3 ms·

Farm usage of water far exceeds human residents

by spywaregorilla 4y ago

jlarocco 4y ago
Does it matter? The farms are there to support the extra people.
- stonemetal12 4y ago
  California exports most of that food. People living near by or far away doesn't matter when considering the quantity of food grown.
  - AnimalMuppet 4y ago
    Well... if you care about emissions, shipping food far away emits a lot, until we get to electric trucks and trains powered by renewables. We're currently a ways away from that.
- he_is_legend 4y ago
  https://eu.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2017/09/28/booming-demand-hay-asia-middle-east-driving-agribusiness-california-desert/702400001/ https://eu.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2017/09/28/b... Many of those farms are exporting their produce to foreign countries. This includes growing alfalfa in California, and exporting it to Saudi Arabia (where the monarchy has set a policy of growing less alfalfa, wheat and corn to reduce pumping of groundwater from the depleted aquifers of the Arabian Peninsula). So essentially they are exporting water from one desert to another via the medium of alfaalfa.
deleted 4y ago
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Iwan-Zotow 4y ago
And? People supposed to get food from farms, aren't they?
- spywaregorilla 4y ago
  and you would do better to relocate the farms to water sources than the people. Growing crops in the desert is dumb.
  - Iwan-Zotow 4y ago
    not sure, not sure at all because you would end up tracking salads and greens and other stuff (which is basically WATER in itself) 2000 miles from, say, Lakes region
    - spywaregorilla 4y ago
      > because you would end up tracking salads and greens and other stuff (which is basically WATER in itself) 2000 miles from, say, Lakes region This happens regardless of where you grow it. Most of it gets exported. Transporting water in large quantities is not easy. Transporting lettuce is.
      - Iwan-Zotow 4y ago
        > Most of it gets exported Nope. From 2020 numbers, out of Cali ~$50bln agri production, ~$20bln are exported. > Transporting water in large quantities is not easy. Transporting lettuce is. ? Get any numbers to substantiate this claim? Water in my house cost me a lot less than lettuce

Farm usage of water far exceeds human residents

jlarocco 4y ago

Does it matter? The farms are there to support the extra people.

stonemetal12 4y ago
California exports most of that food. People living near by or far away doesn't matter when considering the quantity of food grown.
- AnimalMuppet 4y ago
  Well... if you care about emissions, shipping food far away emits a lot, until we get to electric trucks and trains powered by renewables. We're currently a ways away from that.
he_is_legend 4y ago
https://eu.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2017/09/28/booming-demand-hay-asia-middle-east-driving-agribusiness-california-desert/702400001/ https://eu.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2017/09/28/b... Many of those farms are exporting their produce to foreign countries. This includes growing alfalfa in California, and exporting it to Saudi Arabia (where the monarchy has set a policy of growing less alfalfa, wheat and corn to reduce pumping of groundwater from the depleted aquifers of the Arabian Peninsula). So essentially they are exporting water from one desert to another via the medium of alfaalfa.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

Iwan-Zotow 4y ago

And? People supposed to get food from farms, aren't they?

spywaregorilla 4y ago
and you would do better to relocate the farms to water sources than the people. Growing crops in the desert is dumb.
- Iwan-Zotow 4y ago
  not sure, not sure at all because you would end up tracking salads and greens and other stuff (which is basically WATER in itself) 2000 miles from, say, Lakes region
  - spywaregorilla 4y ago
    > because you would end up tracking salads and greens and other stuff (which is basically WATER in itself) 2000 miles from, say, Lakes region This happens regardless of where you grow it. Most of it gets exported. Transporting water in large quantities is not easy. Transporting lettuce is.
    - Iwan-Zotow 4y ago
      > Most of it gets exported Nope. From 2020 numbers, out of Cali ~$50bln agri production, ~$20bln are exported. > Transporting water in large quantities is not easy. Transporting lettuce is. ? Get any numbers to substantiate this claim? Water in my house cost me a lot less than lettuce