Rio Grande

Years ago I attended a meeting of business owners at which a politician exhorted us to encourage xeriscape in the cities.

Research showed townies used 2% of the water. I asked if they were going to stop watering the golf courses; she said no.

Cotton, one of the most water-intensive crops and extremely hard on soils is a favorite in southern New Mexico. Of course chili is popular, but it's hard to imagine the demand for pecans and pistachios that must be fueling the thousands of acres being planted not just in southern New Mexico but near San Simon, Arizona. Although they no longer use surface irrigation, the amounts flowing through the 20-inch diameter pipes is boggling.

Climate change isn't just due to carbon dioxide; it also stems from transpiration and its cumulative effects. 

The sky used to be a clear blue. Now the entire Southwest often has a high white haze. Some days there's a thin layer of fog that hangs a few thousand feet up and through which the clear sky above is occasionally visible.

Of course, no one wants to acknowledge there are just too many people.

Near Socorro, in the north

At Arrey, in the south