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The trouble makers move into the country


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It seems that the troublemakers have decided to give the major cities a day off and go to the country to continue their fight against les forces de l’ordre.

It is the turn of Les Deux Sèvres to get it as the mob turns out to oppose the mega bassines that are being constructed to save winter rainfall and use it to water agricultural crops in the summer dry periods.

For some reason that I dont entirely fathom these big ponds have aroused the ire of the holler than thous despite the great need for water in many areas in the summers that seem to be getting drier. The Vendée, for example has little subsurface water so is obliged to rely on dams; their problems are exacerbated by the huge annual influx of tourists. 

They have even gone so far as to install pipes so that they can pump water between the lakes as needed, a huge investment.

Farmers often dig their own lakes, some quite large, to survive the summers; a few are big enough to be commercial fishing sites as well.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/en-direct-mega-bassines-manifestation-sous-haute-tension-ce-samedi-25-mars-a-sainte-soline-20230325

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Apparently the plan is to pump water up from underground into these basins at the start of winter with the expectation that rain will then fill the subterranean voids. Those against the mega basins believe the water is better off staying underground until needed since as much as 20% could be lost in evaporation in a year.

What ever the pros and cons the black block have jumped on the issue to make trouble.

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Yes, I hadn't fully understood, until the news reports this morning, what all the fuss was about.  But they are protesting that the water to fill the basins will be drawn from the water table, taking water that, in theory, belongs to everyone.  The water will then be the property of the farmers. And, as Dave points out, evaporation will be an important issue too.  I've nothing against the genuine protesters camped out at the site, but trouble has already started this morning with the black blocs, who arrived this morning, using explosives.

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Farmers have traditionally constructed dams or ponds to collect surface or rain water, not to pump water up from the ground to store it.

I can understand the objections.

There is a similar problem in Mallorca, where excessive use of wells for irrigation caused salt water to flow into the water table, making it useless for everyone.

During one summer the tap water was so saline it killed plants which were watered, and damaged piping and equipment.

The sealing system for the drum of our washing machine was corroded so that water got into the gearbox and wrecked the machine.

Now, extremely expensive desalination plants supply much of the potable water.

There will always be extremists and wreckers joining demonstrations; I think is up to the organisers to spot them and keep them out.
 

 

 

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13 hours ago, ssomon said:

think is up to the organisers to spot them and keep them out.

Virtually impossible.  Peaceful protestors, by their very nature, are peaceful.  They are not equipped to deal with armed black bloc protestors.  You would have to employ your own "police" force to deal with the black bloc element.  You have seen the fight they put up against the properly protected police.  Ordinary civilians would not stand a chance.

On another point raised above, you can cover the surface of these reservoirs with solar panels. They help reduce the evaporation.  The solar panels also perform better as the water keeps them cooler.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/03/14/float-ovoltaics-how-floating-solar-panels-in-reservoirs-could-revolutionise-global-power

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4 hours ago, Lehaut said:

Virtually impossible.  Peaceful protestors, by their very nature, are peaceful.  They are not equipped to deal with armed black bloc protestors.  You would have to employ your own "police" force to deal with the black bloc element.  You have seen the fight they put up against the properly protected police.  Ordinary civilians would not stand a chance.

On another point raised above, you can cover the surface of these reservoirs with solar panels. They help reduce the evaporation.  The solar panels also perform better as the water keeps them cooler.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/03/14/float-ovoltaics-how-floating-solar-panels-in-reservoirs-could-revolutionise-global-power

"the water keeps them cooler"

That didn't keep them cooler here:-

https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/floating-solar-power-farm-catches-fire-japan-65518363

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The argument of the original objectors who were largely small farmers is that water should be for everyone not just the wealthy few, big farms. Such debates have been going on as farms get bigger and the smaller, family farms get squeezed, less able to make a decent living on their own without substantial subsidy which is being phased out. So,it is now being seen as a class argument.

The protestors now probably do not remember the original issue as most are there simply to casser du flic and are well tooled up for the job. I would not be surprised if their German cousins have popped over to give them a hand as, no doubt, they have been doing in Paris and other towns and cities.

 

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 I think water is destined to become the next area to fall under the gaze of the government.  Already my local paper is asking for a reduction of 10% in home usage.  Putting the price up will encourage people to use less,  fixing the massive loss due to leaks is another area.  The figures quoted for consumption per person seem ridiculously high compared to our actual usage. In Normandy for example for the two of us, and during the holidays 4, we used about 65 cu meters per year, We had build two ponds which recuperated a lot of rain water for the garden, so never used  a hose pipe.

Here in our flat, for 3 we are using about 42 cu meter a year.  According to this article the average for each person in France is 54 cu m per person per year!!

 https://www.monreseaudeau.fr/actualites/40-chiffres-reseaux-eau-potable-france-2021/#:~:text=150 litres %3A c'est la,la préservation de la ressource.

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