Two Views on the Damming of the Sespe
With respect to damming the Sespe, first--when one says, “No dams on the Sespe,” that is quite literally what is meant--no dams, ever.
The rivers and streams of the Earth are like the circulatory system in one’s body--cut off the blood flow in an artery or vein and you’ll damage your body.
As soon as you countenance having even one dam on the Sespe, anywhere, even around Fillmore, it’s like being a little bit pregnant--psychologically, politically, you’ve opened up the possibility for future dams.
Is it rational to expect that California can humanely support a population of 50 million people (projected for the year 2000) while striving to maintain our present lifestyles and systems of production? Does water run uphill?
Anyone advocating economic “development” by continuing to dam rivers and committing all our other depredations against our life-support systems either has a cynical and destructive disregard for the future survival of the life forms of this planet or is suffering from a bizarre and ultimately suicidal obliviousness.
BRENT MAUPIN, Ojai
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