Winnipeg's urban forest: What price does one put on precious trees?

[Flatland Metropolis]

The mighty Colorado, which no longer flows into the ocean

[Flatland Metropolis]

One of the interesting things with our aging urban forest is the difficulty in replacing the trees, only increasing their worth. It can take thousands of dollars to cut down and replace dying elms. Many of the replanted trees have difficulty surviving the first few years before they can really develop. I would be really curious to see the survival rate but the basswoods and silver maple the city has been planting have really struggled. Whether it is light from canopy issues, urban plights such as salt and air pollution, or other issues. But time is not the only issue in regrowing trees.

[vid]

Phoenix has no water issues, they've got a very large aquifer and a very modern water system with almost zero water loss. Phoenix uses 118 gallons of water per person per day; Thunder Bay uses 276 gallons per person per day. (113.5 million L per 108,325 people in one day.)

https://www.facebook.com/notes/don-b...53040479658265

Coastal California, on the other hand, is very low on water. Fresh water doesn't make it that far anymore, but don't blame Phoenix. It's Vegas that takes water from the Colorado.

[njaohnt]

Originally Posted by trueviking

We could probably make money selling water but once the tap is turned it can't be shut off. American private companies wanting to build pipelines would be treated no differently than a Canadian province. We lose control of our supply no matter what the effect. You can't just sell excess water during floods. Once it's for sale all the desert cities in Arizona have a right to demand it at all times. Even if Canadian cities or industries begin to suffer, even if the US doubles in size in 50 years and drinks us dry. We would be powerless to stop it, no matter what environmental effects it was having on our lakes and river because of free trade. Do we really want to be using our water to build suburbs in Phoenix? Phoenix would be legally no different than Calgary as far as water supply went. Is that what we want?

What value do we place on controlling our water supply? It is too delicate to monetize. We can't become the feeder for irresponsible growth in the American south. It's their problem to deal with, not ours to solve. They build cities in deserts without a care. They drain the mighty Colorado river dry before it even reaches the ocean. Do we want that for our rivers? Once we start we are legally powerless to stop it.

Here's a good read.

http://www.canada.com/mobile/iphone/...b-ccd07dc00827

Why can't we stop it when we want?
I still think that it is better than spending so much money on the floodway, and damage.

[vid]

Once we start exporting bulk water to the US, NAFTA will prevent us from making that export illegal.

[njaohnt]

Originally Posted by vid

Once we start exporting bulk water to the US, NAFTA will prevent us from making that export illegal.

Oh yes, I forgot about the trade people who pretend to make the world better.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by trueviking

The second canada sells bulk water to the Americans the free trade agreement kicks in and we lose control of our water. We instantly become the water source for all the unsustainable development in the south whether we want to be or not, no matter the effects on our environment. There is no going back once the first drop crosses the border. Americans will be treated no differently than Canadians when it comes to accessing water...we will lose.

The lead American negotiator of the FTA did his doctoral thesis on the need for a continental water strategy.

That sounds overly alarmist, like nonsense spewed by the Council of Canadians. How does NAFTA treat water any differently than oil, natural gas or any other resource? The owner of the resource cannot favor domestic consumption but it is free to sell to whomever it pleases.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by vid

Phoenix has no water issues, they've got a very large aquifer and a very modern water system with almost zero water loss. Phoenix uses 118 gallons of water per person per day; Thunder Bay uses 276 gallons per person per day. (113.5 million L per 108,325 people in one day.)

https://www.facebook.com/notes/don-b...53040479658265

Coastal California, on the other hand, is very low on water. Fresh water doesn't make it that far anymore, but don't blame Phoenix. It's Vegas that takes water from the Colorado.

Phoenix has plenty of untapped water licenses, but still draws from the Colorado basin. Most of Phoenix' water supply comes upstream of the city from the Salt River. The Salt is a tributary of the Gila which is a tributary of the the Colorado. Perversely, suburban sprawl can reduce water usage in Arizona as much of the sprawl replaces irrigated farmland.