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> The fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?" ]
> When the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq" ]
> How do you live with yourself?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever." ]
> They’re doing it in South America too. Look up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?" ]
> Didn’t South Park already do this	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”" ]
> Where are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this" ]
> Profiting off water should be illegal	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »" ]
> Name the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal" ]
> The streaming wars have begun.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide." ]
> Dystopian future, here now.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun." ]
> Why are they being allowed to?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now." ]
> Private investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?" ]
> BIg day for weather channel	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found" ]
> This is kind of…sickening.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel" ]
> The Streaming Wars have begun.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening." ]
> Capitalism at its finest..	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun." ]
> This is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest.." ]
> Water wars have begun…	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here." ]
> The fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…" ]
> Capitalism is a death-cult.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain." ]
> I don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult." ]
> But did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?" ]
> This shit needs to be illegal!	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles" ]
> Or, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!" ]
> How many counties do you think that river runs through?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix." ]
> IDK but it damn sure isn’t New York	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?" ]
> What if they buy the land?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York" ]
> Capitalism is going to kill us	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?" ]
> Nestle will be pissed about this	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us" ]
> :: Gesturing broadly:: Me: America.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this" ]
> This will end well I'm sure.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America." ]
> Leave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless) I dread the this future.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure." ]
> Can we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future." ]
> This should be illegal.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?" ]
> r/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal." ]
> This sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this. DAOs are the future form of governance.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back." ]
> Is the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance." ]
> One step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl. After a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system. Also staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. Tank Girl (1995)	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful." ]
> So silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)" ]
> Water is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here." ]
> First the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified." ]
> Capitalism was a mistake.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again." ]
> Fun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote. “To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.” — Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations” TLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake." ]
> Everyday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people." ]
> Yeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines." ]
> Anybody ever read The Water Knife?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer." ]
> Great book, looks like we get to live through it too.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?" ]
> I hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too." ]
> That’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline." ]
> I live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise." ]
> Fuck New York. I'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this. Fuck. New. York.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels." ]
> Investors need to become seen as worse than shit.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York." ]
> Shame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! /s	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit." ]
> Well, fuck California anyways.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s" ]
> California is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways." ]
> Absolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot." ]
> Smart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water." ]
> Is the head dead yet? -- Eagles	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity." ]
> Oh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles" ]
> I can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?" ]
> South Park did it, South Park did it	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait." ]
> At least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it" ]
> Speculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc." ]
> Rich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that" ]
> This shouldn’t be legal	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce" ]
> When does this madness end?	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal" ]
> So they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? The writers are getting lazy these days.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?" ]
> There it is again, that funny feeling	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days." ]
> Fuckin eh Capitalism. I hate this world.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days.", ">\n\nThere it is again, that funny feeling" ]
> Ahhhh, they beat Nestle to it!	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days.", ">\n\nThere it is again, that funny feeling", ">\n\nFuckin eh Capitalism. I hate this world." ]
> I believe it was Michael Burry at the end of “the big short” who says the next big investments should be in water and water futures and basically called this and the up coming water wars	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days.", ">\n\nThere it is again, that funny feeling", ">\n\nFuckin eh Capitalism. I hate this world.", ">\n\nAhhhh, they beat Nestle to it!" ]
> Read: Paolo Bacigalupi, The Water Knife.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days.", ">\n\nThere it is again, that funny feeling", ">\n\nFuckin eh Capitalism. I hate this world.", ">\n\nAhhhh, they beat Nestle to it!", ">\n\nI believe it was Michael Burry at the end of “the big short” who says the next big investments should be in water and water futures and basically called this and the up coming water wars" ]
> Fuck this. We need to do something - there should be no selling of water rights anywhere in the world.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days.", ">\n\nThere it is again, that funny feeling", ">\n\nFuckin eh Capitalism. I hate this world.", ">\n\nAhhhh, they beat Nestle to it!", ">\n\nI believe it was Michael Burry at the end of “the big short” who says the next big investments should be in water and water futures and basically called this and the up coming water wars", ">\n\nRead: Paolo Bacigalupi, The Water Knife." ]
> Maybe don't make these things purchasable by assholes who won't actually drink the water.	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days.", ">\n\nThere it is again, that funny feeling", ">\n\nFuckin eh Capitalism. I hate this world.", ">\n\nAhhhh, they beat Nestle to it!", ">\n\nI believe it was Michael Burry at the end of “the big short” who says the next big investments should be in water and water futures and basically called this and the up coming water wars", ">\n\nRead: Paolo Bacigalupi, The Water Knife.", ">\n\nFuck this. We need to do something - there should be no selling of water rights anywhere in the world." ]
>	[ "So the rich gambling with other peoples water. Nice.", ">\n\nInstead of trying to prevent a crisis from happening, the rich are trying to profit off of said crisis", ">\n\nThe bigger the crisis, the more you can surcharge", ">\n\nThey do this in Florida. They drain the water from Okeechobee into the ocean, along with all the fertilizer then claim a shortage. This is why there were the devastating algae blooms. All for greed. \nSource: family member quit after working in the system that did this.", ">\n\nOur neighbors have been dumping garbage into the sink hole where all their cow and corn water goes. Our well has been un drinkable since we started testing it in '95.\nIt's not so much greed as pure ignorance. They burn all of their garbage in pits now. Plastic and everything. 30 years of this shit.", ">\n\nIs burning and/dumping garbage legal near you?", ">\n\nThe local sheriff deputies are all related. They pump lead into the sink for target practice and illegally feed deer on our property. Hunting dogs bark all nightmare.", ">\n\nDamn, have you tried offering them something like a second grade education so that they might stop being absolute fucking idiots?", ">\n\nHigher education is for liberal sissies", ">\n\nYa'll get outta here wit ya fancy book learnin'!", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nWhy are Colorado reps letting this happen? They’re selling out their constituents", ">\n\nWe need the government/courts to have the balls to throw out the seniority water rights system. This would be such a titanic shift that it is considered impossible", ">\n\nOr at least tie them up in the property somehow, rather than make the rights a commodity you can buy and sell anywhere.", ">\n\nThey are buying the land. But not for the land. Because of the water rights tied to the land. It's in the article.", ">\n\nAnd also if you read the article:\n\nDiserio, said one of his firm's strategies is to profit from water in part by making the farms it buys more efficient and then selling parts of its water rights to other farmers and cities\n\nBuying land to sell the water rights independently of the land is the kind of thing that's the problem. Water rights tied to the land aren't the problem, and even land values being high based on their involved water rights isn't a problem, as that's the case all over the country.", ">\n\nJust to add though, part of the problem with the Colorado River Basin is HOW the water rights were divided up. Issues with how much the allocations were based off of, little consideration for how that has decreased over the years, a risk of losing out on allocations if you don't always need it all, our prior lack of understanding on how these rivers replenished groundwater reservoirs, and many more issues. Like much of america, still running off policies developed decades or centuries before, without much consideration for how much we have learned and circumstances have changed over those decades.", ">\n\nYeah, it's definitely problems going way back. I can see how a hedge fund buying farm property, modernizing to use less water. then selling the excess right might look like an improvement. But it's basically asking the \"invisible hand of the market\" to solve the water shortage. I don't know anyone who expects that to work out well for anyone, except to boost the hedge fund's shareholder-profit.", ">\n\nHard times are a comin. \nLet's profit off the misery that will follow!!! Yay!", ">\n\nThe American Way!", ">\n\nFuck the “American way”", ">\n\nShould we talk about the looming Aral sea disaster? Maybe have somebody competent reinspect the 3 Gorges Dam? This isn't a particularly American problem.", ">\n\nNote to self avoid states relying on this.", ">\n\nArizona resident here, we're screwed. We have really nice golf courses so that good.......", ">\n\nWhy do you have nice golf courses when your state consists of deserts and rock formations?", ">\n\nAs I commented to someone on a similar thread not too long ago, everyone in this country, or at least western states with water scarcity, should have to read the book “Cadillac Desert”. Lays out the history of water development in the region, and why things are the way they are now. \nBasically, big infrastructure projects for water were federally funded at outrageously low rates to encourage development in the region, with essentially no plan for them to be repaid in any meaningful timespan. The water accrued by dams was estimated based on what turned out to be a particularly wet turn of the climate, and because the states borders were lazily laid out in a grid-like fashion (AZ, NM, CO, UT being squarish) instead of along more sensible lines surrounding watersheds, the water from said projects had to be divided amongst several states. But, given that said states had yet to be developed enough to use their shares, it set off a race as each one tried to overdevelop in an attempt to “claim” other states’ water rights. Ostensibly, they would give the rights back once the other states caught up in the development process and needed the water… but of course, by then they wouldn’t reasonably be able to do so and would get to keep the rights in perpetuity. Hence why places like AZ have so many fucking golf courses (a ridiculously water intensive feature) on the middle of a desert; it was a cheap and quick way to “claim” the water before other states could do so. Because apparently nobody could predict the water would run dry and the area would be overdeveloped. Fucking ridiculous.", ">\n\nIt would've been nice to learn about stuff like this in school.", ">\n\nBut you can just learn it on Reddit in 2 mins", ">\n\nYeah, I just feel like information like that would have been more beneficial to me earlier in life.", ">\n\nHonestly though. That’s almost all information.", ">\n\nany minute in America air & sunshine will be a paid monthly subscription", ">\n\nOh I'm sorry, it would seem you've used up your daily oxygen quota for the day! Wait 55 minutes for more FREE oxygen, or you can skip the wait and breathe unlimited oxygen with our Oxygen Battle Pass Premium+ brought to you by our sponsor RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!", ">\n\nLiterally the plot to \"Oxygen\" from Doctor Who, season 10.", ">\n\nthe lorax movie", ">\n\nFuck these investors, fuck nestle, fuck everyone who aims to profit off this finite yet incredibly important resource.", ">\n\nYep and they will be first in line for handouts when they are forced to switch to desalination...", ">\n\nInvestment groups buying up water and houses. This is going to end well.", ">\n\nAnother South Park episode coming to life.", ">\n\nStreaming wars", ">\n\nSomeday I will eat at Casa Bonita", ">\n\nOnly if we hide butters for good this time", ">\n\nDon't do it, Stotch..", ">\n\nThis should not be allowed to happen. Water is necessary for life and shouldn’t be exploited for profit. Fucking vultures and ghouls.", ">\n\nSo is housing, access to medical treatment, and food. Should we really be paying for those things?", ">\n\nPhrasing. We should pay for it collectively.", ">\n\nNo one ever said \"Oh, thank God, the hedge fund managers are here!\"", ">\n\nWater rights should not be a thing. It is a public resource that should exist for the benefit of all.", ">\n\nThey need to be a thing, though, because there is not enough water to go around. Without water rights, there is nothing to stop someone upstream from diverting all of the water to their own uses.\nBetter would be to reserve water rights only to the people/businesses/farms/etc. that use it. They should not be a thing that investors can buy or sell (and drive up the cost of).", ">\n\nI think what he means is that water should not be privately owned. It should be an exclusively public resource that is managed my the government.", ">\n\nThe water's not privately owned- it is administered by the government. \nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself. \nWhat these investors are doing is buying land, and- in the case of the group mentioned in the article, expect to use less than they're entitled to take, then sell the excess for a profit- expecting that the value of that water is going to go up considerably.", ">\n\n\nThe government said that a certain parcel of land is entitled to a certain amount of water from this or that river, and the land definitely can be owned. And to encourage efficiency, you can sell what water you don't use yourself.\n\nThat bolded part IS private ownership of the water.", ">\n\nAll water rights should be defined as a percentage. And the percentages can’t add up to more than 100%. And each year they determine what each shareholder can take.", ">\n\nIsn’t homeland suppose to come in and say, “hmmm, isn’t this a resource that protects and sustains trillions of dollars of American assets? Yeah, no playing around with things like that because, ya know, National seKuRoty”", ">\n\nYou obviously have no idea which cabinet dept does what. \nHomeland Securitys job is to lock up brown people in secret prisons.", ">\n\nJames Bond Quantum of Solace is aging like fine wine.", ">\n\nUnpopular opinion: I personally know the people behind Water Asset Management. They are not the devil.\nThe issue here is that water rights are not allocated according to highest and best use. Accordingly, vast sums of water are wasted watering sandy soil to grow Sudan Grass , Alfalfa and the like under the “use it or lose it mentality that generates almost no benefit. \nWater Asset’s business plan is to switch to more climate appropriate crops in keeping with the local ecology and then divert some of the wasted water to uses other than pouring water into sand.\nFor sure, Water Asset Management has no, zero interest in fallowing farm land and wrecking the local farm economy - that’s bad for business.\nFurthermore, the Colorado water compact is badly broken. Water Asset Management has been at the forefront to resolve this problem that we all share in common.\nIf you need someone to hate on, go after the Mormon church. They own more farmland in the USA than anyone. Anything Water Asset Management owns they had to outbid the Mormons for. The Mormons are just greedy self serving bastards with no regard for the consequences of global warming etc. Given the chance the Mormons would pave America from coast to coast if it made them money. \nLike I said, unpopular opinion.", ">\n\nHoly shit. Mormons? Fuck.", ">\n\nWord my man", ">\n\nMormon Church makes Scientologists look small time. They only own a city. Mormons own a state.", ">\n\nBegun the water wars have...\nBleak the future is...", ">\n\nThank god I live in BC Canada. We’ll be building a wall soon to keep you Americans away from our water. :-p", ">\n\nThanks again for all that pollution you dumped and sent down the Colombia and Okanogan rivers. -Washington", ">\n\nWe are being privatized to death.", ">\n\nThose rights need to be nationalized. Water rights shouldn’t be a tradable commodity, especially since upstream users have no incentive to conserve.", ">\n\nThis kind of thing isn't new, just more obvious. \nI don't know if they're still doing it but oil and gas companies in SW Colorado were trying to claim that their purchase of mineral rights included the water rights. The lawyer who negotiated an easement on my parents property got an oil company was fighting oil companies on several cases.", ">\n\n\" this some wet ass pussy:- south park", ">\n\nAnyone else tired of investment corps buying real estate?", ">\n\nSouth Park nails it again.\nThe Streaming Wars are happening...", ">\n\nNo one should own water", ">\n\nJesus. Does everything have to be about making money in the US? This water should not be monetized.", ">\n\nSouth Park tackled this.", ">\n\nJesus they're doing the same thing with housing here in RI where we have 3% available 😒", ">\n\nSome New York investors need to be dragged into the middle of the desert and left there.", ">\n\nI have been afraid of this for a while and tout that no company should be able to regulate water, as it’s intended to be for the land and the land owners, that aren’t companies. \nHedge funds, manipulating water rights is the fucking scariest thing I can think of next to Nestle saying water is not a human right. Fuck Nestle, fuck companies who seek to make money off of the main water source for almost ALL agriculture in the Western/Mid Western regions. \nThis is a foul and nasty grab for something only a firm from New York could devise. Fucking thieves.", ">\n\nI help run a small company in Los Angeles that sells and installs Grey and Rainwater Recycling Systems at homes and businesses. It’d be awesome if these investors focused on companies working to relieve the drought vs just gobbling up water rights.", ">\n\nNot investors, speculators. The very word ‘betting’ is proof enough.", ">\n\nWater shouldn’t be a commodity.", ">\n\nPrivatization of water sounds like.....what was that movie....oh yea, Fury Road.", ">\n\nAlso Idiocracy", ">\n\nHow is it that we are allowing speculation on this?", ">\n\nThey're not allowing speculation per se, the investors are buying farms that own water rights when they come up for sale.", ">\n\nWhy the HELL should investors be able to do this?! Insanity.", ">\n\nCapitalism is not the be all. It is the end all.", ">\n\nI hate these New York investors they're destroying Philadelphia and now they're trying to destroy the Colorado river and leave less water for people", ">\n\nWater rights should only exist in the sense that every human has rights to all fresh water at no cost.\nThere's a fuckin' reason I'm not leaving Minnesota. And it ain't cause I'm stuck here.", ">\n\nYeah rich people suck, $$$ is their god and you can’t trust anyone that worships money.\nTo bad we live in a society that fosters that kind of behavior and those types of people…", ">\n\nA strong government would simply step in and tear up every single water rights contract and tell everyone FUCK ALL OF YOU, THERE ISN’T ENOUGH WATER TO FULFILL SAID CONTRACTS, THEREFORE THE CONTRACTS ARE INVALID.\nReboot the contract system and head it up by the EPA and back it by science and science alone. Hire a few dozen scientists with their masters in assorted disciplines related to water management and don’t let them talk to a single company directly. Hire independent auditors to figure out the current NEEDS and minimum possible water any user can get away with. Threaten auditors with 7 figure fines for accepting ANY gifts or bribes. \nRefresh the contracts every 5 years with fresh science and have an emergency clause that allows further winding back in case of severe drought.", ">\n\nHere comes the water wars. Not being able to purchase or control fresh water supply privately sounds like a good idea. But that would mean society isn't corrupt", ">\n\nThey’re pulling a Quantum of Solace", ">\n\nThis is how you get a civil war\nThey really don't get it do they", ">\n\nCan’t wait for the water wars", ">\n\nThat law saying it's theirs will totally mean something when millions start going without water.", ">\n\nWell commodifying housing, an essential need for a functional society, got boring. Imagine how much money there is to be made when you make water scarce by buying it all up an only selling to those willing to pay the most. 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑", ">\n\nWater should not be a profitable commodity. Next they’ll want to charge you for air.", ">\n\nShorting the end of the world. Hell yeah", ">\n\nAZ has already sold its aquifer to Saudi's.", ">\n\nWhy is that even possible?", ">\n\nUmm, this is the part where the federal gov’t might want to step in?", ">\n\nSeems like the smartest minds are always looking to make money off a crisis instead of trying to solve it. These investors will likely profit handsomely from the homework they have done on water rights. Too bad all that brain power isn’t being channeled to solving the water issue.", ">\n\nI love this. More please. More greed, less problem solving. The sooner we dine on the rich the sooner we can start creating a better world for all of us.", ">\n\nThe worst part is, Mexico receives less than 10% of the total water in the Colorado River, and most of that is used for farming. Farming which provides America with some of its winter vegetables, but is also used to support the rural communities and local area south of the border.\nTijuana, a city of 2 million people, receives 90% of its water from the Colorado River. Are those investors going to ensure the downriver dependents are looked after? How will this affect the Raise The River scheme, and the downriver ecosystems dependent on the river?", ">\n\nBefore resources plummet, investors do their best to get a hand in the supply. This is because when resources become less abundant the price of that resource goes up, and an investor can make gains on the price increases. Buy low, sell high. What the residents around the Colorado river need to do is petition the sales and make this state land. Those protections will allow the people to reap its benefits rather than someone that is only there for profit (and 2000 to 3000 miles away).", ">\n\nOf course they are! Because America is an irredeemable hyper-capitalistic dystopia.", ">\n\nChinatown was a documentary, and the events happened in real time.", ">\n\nMaybe Colorado residences/ranches/farms should have first right of refusal?", ">\n\nA majority of that river isn't even in Colorado. I get your point, but it's a little trickier than that", ">\n\nDoes Colorado not have a say in this? Or did they just give that up?", ">\n\ndepends, states down the river have an allotment they are entitled to. \n\nYou see this issue constantly of states with dams wanting to generate electricity and those down river who need it for whatever they are doing.", ">\n\nRemember those gag gift cans of fresh mountain air? Not so funny now, huh?", ">\n\nI remember Perri-Air in Spaceballs.", ">\n\nI was actually thinking of that when I made my comment.", ">\n\nMight I suggest the novel, “The Water Knife,” by Paolo Bacigalupi as a potentially prescient science fiction take on this?", ">\n\nThanks for the recommendation I'm adding it to my list!", ">\n\nNew Yorkers can ruin other people's home states without even travelling there now", ">\n\nRivers and aquifers don’t care about property lines. Whoever has the deeper well can siphon out more than the neighbors and run their wells dry.", ">\n\nSomehow I think this should be illegal.", ">\n\nWater (and water quality) is a right for all Americans and should not be subject to the for-profit motives of any investment cartel.", ">\n\nThe shroud of the investors has fallen. Begun the water wars have", ">\n\nThese streaming services are popping up everywhere", ">\n\nCan we all agree that this sort of \"investment\" ought to be criminally prosecutable, rather than rewarded?", ">\n\nLike the New York form that bought Pacific lumber and stripped the forest for profit. Pacific lumber was husbanding their land/resources responsibly. Fucking New York investment firm ruined an environmentally responsibly company for dollars. Fuck capitalism for this alone. Can't wait to see what California will do when there is no water left in the Colorado when it gets to them.", ">\n\nSouth Park did a two part special on this. Lol", ">\n\nIm not opposed to eco terrorism. Hell, these corporate dicks are the true eco terrorists", ">\n\nSo when do we get to start eating the rich? Or harvesting the water from their bodies fremen style.", ">\n\nPart of the risk of something like this is the government nullifying rights like this for the public good.\nI hope they lose it all but who am I kidding.", ">\n\nSomething is seriously wrong with the USA.\nDon't nestle the water!", ">\n\nBegun the climate wars have.", ">\n\nWhat could go wrong commodifying another essential resource? It’s not like we have problems with housing, medical care, or even clean water access in a state capital.", ">\n\nSo since South Park is in Colorado is this what they were actually talking about with the \"streaming wars\"?", ">\n\nYou can’t own water, that’s gods water.", ">\n\nI wonder if these people ever wonder if they are like movie villains? Or do they just laugh about it? I wonder what they were like as children?", ">\n\nThe fucked up part is that these venture capitalists are probably in the portfolio of a hedge fund, which state investors are betting on. Like with FTX, even a teachers union put money in and lost. A ton of states have pensions and all kind of other public monies stored as stock in the market. It’s crazyq", ">\n\nWhen the 1% (or .001% more accurately) are buying up water that’s sci-fi movie plot territory and yes, a quite clear signal it’s past time to tax the rich. Significantly. How much? A good target is just enough so there’s no financial incentive whatsoever to become a 70s Bond villain. Use the remainder to pave some roads, set up some local transit, whatever.", ">\n\nHow do you live with yourself?", ">\n\nThey’re doing it in South America too.\nLook up “Bush Family Buy Up Guarani Aquifer”", ">\n\nDidn’t South Park already do this", ">\n\nWhere are the protests ? How does such a thing happen with no reaction ? Has it just come to the point where people just say « It is what it is »", ">\n\nProfiting off water should be illegal", ">\n\nName the companies and the board members. The french are giving the blue print for impacting those who think they can make these decisions and hide.", ">\n\nThe streaming wars have begun.", ">\n\nDystopian future, here now.", ">\n\nWhy are they being allowed to?", ">\n\nPrivate investment firms are showing a growing interest in an increasingly scarce natural resource in the American West: water in the Colorado River, a joint investigation by CBS News and The Weather Channel has found", ">\n\nBIg day for weather channel", ">\n\nThis is kind of…sickening.", ">\n\nThe Streaming Wars have begun.", ">\n\nCapitalism at its finest..", ">\n\nThis is what’s wrong with the world, this shit right here.", ">\n\nWater wars have begun…", ">\n\nThe fact that this doesn't trigger an immediate execution is a stain on our species. Capitalism has done incalculable damage to the human brain.", ">\n\nCapitalism is a death-cult.", ">\n\nI don't get it -doesn't water belong to ALL people? Why are they allowing investors to do this?", ">\n\nBut did anyone see JP Morgan buying up land in Texas? Guys guysssss……… we’re phucked from all angles", ">\n\nThis shit needs to be illegal!", ">\n\nOr, you know, the states write laws stating that only the people that actually own that land should have jurisdiction of its mineral/water rights and only residents within a specific county may ever own those rights. Seems like an easy fix.", ">\n\nHow many counties do you think that river runs through?", ">\n\nIDK but it damn sure isn’t New York", ">\n\nWhat if they buy the land?", ">\n\nCapitalism is going to kill us", ">\n\nNestle will be pissed about this", ">\n\n:: Gesturing broadly::\nMe: America.", ">\n\nThis will end well I'm sure.", ">\n\nLeave it to Capitalism to find a way to surcharge for the most abundant resource in the world. (Yes I know we’re talking about freshwater, but it’s H2O nonetheless)\nI dread the this future.", ">\n\nCan we not comoditize every single ataom of every single thing in our lives?", ">\n\nThis should be illegal.", ">\n\nr/boringdystopia and r/collapse called; they want their horror stories back.", ">\n\nThis sounds Batshit crazy, but direct registering a share of GameStop in your name for <$30 can directly combat this.\nDAOs are the future form of governance.", ">\n\nIs the ticker for GameStop $GME? I might be down to buy one for that price, maybe even a handful.", ">\n\nOne step closer to the 1995 film Tank Girl.\n\nAfter a comet disrupts the rain cycle of Earth, the planet has become a desolate, barren desert by the year 2033. With resources scarce, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell) -- head of the powerful and evil Water & Power Corporation, the de facto government -- has taken control of the water supply. Unwilling to cower under Kesslee's tyrannical rule, a pair of outlaws known as Tank Girl (Lori Petty) and Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) rise up, joining the mysterious rebel Rippers to destroy the corrupt system.\n\nAlso staring Ice-T, if you are wondering its 100% worth the watch! Currently free on YouTube. \nTank Girl (1995)", ">\n\nSo silly. I’d bet on space/radiation suits because we’ll eventually need them to live here.", ">\n\nWater is a right. We cannot allow water to be commodified.", ">\n\nFirst the land was taken from the native Americans and now it will be taken again.", ">\n\nCapitalism was a mistake.", ">\n\nFun fact Adam Smith arguably the “inventor” of Capitalism would not approve of this. I could post some excerpts from the main book that invented Capitalism and they would downright sound Socialism and something Karl Marx wrote.\n“To restrain private people, it may be said, from receiving in payment the promissory notes of a banker, for any sum whether great or small, when they themselves are willing to receive them, or to restrain a banker from issuing such notes, when all his neighbours are willing to accept of them, is a manifest violation of that natural liberty which it is the proper business of law not to infringe, but to support. Such regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments, of the most free as well as of the most despotical. The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed.”\n— Adam Smith, “The Wealth of Nations”\nTLDR Adam Smith, credited with being the primary “inventor” of Capitalism would have been called a dirty woke Communist today in 2023 and had more things in common with Karl Marx Socialism that with modern Capitalism. He said something like this would NEED to be in check by the government to help the people.", ">\n\nEveryday it seems Vandana Shivas book Water Wars from 20 years ago predictions today's headlines.", ">\n\nYeah! Even less water for KS. We've been fighting CO for water rights, certainly on the Arkansas River, for decades. We rely on the Arkansas, in part, to refil the Ogallala aquifer.", ">\n\nAnybody ever read The Water Knife?", ">\n\nGreat book, looks like we get to live through it too.", ">\n\nI hate this. We are living in the worst timeline.", ">\n\nThat’s disgusting. Investors?? Speculators more like. Scumbags, if you want to get real precise.", ">\n\nI live in Colorado. . .why the hell are water rights being sold to another state? This seems illegal and corrupt on so many levels.", ">\n\nFuck New York. \nI'm sorry to anyone i offended, but i moved out of that state because of the neo-liberal pro-capitalist b.s. like this.\nFuck. New. York.", ">\n\nInvestors need to become seen as worse than shit.", ">\n\nShame on all of you that work in the stock market, hedge funds, and investment companies. You are the problem. You need to just quit and not make any greedy money! Shame on you! \n/s", ">\n\nWell, fuck California anyways.", ">\n\nCalifornia is beautiful. And it has already been fucked, a lot.", ">\n\nAbsolutely disgusting to be making a profit off of millions of peoples struggle for water.", ">\n\nSmart money is on short betting the near-term survival of humanity.", ">\n\nIs the head dead yet? -- Eagles", ">\n\nOh, y’all are fucked. Can’t the state do something about this?", ">\n\nI can't wait until ALL our human needs are unaffordable. I just can't wait.", ">\n\nSouth Park did it, South Park did it", ">\n\nAt least it’s investors who care and are regulated by those affected. China would suck the US dry and are trying now with their shit they’re buying up in NC, UTAH, etc.", ">\n\nSpeculating on water scarcity, they should be chained up and left in death valley for that", ">\n\nRich people, it's scarce if we make it scarce", ">\n\nThis shouldn’t be legal", ">\n\nWhen does this madness end?", ">\n\nSo they are literally copying the plot to the worst Daniel Craig Bond movie? \nThe writers are getting lazy these days.", ">\n\nThere it is again, that funny feeling", ">\n\nFuckin eh Capitalism. I hate this world.", ">\n\nAhhhh, they beat Nestle to it!", ">\n\nI believe it was Michael Burry at the end of “the big short” who says the next big investments should be in water and water futures and basically called this and the up coming water wars", ">\n\nRead: Paolo Bacigalupi, The Water Knife.", ">\n\nFuck this. We need to do something - there should be no selling of water rights anywhere in the world.", ">\n\nMaybe don't make these things purchasable by assholes who won't actually drink the water." ]
Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine Plate: Copper Mekanisk plate Switches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring. Stabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube Keycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys Artisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu Foam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish Cable: Copper cable from Mechcables Mouse: Pulsar Xlite V2	[]
> Got to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat? Thanks for sharing.	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2" ]
> Thank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing." ]
> Thank you! I might get one as well! Beautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it." ]
> Do you have a link to the unedited photo?	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!" ]
> here you go	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?" ]
> thank you :)	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go" ]
> Damn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)" ]
> Here's the Etsy link!	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?" ]
> The grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!" ]
> Lmfao wow	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?" ]
> good way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow" ]
> Beautiful! Can you recommend the mouse?	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!" ]
> Amazing color palette	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?" ]
> Is it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette" ]
> Why edit something to make it not look like the actual product? So weird...	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette", ">\n\nIs it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?" ]
> I did a double take when I saw your username and no VW content. :) This looks amazing.	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette", ">\n\nIs it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?", ">\n\nWhy edit something to make it not look like the actual product? So weird..." ]
> Usually a fan of minimal stuff by damn, this is pretty.	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette", ">\n\nIs it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?", ">\n\nWhy edit something to make it not look like the actual product? So weird...", ">\n\nI did a double take when I saw your username and no VW content. :)\nThis looks amazing." ]
> Dear god I need that mat. Thanks for the link	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette", ">\n\nIs it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?", ">\n\nWhy edit something to make it not look like the actual product? So weird...", ">\n\nI did a double take when I saw your username and no VW content. :)\nThis looks amazing.", ">\n\nUsually a fan of minimal stuff by damn, this is pretty." ]
> Dammit! Stop making me want to buy more keycaps and deskmats. I already have way more than I need	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette", ">\n\nIs it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?", ">\n\nWhy edit something to make it not look like the actual product? So weird...", ">\n\nI did a double take when I saw your username and no VW content. :)\nThis looks amazing.", ">\n\nUsually a fan of minimal stuff by damn, this is pretty.", ">\n\nDear god I need that mat. Thanks for the link" ]
> That's hot	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette", ">\n\nIs it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?", ">\n\nWhy edit something to make it not look like the actual product? So weird...", ">\n\nI did a double take when I saw your username and no VW content. :)\nThis looks amazing.", ">\n\nUsually a fan of minimal stuff by damn, this is pretty.", ">\n\nDear god I need that mat. Thanks for the link", ">\n\nDammit! Stop making me want to buy more keycaps and deskmats. I already have way more than I need" ]
>	[ "Case: Mekanisk Tind Ultramarine \nPlate: Copper Mekanisk plate\nSwitches: Zeal Clickiez 45g, spacebar has a 65g spring.\nStabilizers: Durock Miami Teal lubed with 205g0 and SuperLube \nKeycaps: Cherry Copper from NovelKeys \nArtisan: Dalifu Caps Cu Petunia Lulu\nFoam: Spacebar foam from StupidFish\nCable: Copper cable from Mechcables\nMouse: Pulsar Xlite V2", ">\n\nGot to be one of the best themed setups I've ever seen. What is your deskmat?\nThanks for sharing.", ">\n\nThank you very much! Here's the Etsy link to where I purchased it.", ">\n\nThank you! I might get one as well!\nBeautiful setup by the way! One day for me as well!", ">\n\nDo you have a link to the unedited photo?", ">\n\nhere you go", ">\n\nthank you :)", ">\n\nDamn, that desk pad tho... can you share the link?", ">\n\nHere's the Etsy link!", ">\n\nThe grey is literally just a filter. This is a blue keyboard that you previously posted... Lol?", ">\n\nLmfao wow", ">\n\ngood way to make that copper pop right out. very nice!", ">\n\nBeautiful! \nCan you recommend the mouse?", ">\n\nAmazing color palette", ">\n\nIs it bad that I want the colors from the edited photo more than the unedited one?", ">\n\nWhy edit something to make it not look like the actual product? So weird...", ">\n\nI did a double take when I saw your username and no VW content. :)\nThis looks amazing.", ">\n\nUsually a fan of minimal stuff by damn, this is pretty.", ">\n\nDear god I need that mat. Thanks for the link", ">\n\nDammit! Stop making me want to buy more keycaps and deskmats. I already have way more than I need", ">\n\nThat's hot" ]
A similar operation had already been done in the 90's, but in the last years the government simply turned a blind eye to what was happening. Brazil has enough resources, knowledge and institutions to combat that situation, letting it come to this point was a (possibly criminal) political choice.	[]
> The news out of Brazil lately has been such a breath of fresh air. Lula has been exceeding expectations.	[ "A similar operation had already been done in the 90's, but in the last years the government simply turned a blind eye to what was happening. Brazil has enough resources, knowledge and institutions to combat that situation, letting it come to this point was a (possibly criminal) political choice." ]
> I'm also enjoying the absence of dick-heads whining about what a corrupt extremist Lula is.	[ "A similar operation had already been done in the 90's, but in the last years the government simply turned a blind eye to what was happening. Brazil has enough resources, knowledge and institutions to combat that situation, letting it come to this point was a (possibly criminal) political choice.", ">\n\nThe news out of Brazil lately has been such a breath of fresh air. Lula has been exceeding expectations." ]

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