What if you were to be given 100 billion dollars... but, the catch is, you had to spend at least half of it to benefit both the environment AND human recreation? What would you do with the 50 billion to help BOTH the environment AND human recreation?

Me? As much as I would love to spend that money on the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, I would spend it somewhere that would benefit much more... AND probably make me some money in the long run.

I would try to help out the Salton Sea. I would first buy up as much property surrounding the Salton Sea as I could (for future profits). Then I would build a desalinization plant as big as I could possibly afford to help rid the Salton Sea of it's salt problem. Then I would hire specialists to see what other problems I could help fix, such as lack of oxygen in the water that kills millions of fish. Perhaps an oxygen pumping plant would work? Whatever it took, I would make the Salton Sea a place where fish and birds would thrive (the birds already do, but millions of fish die because environmentalists won't cure the problems with the Salton Sea). Then, once it was not such a stinky, smelly, salty body of water anymore, I would make back my billions by selling off all my property to the avid boaters, personal watercraft riders, and fishers that would flock to that place twice as much as the amount that go to Havasu. So I helped the fish survive, which helps the birds that eat fish thrive, AND I helped humans by providing another place for them to recreate.

I left some of it out, like all the bars, docks, campgrounds, and such that I would build too.

What would you do?

Dammit KG! It's post like this one that just kill my Hoing! :shock: Let me think about it and I'll get back to you on it! :whatever:

The Salton Sea is a disaster.

It would be great to fix it but how?

KG--if you desalinized the water, what would you so with the salt? They're running into this problem when they consider using the existing desalinization plant in Santa Barbara--the salty run-off will change seashore ecosystems and kill important sealife.

Maybe Morton's would be interested in picking up the free salt!

Problem there KG.. You could no longer call it the SaltnSea if you take out the salt..


I would make the Oceans of the world Fresh Water so I could open my eyes under water! Then I would charge the world to use it as a drinking system and put the bottle water industry out of business!

Then you can put the salt back in it and we could RULE the world!!! :bandit:

You cant open your eyes in salt water???

[quote]You cant open your eyes in salt water???[/quote]

You can, I was just looking for a good reason to take the salt out..

[quote]The Salton Sea is a disaster.

It would be great to fix it but how?

KG--if you desalinized the water, what would you so with the salt? They're running into this problem when they consider using the existing desalinization plant in Santa Barbara--the salty run-off will change seashore ecosystems and kill important sealife.

Maybe Morton's would be interested in picking up the free salt![/quote]

It would just take an extra step to change the saturated salt water (already processed from the de-salinization plant) into dried salt that could be sold as food grade salt if purified or stored offsite for a minimal cost (Salt is basically harmless in a sealed drum).

Not only was the Salton Sea "created" on a rock salt mine but the influx of agricultural runoff bring more minerals into the sea daily.

I would think another serious problem is the shortage of water caused by San Diego taking much of the colorado river water that was used for agriculture. Farmers are going to have to find ways of either using less water to irrigate with or "trapping" the runoff and recycling it. Either way, the Salton Sea which survives on that agricultural runoff will be getting less water and will start to dry up.

The Feds said we are going to get 30% less water from the Colorado river.
they are going to divert more water to L.A :x

$100 Billion right, OK because I'm a greedy OHV neanderthal, the first 40 billion goes in my pocket. That way I have more than ol' Bill Gates! :twisted: :wink:

The first billion of the remaining money goes to the biggest Public Relations campaign is history! I would hire several of the largest PR firms in the US to help us overcome the negative image the greenies have cast upon us. In every major paper, magazine, radio station, bill board, sporting event, and TV network (broadcast and cable) I would buy time and space so that the true image of the OHV enthusiast could be shown. The clean cut, fun loving, family oriented, environmentally conscious, law abiding, image that is closer to the truth than the BS that the anti access crowd has saddled us with. This would be the first step in a billion dollar campaign to shed a little light on the "TRUTH" that the greens have been creating. Next stop, Washington DC. Line up at the troth boys, a few changes are going to be made in the policies that govern us! :x :evil:

This is gonna be fun! I love being a billionaire! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

This one is tuff. I am still thinking about this one.

Actually, the Salton Sea is an easy one.
Quit trying to "save" this dieing hunk of water and let it disappear, like it always has, for EONS!

Once it's gone it would make a great salt-lake for drag racing and other off-road activities!

Vor

Now for my next Billion, I would spread some major cash around in Washington DC! Those elected officials that seemed to be level headed and pro-access would get my backing. Those that opposed public access to public land, I would bank roll their opponent. (after checking out their views) If neither is to my liking, I would back a third person with more agreeable views and help to finance their campaign. I would hire lobbyist to make sure that our needs are known on Capital Hill! And ESA reform bills would get major financial support! If the laws on the books are not working in our favor! I'll help to fix them! It seems to me that the only thing that matters in Washington is public opinion(hence my first step) and money! Covering these two bases first seems like the best approach to me!

Now that I have our image straightened out, the politicians in line and the laws reformed. It is time for some PAYBACK! Another Billion will be used to sue the G.A.G.s into oblivion! I will hire as many top notch lawyers and their firms as I can to sue not only the orgs, but there members as well! All of the frivolous law suits they filed will be paid back a 100 times over! They won't have time to try and mess with anything else! Vindictive? YES I AM! I think a little of their own medicine will be GOOD for them and GREAT for me! And while they are defending themselves from me, the BLM, FWS, DOI, and many other government departments can go about their business without having to worry about be harassed by the ecos!

Only THREE Billion in and things are really looking up!

Now it's time to make things better for those who use the public lands! I would buy a fleet of semis and have them converted into mobil hospitals that could be stationed at several locations around the dunes and other high use areas. The same for law enforcement, several semis could be used as mobil command centers. They could be staffed by a private non profit org like red cross and funded thru a grant from me. Also Helicopters and OHV's would be purchased for search and rescue in and around the dunes, as well as transport to larger hospitals if their services are required. Camp grounds would be upgraded and in some cases enlarged. A mobil radio station would broadcast need to know information to all those in the area. And the best part is that it could all be used elsewhere in the event of an emergency or natural disaster! All at no cost to the taxpayers. Don't think for a minute that local governments won't notice that!

[quote]Actually, the Salton Sea is an easy one.
Quit trying to "save" this dieing hunk of water and let it disappear, like it always has, for EONS!

Once it's gone it would make a great salt-lake for drag racing and other off-road activities!

Vor[/quote]

Hmm.. I wonder how long it would take it (water, mud, & all) to dry up. We would not be around that's for sure. Our great grandchildren will be driving "Jetson cars" and have no need for wheels to touch the ground. Of course bluesky's great grandchildren will be complaining about the ion reaction that the warp generators are putting out. :roll: Ya think? :mrgreen:

[quote] Of course bluesky's great grandchildren will be complaining about the ion reaction that the warp generators are putting out.[/quote]

RAOFLMAO!

But you have to admit, crying about saving a man-made sea is a little much to swallow. Where were these people when the Imperial basin flooded out after the Colorado river dyke broke? How many species were wiped out then?

There has been a sea, and then not a sea, and then a sea, and then not a sea... forever!
The TRUE problem of the Salton Sea is the fact that there is agriculture on an enormous scale in the Imperial Valley now. We need that food. The world needs that food.

Vor

(pardon me, but the Salton Sea is a sore spot with me)

Joe, I like your ideas!

Vor, the Salton Sea is a sore spot with me too. This country has a lot of enviro groups, who, for the most part, ignore the problems the Salton Sea has. When I smell the stench of millions of dead fish, or visit the shores of the Salton Sea and SEE the dead fish, I wonder where the Sierra Club and the likes are. Those enviro groups have millions of dollars yet they do nothing for the Salton Sea. But if a developer trys to build some homes near a small marsh the enviros cry and whine and file lawsuits to stop the development. Their true colors shine through...

Anti-human
Ignoring real environmental issues

I guarantee if the Salton Sea had 50,000 visitors every holiday weekend the enviros would be all over it.

Currently, the Salton Sea does have enviros fighting for it...
But are they fighting to make it clean or make it go away? No, their fight involves TAKING water from the Imperial Valley farmers.
You see, their contention is that the farmers are not letting enough run-off go into the sea and therefore it is drying up and what water IS being let into the see is so full of minerals it is making the water inhabitable.

They want to FORCE the farmers into DUMPING vast amounts of FRESH WATER into the sea.
Many of you know that the water situation in Imperial Valley, San Diego County and the Colorado River Basin is hotly debated right now. Funny how these issues never get brought up until everyone is over a barrell.

That's why I say, let the damn thing die. It is going to cost you, me and everyone else in Southern California HUGE amounts of money to keep this dieing sea alive. It is going to require HUGE amounts of water that is just not there. Something will have to give.

If it dies off, like it has in past history, then the water demands will trickle to zero, there will be more farmland and new, different species will inhabit it, just like they did the last time the sea dried up.

Vor