lug laundry to their friends’ homes. They are eating off paper plates, skipping showers and worrying about whether they have staked their futures on what could quickly become a desiccated ghost suburb
Related Water Issues: This article and video tell the story of Stewart and Lydia Resnick, a billionaire California couple that own a massive share of the state’s water system. Way back in 1994, a mix of private utility companies and public agencies rewrote California’s water laws without any input from voters, taxpayers, or legislators. These new laws, called The Monterey Plus Agreement were devastating for working Californians and excellent for agriculture billionaires, like the Resnick’s. So while residents of communities like Rio Verde, AZ and in towns across California, Utah, and Nevada struggle to access clean water, the Resnick's are free to own ~60% of California’s precious water resources
Unrelated New Mexican Democrat Hunter : Solomon Peña, a man who ran for a state house seat in New Mexico as a Republican this past November, was arrested yesterday for allegedly paying four men to shoot at the homes and businesses of four democrat elected officials in the area. Peña is a big Trump guy (because of course he is), and upon Trump's announcement that he would be running for reelection in 2024, Peña tweeted, "I stand with him. I never conceded my HD 14 race. Now researching my options." There’ll be plenty of time for research as Mr. Peña spends some time in an all-inclusive federal getaway