10. Water
Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?
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OBAMA: Solutions to this critical problem will require close collaboration between federal, state, and local governments and the people and businesses affected. First, prices and policies must be set in a ways that give everyone a clear incentive to use water efficiently and avoid waste. Regulations affecting water use in appliances and incentives to shift from irrigated lawns to “water smart” landscapes are examples. Second, information, training, and, in some cases, economic assistance should be provided to farms and businesses that will need to shift to more efficient water practices. Many communities are offering kits to help businesses and homeowners audit their water use and find ways to reduce use. These should be evaluated, with the most successful programs expanded to other states and regions. I will establish a national plan to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies. In addition, it is also critical that we undertake a concerted program of research, development, and testing of new technologies that can reduce water use. |
MCCAIN: As a westerner, I understand the vital role that water plays in the development of western economies and to maintaining a high quality of life. Water is truly our lifeblood. I believe that we must develop, manage, and use our limited water supplies wisely and with a conservation ethic to ensure that we have sufficient supplies to meet municipal, tribal, industrial, agricultural, recreational, and environmental needs. I believe that water rights must be respected, and that disputes are better resolved not in the courts but through negotiations that build consensus, and provide justly for the needs of the west’s diverse interests and needs. I understand the importance of state law and local prerogatives in the allocation of water resources, and that all levels of government must work together with stakeholders to ensure that our lifeblood is protected, managed, and utilized in a wise, just, and sustainable manner. I support constructive, continuing cooperation and dialogue among the states and the water users in a manner that is fully consistent with existing compacts and agreements. This is an approach that is forward looking, and ensures cooperation in achieving implementation of water agreements among the states and the Department of the Interior and is mindful of potential technological developments that could potentially reduce water demands in certain areas. |
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September 22nd, 2008 at 9:35 am
We are way beyond the talking stage. This, like population, are out of control and beyond the crisis stage, yet no real acyion is proposed, just more study!
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 am
Water supply is probably the most serious of all issues we will face in the coming decades. I simply don’t trust McCain to take it as such. Unless my eyes, ears and instincts have failed me, Obama has the most facts-based approach to issues of any candidate in my lifetime. I’ll throw in with him on this one.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
McCain pretty much summed it up when he spent most of the answer on water rights.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Okay, they both get D’s. Topics not covered include depletion of aquifers, virtual water, international conflicts caused by water conflicts, desalinization, bottled water shipped in from exotic locales, etc., etc., etc.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm
The votes on this question indicate that this whole survey is turning into a beauty contest between the candidates with little correlation between the statements and the grades. Both statements contain some positive approaches, but no break throughs. Yet Obama gets 40% A and 5% F vs McCain 3% A and 37% F. Can you detect a slight bit of bias?
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I think McCain doesn’t realize that if 39 states have water problems, it goes way beyond the west. This isn’t a water rights dispute issue, this is a conservation and smart usage issue.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Yeah Bob Fiorenza I too have noticed the voting trend. By this stage in the voting I feel the people have been bought and paid for by Obama’s promise to spend and the lack of understanding of who the burden goes to.
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Bias? Possibly for others. I didn’t plan on voting for either, so my votes and comments here are unbiased until I compare their responses. I’ve never liked democrats but in this poll so far Obama is my favorite.
On the question- I live in the west too and water is a huge issue. McCain may grasp them better, and Obama’s only plan is massive gov’t intrusion. Obama promises regulation, taxes, bigger gov’t to deal with it. McCain seems to favor working it out as a business.
This question McCain wins on. I oppose just creating more gov’t and taxes as the response to every issue. Here, Obama shows big gov’t tendencies and will end up costing us more than the water issue already does.
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Sure, both candidates make good points, but McCain seems to be always selling himself or his party’s beliefs instead of actually answering the questions. All of his answers start with his own connection to the issue at hand.
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Neither candidate discussed the issue of sustainability and limiting development where the water cannot sustain it for the long term. Neither offered a long-term plan for increasing and improving water supplies. Neither candidate offered a hard look at agricultural practices, crop management, and runoff issues. There’s not a good answer here.
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Apparently neither candidate has given much thought to what should be done in this area.
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Has anyone noted or remarked anywhere that the first voice in this country’s legislative process to MENTION clean potable usable water as a basic human right was none other than Dennis Kucinich?
I think I’ll at least dance with Rep. Kucinich’s party on this issue, in the hope that the party and its leadership is educable.
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
One additional comment. It may have escaped notice of most people, but when the Bushes bought land in S. America, they purchased a chunk of land under which is the last pristine untapped aquifer no the planet.
That’s right folks. W owns it outright; lock stock and bottle.
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Obama clearly understands this issue and has ideas on how to solve this pending problem.
This was the most frightening of McCain’s answers, because he really doesn’t even seem to know why this question was asked or why this is even an issue. And if he doesn’t know or doesn’t get this, it could devastate our country.
Basically, McCain’s answer that he wants to respect water rights and that we resolve water conflicts without the courts is just off topic. We don’t have enough water. We are currently using water that can’t be replaced and we need to conserve and develop new sources of water or our agriculture sector will collapse. McCain just doesn’t get it.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I was disappointed by Obama’s answer. I think this may be one issue he has not thought much about. The one important factor in his answer the I agree on is the need for the government to “set” prices for water and not to allow a corporate free-for-all. McCain, however, is clearly for the corporate free-for-all. However, I am comforted that McCain supports “dialogue.” Wow, problem solved.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Neither candidate grasps the seriousness of this issue, especially considering impending climate change. Both statements felt like unresearched essays that were padded to meet a minimum word count.
Failure around the board.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I didn’t read anything about uncontrolled development being a problem . I live in Southern California where development is rampant. Huge condos are going up on every corner & we are almost to the point of rationing water. This is a huge problem–where is the water going to come from to supply our increased population? Neither candidate addressed the issue of water adequately. Much of what they is said is just more political jargon.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Again, neither candidate addressed the whole issue.
Unfortunately, McCain seemed more concerned with the economics of the situation than the realities.
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:30 am
I expected a better answer from McCain for this question since he’s from Arizona and Obama is from Chicago, IL, right off Lake Michigan.
McCain appears to want to sit around discussing the issue with everyone and Obama wants the Government to handle it all…
Neither one really seems to have a grip on this issue.
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
“I support…dialogue consistent with existing compacts and agreements”
Does it ever occur to politicians that if something isn’t working, it needs to be CHANGED?
September 24th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
McCain simply doesn’t understand this issue. Simply being a Westerner doesn’t qualify him to understand.
September 24th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I’m a New Mexico native and resident, and know more about water issues than most (including McCain, I would dare to guess). It’s a VERY scarey problem, both in this country and even more so in other parts of the world. Neither candidate did more than give it lip service. Disappointing.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Obama demonstrated a clear connection to his contacts in the Business School at Chicago. His answer was consistent with the positions his economists have advocated for more than two years. McCain was vague except when he suggested being consistent with existing contracts–which is no solution at all.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Once again we have a question with two “brain-dead” responses. Water use is the most important question out of all 14. Of course it is a tricky question because it is not just about conservation or incentives to save water. It is also about basic land use issues when competing users (agricultural, industrial, commercial, and residential) are after the same water supply. At least Obama mentioned the problem of high-growth regions with water-management problems. These should be controlled regionally but are often not because water table depletions affect so many people and you have water districts competing with each other too.
McCain? Out to lunch, as usual, with his “stakeholders” whoever they are.
September 28th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Both candidates are clueless here: Obama wants us to believe that the entire problem can be fixed by better individual choices; and McCain wants us to believe that the entire problem will be fixed by the invisible hand of the market. Neither one seems to get that this is a global, life-or-death problem.
September 28th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I have to give both candidates a “C” in this topic. While what they say has merit, they are basically following the common knowlege gained from newspaper articles and bills from water perveyors (be they private or public).
Yes, gus, we have to be innovative and find better ways to conserve water, and we have to do a better job of managing the disputes between states, tribes, etc. But where is the evidence that they know anything about water science here? There was no mention of how this issue relates to science education. Most Americans have a very naive understanding of where our drinking water comes from and what happens to wastewater. There was no mention of funding of agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey that can perform more cooperative studies with State agencies and local water districts to better understand our water resources, and how future climate change can affect both water use and water-rights issues.
September 28th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
They’re both walking on eggshells on this one. Obama’s response suggests changes that can be made around the edges of the problem; McCain’s seems a recipe for bureaucratic inaction.
October 1st, 2008 at 11:31 am
I gave Obama a “D” and McCain an “F”, giving the nod to Obama only because he mentioned specific conservation measures. As a few commenters noted, neither seems to know much about water science or policy. Neither mentions ideas such as aquifer storage and recovery, reuse of waste water or gray water, or desalination. There’s no mention of the OSTP two water reports, although in previous answers Obama noted this presidential advisory office while McCain wanted to create what the OSTP already does. No one mentioned the USGS, its excellent recent reports, or its Water for America program. The SECURE Water Act which has been moving through the Senate this year. I personally briefed Obama’s staff on this while a prominant water scientist I know briefed McCain. Apparantly, neither got the word. I’m disappointed in both.
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I was pretty disappointed in both their answers. But, once again, Obama came out on top. While neither of them actually gave a good response to this question (i.e. all McCain did was babble and didn’t answer the question AT ALL and Obama didn’t give any descent answer as to what can actually be done)Obama was able to at least put in some facts (albeit how shady they were). Unfortunately they both left out many things (desalination and reuse of waste water are two superb examples) and I hope at least one of them will pick up on this subject
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:51 pm
McCain showed a slightly better understanding of the issue. Obama showed a slightly better understanding of the technology to solve it. Neither candidate recognizes the gravity of the situation, which probably the result of it mostly being a state-level issue at present. Wait until two states go to war in the courts over who has the rights to a river, and we’ll see the issue get some real attention.
October 5th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Obviously neither thought this question required as much time and space as the previous ones, although it is a serious issue that will only become more important in the future. Obama shows an understanding of things that need to be done at the local level, while McCain at least offers a hint that he understands the gravity of the situation. Still - C’s for both.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Read any current book on water resource issues today (ex. When the Rivers Run Dry by Pearce) and you’ll likely agree that both these responses miss the mark altogether.
No discussion of aquifer depletion (non-renewable water), virtual water, the effect dams have on water waste, salinization of groundwater sources, irrigation in dry areas….
Most of these proposals set forth in these 14 answers won’t get put into practice by either candidate, but usually the ideas are OK in my opinion. For this question though, ugh.
October 12th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I agree with Bellflower. Both candidates failed to mention the crucial role of federal government in solving our water problems. Without advanced, regional and national computer-based decision support systems, we will never know where and when water is actually available in the country, and how its availability is affected by its cumulative uses. Without this basic knowledge, how can we address water conflicts? Once we identify the timing and location of actual water flows and set future targets, the federal government needs to play a leading role in developing and disseminating innovative technologies such as aquifer recharge and recovery to achieve these targets. USGS has the knowledge, but not the fiscal resources, to develop the models and tools we need. The US Army Corps of Engineers has the knowledge, but not the fiscal resources, to re-operate dams and other hydraulic infrastructure to optimize multiple goals, inlcuding hydropower generation and ecological support. The next president needs to look carefully at the interface between energy and water, and recognize that most proposals to increase supplies of one require increasing use of the other.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Neither address subsidized agricultural water use that allows desert states like California to grow crops like rice because subsidized water rates allow it while depleting waters resources needed elsewhere. Intelligent water use and conservation should include fair marketizing of water resources without one-sided price regulations such as the ones that Enron exploited in the electrical market.
October 15th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
MCCAIN: As a westerner, I understand the vital role that water plays in the development of western economies and to maintaining a high quality of life. Water is truly our lifeblood.
Actually, it is the majority of the human population who lack clean drinking water - and indeed water in any quantity - who understand its true importance.
As the world’s population continues to soar over the coming decades, the lack of water will promote ‘water wars’ between those who - with nothing to sustain life - have nothing to lose. That will be a global security issue that needs to be addressed by all developed nations before it become a global securuty disaster.
I suppose that the question was restrictive, but the answers - from men vying to be global leaders - should not have been restricted to 39 states.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:28 pm
I work in the most successful water conservation program in the west, I do indeed understand the critical importance of water.
Obama is very succinct in his answer:
Solutions to this critical problem will require close collaboration between federal, state, and local governments and the people and businesses affected. First, prices and policies must be set in ways that give everyone a clear incentive to use water efficiently and avoid waste.
Also he stated: “the most successful programs expanded to other states and regions. I will establish a national plan to help high-growth regions with the challenges of managing their water supplies.”
Obama gets it. He is aware of the specifics of water issues.
McCain wants to continue the status quo with all the discussion over water rights. Does he understand how critical water use is?
This issue takes education, awareness, and and good water management practices. The federal government must be involved in developing a comprehensive water policy.
October 26th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Sen.Obama addressed his issue reguarding the water supply. I feel that price and policies should go in effect to prevent water shortages and McCain continued on and on and never addressed the problem.