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Then the city folk pay for desalinated water and the rest goes to agriculture. The problem is, the country does need the food produced in California.
by Eddy_Viscosity2 2y ago
Then the city folk pay for desalinated water and the rest goes to agriculture. The problem is, the country does need the food produced in California.
- bucephalos 2y agoEspecially the tasty pistachios I buy at the supermarkt here. Which is in Germany...
- acdha 2y agoMost of the problem goes away if you can get market pricing for agricultural usage. That would incentivize not focusing on high-water crops like almonds or alfalfa animal fodder but it’s politically challenging due to all of the conflicting water claims based on supply levels which are not compatible with the current values. You’d need to do something like an eminent domain claim on water rights in some cases going back to the Spanish era, and since it splits almost exactly down party lines you have to plan for extended delays or a SCOTUS decision that they don’t have the power to do so.
- nradov 2y agoYou're missing the point. Desal can help with municipal water supplies in coastal areas that have no other options. But due to lack of transport that won't free up any useful amount of water for agriculture. The country doesn't need the huge quantities of alfalfa produced in California. Much of that is exported. We can cut way back. A political solution will have to be found that allows charging farmers market rates for water.