Full marks to Margot Goulding and Mary Allen for their recent letters on water conservation efforts in Mission.
Banning the use of lawn sprinklers is one of those “safe” things to declare as it affects practically nobody but it gives the impression that something is being done. Anyone at city hall like to guess much water that meaningless ban will actually save?
Probably not as much as banning the washing of cars would save until the rains come back. But doing that might cost votes and we can’t have that now can we.
Beyond the immediate concerns of water conservation a bigger question for me is just how deep does the concern for Mission’s long term environmental sustainability environmental actually goes among members of council.
If we do not have people on council who understand and accept the proven science on climate change then how can any of us expect them to take things like water conservation and urban sprawl seriously?
Cities can play a huge role in mitigating the local effects of climate change. On our own we can’t save the polar bear but we can make sure that urban sprawl doesn’t outpace Mission’s ability to provide adequate water for things that are actually far more important than being allowed to wash a hunk of tin on four wheels even as gardens wither.
Robert Rock
Mission