La Nina is sticking around. But are people? And should we?

On January 5, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center (part of NOAA, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) said that La Nina will last into spring way up here, in the northern hemisphere. That means they are thinking the crippling drought in the U.S. southwest and in South America will continue.

Whatever. Doesn’t seem like it will make any difference, because what really matters is what humans do.

Human stupidity, to be precise. Predicting La Nina is a no brainer. One thing they are not predicting, probably because it’s guaranteed, and therefore not subject to predictability, is people who can’t think.

Think about it.

We’ve been watching a drought in the U.S., especially in Texas, for several years. Lakes and rivers and streams and ponds are drying up. Crops withering. Cattle dying. Wastelands developing where no one, and nothing, can live. And no end in sight.

But damned if they don’t still water their lawns.

Maybe humans are just too stupid to live.

Maybe that’s why we invented government. Like the year we had a drought in Seattle. Nobody could water their lawns, and the water police made sure people didn’t water anything else except on a strict schedule. Lawns died. Watersheds survived. Somehow we all got along.

We conserved.

I visit the Alki Point Lighthouse a lot in the summer. People visiting Seattle stop in at the lighthouse on summer weekends. I happened to be there when the visitor from Texas stopped to remark on how cool it was, what a relief from the heat in Texas (yep, Texas has had its drought, Seattle has not had summer for two years).

“It costs me $150 a month to water my lawn,” the woman laughed.

Her body posture, her flippant tone, and I realized she was proud of herself for that. I was completely appalled.

She didn’t care about her community, about where water resources should go, like to grow food so we can all eat. Nope, she was going to water her lawn.

Lawns have no useful function, unless you’re into chemicals for artificial growth and you’re make money from allergies in people and animals, because lawns are what keeps those people in business.

Lawns have no place anywhere, especially in drought country. They are a choice, one that society has to make. Together.

Society is a choice. Do we have group choice that benefits all of us, or do we just have what individuals want?

If we as a society can’t smarten up enough to say, “Let your lawns die and use the water to grow food,” well, then, we’re too stupid to live.

Maybe we already are, if we’re bragging about wasting precious resources.

Or, maybe, I’m not the only one who can look at foolish choices and poor policy and speak up.

La Nina, well, weather comes and goes. It will continue.

Will we?

Better put: should we?

© 2012 Robyn M Fritz