TurfComms V. 15,1.6 April 12, 2004 PURPOSE: To pass on what we learn willingly and happily to others in the profession so as to improve turf conditions around the country. CALL ROTO-ROOTER: Got a plugged drainline that goes near a valuable tree? You might consider calling Roto-Rooter to replace the line. They now have a trenchless sewer pipe replacement system that should also work for that drainline going by a tree. According to an article in Tree Care Industry - April 2004 they have equipment which destroys the old line while pulling in a high-density polyethylene pipe to replace it. As that pipe will be seamless, where it goes by the tree, the tree roots won't be able to fill it up again. But more importantly, you won't kill or badly damage the tree by digging a trench to do the replacement. GLOBALIZATION: This word is now getting into the politics concerning lost jobs. Lost, that is, to other countries as firms outsource not only manufacturing jobs but high tech. jobs. As golf course superintendents, most of my readership does not have to worry about this, at least as far as that profession being outsourced. But, by now, you probably know at least one person whose job was outsourced to another country where wages are lower, (continued on last page) TURFCOMMS is published at unpredictable intervals by the editor and publisher Douglas T. Hawes, Ph.D. 3517 Deep Valley Trail Assistant Editor, Cynthia Maddox Piano, Texas 75023 e-mail: dhawes@dallas.net (972) 867-0176 web site http://www.geocities.com/turfcomms/index.html COMMENTS ON WORLD-WATCH'S Planet Golf page (opposite this one): I have subscribed to World-Watch for about 12 years. I knew they were very pro-environment and not overly friendly to golf courses. However, I think they went a little too far in the last issue. 1. To my way of thinking the number of photographs of golf courses in the Jan/Feb. issue of Coastal Living nicely proves how important the editors of Coastal Living feel that golf 
courses are to their readers and advertisers. 2. U.N. daily minimum water requirement = 0.53 gal./person/day and I assume this is clean drinking water. The golf courses of the world may use 2.5 billion/day but a very 
high % of that is not fit to drink. 3. The fact that Japan has chosen to put in operation 3,007 golf courses on their heavily populated islands since WWII shows the tremendous popularity of this form of recreation. If Japan in its infinite wisdom has decided to give up the food producing potential of this land for recreation, can World Watch not understand the value of golf courses? 4. Pesticide/A/year - 18 pounds on golf courses? I find this figure high? Using data in Golf Course Management & Construction I come up with 12 lbs./A/year. I also wonder if when they quote for agriculture they leave off the very high lbs./A for land in horticultural crops (floral, fruit and vegetables). 5. Thailand water use Š 0.1 lMeters cubed/person/day or 29 gal/day. This is a very low water requirement considering U.S. water use/day (100 to 200 gal/day/person). But it doesn't agree with the above 0.53 gal/day min.? A recent editorial in the Dallas Morning News noted that Texans in the Dallas area were "using an average of 87 gallons of indoor water daily." 6. Las Vegas is the recreation center of the arid west. 150,000 A x 2' = 300,000Aft. of water/day? /month? /year? 60 golf courses using a million gallons/day would equal 22 billion gallons/year. If the water above that they are mentioning is for a year, then this would be a little more that 22% of that according to my calculations. If this is the yearly water for a 150,000 acre wetland it would not keep up with evaporation in the Colorado River Delta. Golf may well use a lot of water and pesticides compared to other sports people play. But at 68 I still play golf and love to walk golf courses early in the morning. There are not many other sports where I can get in a good walk while being physically and mentally challenged. And then to do so with enjoyable companions makes it a special day. MATTERS OF SCALE: PLANET GOLF Number of photos in the January/ February issue of Coastal Living that showed coastal wildlife (seabirds, crustaceans, turtles, or other fauna) 1 Number of photos in the same issue showing golf courses 61 Amount of water it would take, per day, to support 4.7 billion 2.5 billion people at the UN daily minimum gallons Amount of water used, per day, to irrigate the world's golf courses 2.5 billion gallons Number of golf courses in Japan before World War I 23 Number in operation or soon to open in 2004 3,030 Average amount of pesticides used per acre, per year, on golf courses 18 pounds Average amount of pesticides used, per acre, per year, in agriculture 2.7 pounds Amount of water used by 60,000 villagers in Thailand, on 6,500 cubic average, per day meters Amount of water used by one golf course in Thailand, on average, 6,500 cubic per day meters Current area of the wetlands of the Colorado River Delta, which now receives just 0.1 percent of the river water that once flowed 150,000 through it acres Area that could be covered to a depth of 2 feet with water drawn from the Colorado River by the city of Las Vegas, which uses much 150,000 of that allotment to water its more than 60 golf courses acres Source: Worldwatch Magazine, March/April 2004, Vol. 17, No.2, Copyright 2004, www.worldwatch. org. Let us again try to understand what this whole process of globalization is all about and to do this, I am going to put in some material here from a retired business professor friend of mine, Gary Dean, Ph.D. I have asked him many questions on this subject and his responses have been helpful to me. First, one must realize the underlying premise that "business will move to the most profitable geographic area commensurate with the risk involved " Secondly, that "a global elite existed long before this current wave of communications induced globalization. It was more exclusively in the monetary sector however." When discussing unions and 'social contracts' he noted first that the ""Common goal" is not to break the bargaining power of unions.. .the goal is to increase shareholder wealth " No industry wants unions; just as no company wants competition! Secondly, "Social justice begins to advance when the people no longer have to worry about starving. Globalization adds to the GDP of all countries involved. Multinational firms do not 
oppose social contracts, governments do." And last, he would like you not to forget that, "There is a positive correlation between population growth and poverty." But what about jobs? I think superintendent's positions are reasonably secure; although there will be continued pressure to hire the less expensive - less experienced person. There also will be continued severe competition for golfers that have enough time and money to pay for first class maintained golf courses at both the CCs and the daily fee courses. There will continue to be positions opening up overseas, as less developed 
countries become wealthier and put in golf courses. The secret to continuing employment through you and your children's lifetimes will depend much on continuing your education. That is continuing education, retraining, learning the latest techniques and being able to solve the latest challenges. Many careers will be replaced and new ones established; so one must be constantly ready to step into a new one. The U.S. of A. leads the world in technology. It is a place from which ideas 
are generated and where new methods of doing things are found. We are losing that under the current Bush administration. Research is not being funded, some types such as stem cell are being discouraged. We are slowly losing it. WORDS TO THE WISE: a medical-philosophical dictionary by Thomas Szasz. A 
2004 publication put out by Transaction Publishers. Through this book I have been exposed to the sarcastic wit and wisdom of Dr. Szasz; author of 26 other books. If you think that having people get off after having committed a crime for reasons of insanity is a bunch of crock then you should read this book. Although called "a medical-
philosophical dictionary" it is more a condensation of this man's very strong opinions 
on a lot of matters, but with emphasis on psychiatry. END