As Americans, we love a crisis. When it gets really, really bad, we decide that we must act! The question is, can we humans reverse a trend that has been many years in the making? The governor of Utah says he can.
A quote from the linked article is this one, "Utah leaders insist they won't let the lake dry up. At the state capitol, lawmakers this session are facing pressure to save the lake, and Gov. Spencer Cox is under the gun to call a state of emergency. In his state of the state address last month, Cox nodded to the BYU study which warns that in just 'five short years,' the Great Salt Lake will completely disappear: 'Let me be absolutely clear, we are not going to let that happen.' Cox said."
OK, I'll say this. If the Great Salt Lake is actually in danger of drying up completely within five years, the answer is, "No, any action at this point will not be in time." Too complicated. Too many administrative and legal hurdles to overcome. One word: litigation. If nothing else, litigation will drastically slow any measures that might be tried.
Perhaps the five-year estimate is drastically overstated. Perhaps there is more time available. Either way, reversing decades-long inaction, no matter how desperate you are to take action, cannot overcome inaction from years past.
Mark your calendars — 2028, is the lake still there?
