Since purchasing property in Eastern Nevada for the Clock site, Long Now has been paying close attention to water issues. The valley that makes up much of “view shed” from our potential Clock site has become of great interest to the Southern Nevada Water Authority who has recently bought all the private land in the southern half of this immense valley (with the exception of Long Now’s property). What this has also brought to light however is the larger issue of access to water world wide, and how changing climate is affecting it. It is not always easy to find long and in depth pieces on this issue that cover the history, scale, and angles well. One such piece was just sent to me by Stewart Brand and was published in NRDC’s OnEarth.
[In Colorado at over 10,000ft] …we’re probably witnessing the effects of global warming on one of the highest, coldest parts of the country. Climate scientists predict that for every 1.8 degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature, mountain snow cover will retreat upward by 500 feet. The West’s total snowpack could be reduced by as much as 40 percent in the next half century.
