First droughts, Now floods

[Pan Pan Pan]

It seems we have become a nation of headless chickens, careering around from one perceived threat to another, and the headless chicken syndrome seems to be getting worse.
During the summer we had the likes of just stop oil, and equivalents bleating about climate change, and how using fossil fuels has caused a heat wave, and the threat of people running out of water, and crops failing through lack of irrigation.
Now we are into winter. and many of those headless chicken idiots who were bleating about droughts, and hose pipe bans, are now up to their necks in rain water, which guess what? they `also' blame on climate change and fossil fuel use.
More people die from cold, than from heat, most crops grow better when it is warm than when it is cold.
It is not that we dont get `enough' rain, that we have water issues, it is because after literally thousands of years, we still seem not to have grasped the concept of storing a commodity when it plentiful for other times when it is in short supply.
Some years ago I suggested that channels or pipes were built to move water away from the parts of the country where we have too much, to areas of the country where we get too little.
It was met with a comment from someone in an area where they regularly get too much, saying that is OOOUR water! and you cannot touch it. Wonder how he feels now, standing up to his neck in water in his living room?

Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Monday 16th January 12:41

[eharding]

Pan Pan Pan said:

hose pope bans

When there's a hope pope ban I generally water the plants from the garden pondtiff.

[Pan Pan Pan]

eharding said:

Pan Pan Pan said:

hose pope bans

When there's a hope pope ban I generally water the plants from the garden pondtiff.

Indeed but already noted and corrected.

[Previous]

Pan Pan Pan said:

...Wonder how he feels now, standing up to his neck in water in his living room?

Wet, probably.

Climate change causes more pronounced effects (dry, wet, whatever). Pretty conclusively proven.

Larger population using under invested in water management systems equals less capability to flex to meet demand.

Better water management would seem to be a sensible solution, and the current model would appear not to incentivise water companies for the sort of collaboration needed to make such a solution as ypu propose work.

[StevieBee]

The problem is that the intensity and regularity of these extreme weather patterns has increased over a period of time quicker than any government can appropriately implement mitigation measures against. Plus the cost of such mitigation measures are vast. For big infrastructure projects such as HS2 or Crossrail, etc, there is a tangible economic gain against which is possible and (theoretically at least) prudent to borrow money to enable. Mitigation against weather is less clear-cut. Yes, it protects economies by saving the money needed to deal with the aftermath but until the problem occurs, it's difficult to know the figures which means that the cost for any measures have to come from the public purse. That means, ultimately, higher taxes.

When you're knee deep in water in your living room - you may well support higher taxes to stop it happening again.

But when it's a lovely, early summer's day and all's right with the world, the support tends to lessen.

[cb31]

It is often mentioned that to increase growth you need to spend on national infrastructure projects. When was the last reservoir built, decades ago?

How about two to start off with, a few new reservoirs to cover for droughts and floods and some gas storage for winters? Make sure it is mainly UK companies and staff that get the work and the money we spend will be put back into the economy and improve the country. This is obviously too simplistic but why doesn't the government have a long-term plan to make the country better?

[normalbloke]

eharding said:

Pan Pan Pan said:

hose pope bans

When there's a hope pope ban I generally water the plants from the garden pondtiff.

Very good indeed.

[Cold]

cb31 said:

It is often mentioned that to increase growth you need to spend on national infrastructure projects. When was the last reservoir built, decades ago?

How about two to start off with, a few new reservoirs to cover for droughts and floods and some gas storage for winters? Make sure it is mainly UK companies and staff that get the work and the money we spend will be put back into the economy and improve the country. This is obviously too simplistic but why doesn't the government have a long-term plan to make the country better?

There's a new reservoir under construction right now just north of Portsmouth ( Havant Thicket) which was first planned back in the 1960s. It's only now that demand was deemed sufficient to begin digging due to Southern Water wanting to reduce the amount of water it takes from the River Test and River Itchen.