I first learned of Okham’s Razor in an undergraduate economics class. Also called the Law of Parsimony, the idea states that the simplest of two competing ideas or theories is preferable to the more complicated one.
Water
Tapped Out
America is reaching the limits of its water supply, signaling a need to change urban development, energy and agricultural practices, writes Shiney Varghese of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
AlterNet
Nation's Water Infrastructure Is Crumbling
Across the country, burst, leaking and corroding water mains are indications that much of the country's water infrastructure is reaching the end of its life expectancy. Repairs and replacements could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
The New York Times
Imagining a Future Without Lake Mead
This article looks at what could happen if Nevada's reservoir Lake Mead actually does dry up by 2021 as some scientists have predicted.
The Alternative Consumer, via Environmental News Network
Oh No, Not Another L.A.
Although Tucson has only about 6 percent of the population of metropolitan Los Angeles, residents of the Arizona city fear California-style sprawl and water problems. So where are Tucson residents looking for answers? That's right, California.
California Planning & Development Report
Drought Hurts Global Wheat Supplies
A severe drought in Australia has cut into the country's wheat production -- and pushed prices up all over the world.
BBC
States Respond to Growth With Dam Plans
Growth and rising populations have many Western states reconsidering dams.
Associated Press
5 Proven Ways to Preserve Open Space
What is your county doing to preserve open spaces important to your community? And is it effective? If the answers to those questions are "not enough" and "no", read on and take these effective strategies to your lawmakers.
The Daily Green
Feds Step in as Southern States Fail to Meet Water Agreement
The long-running tri-state battle over water rights between Florida, Alabama and Georgia have yet to be resolved, so the federal government has announced its intentions to impose its own solution.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Time To Solve Problems Of California's Delta Is Now
The largest estuary in the West, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, has been in trouble for many years. Yet policy-makers have been unable or unwilling to undertake major projects. That may change in 2008.
California Planning & Development Report
Cleaning Water With Shellfish
New York City is considering a plan to create beds of oysters in one of the city's waterways to help filter water.
The New York Times
How Much Can You Pay? A New Criterion for Stormwater Management
Tue, 09/25/2007 - 10:37
What if the utility company asked you how much you made when you called to start service in a new home? What if they wanted this information to tie your bill to your salary and not to how much gas, electricity or water you used? Would that seem fair? That’s how some communities are treating developers when determining how much stormwater they should be required to manage. But regulations that link stormwater standards to the developer’s ability to pay are neither fair nor efficient. Environmental regulations and their costs should be directly linked to the impact on the environment, not to profit margins.
