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The meat water usage is often greatly exaggerated. For example, quite a lot of meat and feed for meat production is produced in Iowa where there is virtually z

The meat water usage is often greatly exaggerated. For example, quite a lot of meat and feed for meat production is produced in Iowa where there is virtually zero irrigation and the water table comes up to the surface and not only do we not conserve water, we put down grids of porous pipes in the ground to drain rainwater faster. No water shortages are affected by this at all, you southwest state people aren’t downstream. There aren’t water shortages everywhere. Plenty of places it rains quite enough.

PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
This is false. 77% of all water use in the US southwest (not Iowa) is for agriculture. 32% of all water use in the US southwest is used on alfafa, corn silage and grass hay, specifically for beef production, grown here, in the US southwest. This can help clear up misunderstandings: https://www.vox.com/23373495/western-us-water-scarcity-drought-cattle https://www.vox.com/23373495/western-us-water-scarcity-droug... The drought under discussion in in the US southwest, not Iowa, not New England, not the Great Lakes. It makes no difference if those other areas have more or less water, since there are no connections to the "great basin" (the drainage area of the Colorado and Rio Grande) from outside, Iowa is east of the 100th meridian, traditionally the line where irrigation is not technically required for agricltural production (though it may still be used). The drought under discussion is west of that line, and agricultural production is generally impossible there without irrigation.
- colechristensen 4y ago
  Much of that alfalfa is, quite stupidly, for export. What I'm saying is all meat is not equal, and quite a lot of it is produced in places where water isn't an issue. Many places simply should not produce certain agricultural products, go fight for that instead of telling people their food choices are immoral. California and other southwest states stupidly setting agricultural policy for this kind of wasteful water usage are problems with those states and their governance, not people who like to eat cheeseburgers. >not technically required for agricltural production Is in many places entirely unused.
  - PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
    Not only the alfalfa. Most of the beef raised on the non-exported cattle feed is in turn exported itself.

PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago

This is false. 77% of all water use in the US southwest (not Iowa) is for agriculture. 32% of all water use in the US southwest is used on alfafa, corn silage and grass hay, specifically for beef production, grown here, in the US southwest. This can help clear up misunderstandings: https://www.vox.com/23373495/western-us-water-scarcity-drought-cattle https://www.vox.com/23373495/western-us-water-scarcity-droug... The drought under discussion in in the US southwest, not Iowa, not New England, not the Great Lakes. It makes no difference if those other areas have more or less water, since there are no connections to the "great basin" (the drainage area of the Colorado and Rio Grande) from outside, Iowa is east of the 100th meridian, traditionally the line where irrigation is not technically required for agricltural production (though it may still be used). The drought under discussion is west of that line, and agricultural production is generally impossible there without irrigation.

colechristensen 4y ago
Much of that alfalfa is, quite stupidly, for export. What I'm saying is all meat is not equal, and quite a lot of it is produced in places where water isn't an issue. Many places simply should not produce certain agricultural products, go fight for that instead of telling people their food choices are immoral. California and other southwest states stupidly setting agricultural policy for this kind of wasteful water usage are problems with those states and their governance, not people who like to eat cheeseburgers. >not technically required for agricltural production Is in many places entirely unused.
- PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
  Not only the alfalfa. Most of the beef raised on the non-exported cattle feed is in turn exported itself.