3 ms·

Lol yes, after years of actual water shortage and housing shortage being "not great, but you know, we manage" this would certainly push the state over the edge

Lol yes, after years of actual water shortage and housing shortage being "not great, but you know, we manage" this would certainly push the state over the edge into full-on Mad Max thunderdome mood. :D

lokar 4y ago
There is only a water shortage if you insist on irrigation by flooding fields in vast inland desert
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- busterarm 4y ago
  Then you're trading a water shortage for a food shortage. Rock. Hard place. There's a long list of fruits and vegetables where California growing is the source of nearly 100% of the nation's consumption. Celery, Garlic, Walnuts...Spinach is up near 80%...Lemons 50%.
  - lokar 4y ago
    And yet they use vast amount water to grow nut trees in a desert, rice as well as alfalfa for export to feed dairy herds in China. There is plenty of water to grow all of the veggies needed, if it was done responsibly
    - rcpt 4y ago
      Beef and dairy use more water than nuts. We only deflect attention to almonds because the meat industry is excellent at influencing public opinion
      - Dylan16807 4y ago
        According to what estimates? I'm seeing various numbers but they're suggesting a bit under 2000 gallons of water to make a pound of both almonds and beef. The almonds do have more calories, but that's a really unimpressive number for both. The reason we talk about almonds is because both of those are wasteful, and both of those are enormous uses of california water, but california has 6% of the country's cattle and 80% of the entire world's almonds. I can't find a good estimate for milk.
  - lokar 4y ago
    And they don't really grow garlic in Gilroy anymore, it's mostly imported from China for processing
  - kortilla 4y ago
    That’s a lazy response. Just charge for water, the cost will be reflected accurately in the food, and people will move to cheaper alternatives. We’re nowhere near a food shortage, that’s propaganda from California farmers that don’t even want you to consider the possibility of touching their draconian water rights.
  - Dylan16807 4y ago
    The fruits and vegetables (I'm not counting nuts) need a couple gallons per ounce. Even desalination would only cost about 0.3-2 cents per ounce of those foods, and that's pretty much the upper limit of long-term water prices next to an ocean.

lokar 4y ago

There is only a water shortage if you insist on irrigation by flooding fields in vast inland desert

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
busterarm 4y ago
Then you're trading a water shortage for a food shortage. Rock. Hard place. There's a long list of fruits and vegetables where California growing is the source of nearly 100% of the nation's consumption. Celery, Garlic, Walnuts...Spinach is up near 80%...Lemons 50%.
- lokar 4y ago
  And yet they use vast amount water to grow nut trees in a desert, rice as well as alfalfa for export to feed dairy herds in China. There is plenty of water to grow all of the veggies needed, if it was done responsibly
  - rcpt 4y ago
    Beef and dairy use more water than nuts. We only deflect attention to almonds because the meat industry is excellent at influencing public opinion
    - Dylan16807 4y ago
      According to what estimates? I'm seeing various numbers but they're suggesting a bit under 2000 gallons of water to make a pound of both almonds and beef. The almonds do have more calories, but that's a really unimpressive number for both. The reason we talk about almonds is because both of those are wasteful, and both of those are enormous uses of california water, but california has 6% of the country's cattle and 80% of the entire world's almonds. I can't find a good estimate for milk.
- lokar 4y ago
  And they don't really grow garlic in Gilroy anymore, it's mostly imported from China for processing
- kortilla 4y ago
  That’s a lazy response. Just charge for water, the cost will be reflected accurately in the food, and people will move to cheaper alternatives. We’re nowhere near a food shortage, that’s propaganda from California farmers that don’t even want you to consider the possibility of touching their draconian water rights.
- Dylan16807 4y ago
  The fruits and vegetables (I'm not counting nuts) need a couple gallons per ounce. Even desalination would only cost about 0.3-2 cents per ounce of those foods, and that's pretty much the upper limit of long-term water prices next to an ocean.