The out in the open secret is that the drought is mostly a problem because of the factory farms that use 80% of California’s water supply.Let’s see who politicizes this simple, bald fact.
So many civilizations have fallen through changing weather patterns that cause decline in water access for their overgrown populations. Will water eventually be pumped out of the Great Lakes to distant areas? Expect a battle about that. Will Mississippi River water be diverted into huge aqueducts for the Western states? It will be interesting to see the nature of U.S. agriculture in the coming centuries.
“Of course this would require courage on the part of politicians to tell us the truth….”.Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Personally I think as drought conditions in the American Southwest continue and get worse, populations there even now will move back to states with reliable, less-complicated water supplies. Politicians can blather all they want but eventually reality casts the deciding votes, but not until much unnecessary suffering..Sure to reinforce my reputation as a pedant, let me give a quotation from Kuan tzu that seems to describe many political mountebanks:.“Conduct that is firm while perverse, words that are eloquent while crafty, the transmission of what is wrong with erudition, the following of what is evil while giving it a gloss — these are prohibited by the sage king.” (Kuan tzu, 5.7b).Unfortunately, I don’t see any sage kings on the horizon.
Thanks for that. Good thing I wasn’t drinking coffee at the time. I’m not sure whether the tendency of the cons to parrot such nonsense should add to the humor, or just evoke despair.
Death Valley is a National Park, and vast acreage in the desert are already being destroyed by “green” solar energy projects, there are HUGE costs to this alternative. The Tehachapi projects are some of the earliest, and largest, wind generating “farms”, and are a serious threat to birds, there are costs to this alternative. Nuclear? a good idea in one respect but also huge enviornmental costs. The fact is human population growth has demanded more energy, not conservation, and there are costs, but there are also HUGE PROFITS to be made!
California, Arizona, models for the dumbest land-use planning in the world, far overwhelms the “progress” on environmental and climate/atmospheric issues.
So farms are using up lots of water in California? And it has nothing to do with the state being hugely overpopulated, and accepting millions of illegal immigrants? Liberals, do your duty. Boycott California agricultural products. While you’re also boycotting Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, the 31 states that have RFRA regs on the books, the unratified ERA states, Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby..probably leaving out some. Libs got Boycott Feeva!
Harley’s in the house trolling his particular brand of nonsense that thinly masks his bigotry. I wish there were an ignore button like Yahoo used to have on their sports comments boards
Install low flow shower heads if you like, but it won’t make much of a difference because the biggest users of water in California are big corporations trying to grow inedible plants (AKA cotton and alfalfa) in the desert. They not only get water piped out to them and cheap land, they also get agricultural subsidies. We’re literally paying them to waste our water all while telling urbanites who barely use any water compared to them to limit their shower time.
Alexander the Good Enough about 9 years ago
Right. And soon all of us will be cracked up, sorta.
Uncle Joe Premium Member about 9 years ago
The out in the open secret is that the drought is mostly a problem because of the factory farms that use 80% of California’s water supply.Let’s see who politicizes this simple, bald fact.
Simon_Jester about 9 years ago
And all this time, I thought it was Barack Obama.
Crabbyrino Premium Member about 9 years ago
Yikes, the price of my boxed wine just tripled.
emptc12 about 9 years ago
So many civilizations have fallen through changing weather patterns that cause decline in water access for their overgrown populations. Will water eventually be pumped out of the Great Lakes to distant areas? Expect a battle about that. Will Mississippi River water be diverted into huge aqueducts for the Western states? It will be interesting to see the nature of U.S. agriculture in the coming centuries.
Darsan54 Premium Member about 9 years ago
Thanks, Jerry. .???
cdward about 9 years ago
Hey, just don’t come after our water. And don’t start moving back east when you run out of water.
emptc12 about 9 years ago
“Of course this would require courage on the part of politicians to tell us the truth….”.Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Personally I think as drought conditions in the American Southwest continue and get worse, populations there even now will move back to states with reliable, less-complicated water supplies. Politicians can blather all they want but eventually reality casts the deciding votes, but not until much unnecessary suffering..Sure to reinforce my reputation as a pedant, let me give a quotation from Kuan tzu that seems to describe many political mountebanks:.“Conduct that is firm while perverse, words that are eloquent while crafty, the transmission of what is wrong with erudition, the following of what is evil while giving it a gloss — these are prohibited by the sage king.” (Kuan tzu, 5.7b).Unfortunately, I don’t see any sage kings on the horizon.
Cerabooge about 9 years ago
Thanks for that. Good thing I wasn’t drinking coffee at the time. I’m not sure whether the tendency of the cons to parrot such nonsense should add to the humor, or just evoke despair.
seablood about 9 years ago
fill Death Valley with solar collectors and use the power to de-salinate Pacific Ocean water. Slam dunk!
pam Miner about 9 years ago
I like seablood’s idea.
fofinho about 9 years ago
There is no easy solution so it is time to start trying things and see what works.
hippogriff about 9 years ago
MortyForTyrant: They can either stop water-bottling factories and agribusiness from depleting the aquifers or migrate to Oklahoma.
Dtroutma about 9 years ago
Death Valley is a National Park, and vast acreage in the desert are already being destroyed by “green” solar energy projects, there are HUGE costs to this alternative. The Tehachapi projects are some of the earliest, and largest, wind generating “farms”, and are a serious threat to birds, there are costs to this alternative. Nuclear? a good idea in one respect but also huge enviornmental costs. The fact is human population growth has demanded more energy, not conservation, and there are costs, but there are also HUGE PROFITS to be made!
California, Arizona, models for the dumbest land-use planning in the world, far overwhelms the “progress” on environmental and climate/atmospheric issues.
oneoldhat about 9 years ago
California is full of cracks and pot
manteo16nc about 9 years ago
So farms are using up lots of water in California? And it has nothing to do with the state being hugely overpopulated, and accepting millions of illegal immigrants? Liberals, do your duty. Boycott California agricultural products. While you’re also boycotting Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, the 31 states that have RFRA regs on the books, the unratified ERA states, Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby..probably leaving out some. Libs got Boycott Feeva!
attarian about 9 years ago
Harley’s in the house trolling his particular brand of nonsense that thinly masks his bigotry. I wish there were an ignore button like Yahoo used to have on their sports comments boards
traintravler about 9 years ago
Install low flow shower heads if you like, but it won’t make much of a difference because the biggest users of water in California are big corporations trying to grow inedible plants (AKA cotton and alfalfa) in the desert. They not only get water piped out to them and cheap land, they also get agricultural subsidies. We’re literally paying them to waste our water all while telling urbanites who barely use any water compared to them to limit their shower time.