Monday, January 12, 2015

The Werewolf Avoids this General Plan DEIR Critique

Despite the monstrous nature of the General Plan’s DEIR, the Werewolf has deferred judgment since it depends upon the wolfs bane blooming. While traditionally used to kill wolves or whales this toxic plant’s American variety, the trailing wolfs bane, is an endangered and/or threatened species in Tennessee and surrounding areas. So when the moon is full the Werewolf needs his stuff and his wolfs bane is protected. Fortunately the DEIR protects us against hazardous materials (2-36) by proposing “identifying businesses using, storing, and/or transporting hazardous materials.” Sounds real good, but it all depends upon who and what defines hazardous materials. How many of our old paint cans and fluorescent light bulbs are hazardous materials?  

The frightening prospect of forest fires is contained on page 2-37. Mitigation measures include “using fire-resistant materials, installing sprinkler systems, and providing on-site water supplies for firefighting” and “impact fees”. No mention is made of the possible carcinogenic nature of many fire-resistant materials. I find sprinkler systems to be ugly and to have them in my home, my most private and personal space, would be a grim reminder of state power’s ability of invasion like a computer chip in my palm would be.  No concern is voiced that each new requirement costs money and prices more and more people out of home ownership. Since growth is nonexistent today, except for perhaps for some lawsuits, it can only intend to slowly force us into town center apartments under someone else’s control.  Any trade off decision, or individual freedom to chose where one lives or assess their risk, is gone. Once again, their static natural world/ forest concept sees people as only a hostile intrusion. Their underlying assumption is laid bare because they completely ignore thinning the forests in the high country. We all know that a summer lightening strike fire spreading into the Upcountry is a real possibility.

Water quality concerns pages 2-38 to 2- 42.  Their proposals include “…climate appropriate landscaping…” and “reduced pavement cover, permeable pavement, and drainage features which increase infiltration and groundwater recharge.” These ideas seem to flow from the assumption that our rainwater belongs to the San Joaquin Valley aquifer and that it isn’t ours. Forget the graciousness of guest parking on your property. Given our clay soils permeable pavements will just trap moisture near structures rather than allowing it to run off into more porous soils. “…to reduce adverse hydrology and water quality impacts by limiting the quantity and increasing the water quality of runoff flowing to the County’s streams and rivers” they propose that “This program will incorporate stormwater management programs for agricultural land.” They seem to assume that farmers and ranchers callously let their top soil disappear. I would consider this an insult. 

So much of this DEIR depends upon the global warming hoax that carrying their logic forward I wonder what the Environmental Impact Report for having a child will entail? Will the stress of the process cause a miscarriage? How much CO2 does a pile of pampers emit? Can we mitigate this by killing our parents the way people did before the Ten Commandments said Honor thy Father and thy Mother?

The water quality discussion continues with proposing “low impact development techniques.” Housing is only abundant when we build what we can afford, not what an ideological expert decrees with a hidden agenda. If we lose the property owning middle class we have an impact on democracy, self governance and social stability far greater than any concocted concept of the environment. In the people off the land and into crowded settlements of this document’s intent we will all be frustrated enough to howl at the full moon like the Werewolf.


Copyright 2015, Mark L. Bennett  

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