While all attention is focused on the various rings in the national political Cirque du Folie, conditions in the country they keep going crazy. For example, the drought in the midwest is becoming something almost permanent, From the Missouri Independent:
This part of Kansas is suffering from what the US Drought Observatory calls an extreme drought, its most severe category. While droughts often wreak havoc on agriculture here, residents face unprecedented challenges with drinking water supplies. Lacking the vast groundwater aquifers that lie beneath much of Kansas, this corner of the state relies heavily on surface water such as lakes and rivers. That means small towns and ranches face difficult and expensive choices about where to draw water, a problem that may increase as climate change brings more extreme weather. And it's a dilemma that extends far beyond Kansas. Persistent drought is plaguing communities across the nation's interior: The map created by the US Drought Monitor shows its deepest red pockets in Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas, among other states.
In southeast Kansas, locals have taken extraordinary measures to conserve the dwindling lake water supply. The town pool closed in mid-summer. So did the only car wash in town. Local schools turned off water fountains, providing bottled water. A community of about 900 people, Sedan has banned residents from using tap water for plants or lawns, forcing some to get creative. The mayor, for example, collected the water draining from his basement's air conditioning unit to keep outdoor plants alive. The local cinema does the same, allowing locals to come and collect the air conditioning drain. “Word described the different places you can go and get water,” Warren said.
Milking conditioners for excess? The climate crisis, which is very real, introduces a solidly Republican county in Kansas as part of the Third World. Chautauqua County, of which Sedan is the county seat, is represented in Congress by Rep. Ron Estes, who has a 3 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters. In 2017, Estes barely managed to get re-elected even with a huge boost from the former administration*. It doesn't get better as you go up the food chain. Senator Roger Marshall trying to play both end up in the middle while the lakes dry up back home. From Kansas City Star:
On Wednesday, Kansas Senator Roger Marshall called those who want to mitigate the already devastating effects of our global environmental crisis “climate demagogues.” “If Biden thinks he can send his climate demagogues to Kansas and tell us what cars we can drive, he's in for a rude awakening,” he tweeted. “The Preserving Choice in Vehicles Act will protect consumer choice and free competition in the cost-reducing marketplace.” We would point out to him that he need only consult the farmers of Kansas to learn how serious climate change is, here and now. But on Friday, Marshall inadvertently made that point himself, then said Washington must come to the rescue. “1200-year drought in the West has hit Kansas wheat farmers especially hard,” he tweeted in support of his bill, introduced by Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennett, to strengthen crop insurance. “The historic drought has wheat yield forecasts looking very bleak. While this bill may not make it rain, it provides flexibility for wheat farmers who need all the help they can get.”
Kansas' senior senator, Jerry Moran, is riding high on the same enthusiasm as Marshall — making sure his constituents get relief from climate-related drought conditions while voting against any dynamic program to combat the sources of the drought itself. Meanwhile, back at Sedan, things continue to dry up.
The water district has just begun construction on an emergency repair to its intake equipment. The project will essentially extend the floating dock farther into the lake, allowing the pipe to drop deeper into the water as the lake drops. Locals, who noted that the drought has continued since last year, said they have never seen such a severe situation. “It just doesn't rain,” said Rainbolt, who has lived in the area for nearly two decades. “This is not normal.”
Yes it is. That's the whole problem.
Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, the most recent of which is Stupid Americaand has been working as a journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston and has three children.
