Re:Epic Drought in West Is Literally Moving Mountains
by dragonwriter on Friday August 22, 2014 @02:21AM
(#8211094)
> Well put. 80 percent of the developed water supply in California is used by agriculture.
How else are we going to grow rice in a desert?
Re:Epic Drought in West Is Literally Moving Mountains
by Shivetya on Friday August 22, 2014 @04:40AM
(#8211346)
the problem isn't that agriculture is using the water or where they are, the problem has been the federal government not charging properly for it, they have so vastly undercharged for water for any use that waste and excessive use was guaranteed.
that and some districts are pretty much immune to water conservation rules, depending of course who your representatives are
Re:Epic Drought in West Is Literally Moving Mountains
by jsilence on Friday August 22, 2014 @07:21AM
(#8211625)
With water conserving aquaponics.
Re:Epic Drought in West Is Literally Moving Mountains
by ulfw on Sunday August 24, 2014 @03:12PM
(#8219365)
I never quite understood how the majority of agriculture cultivated in the US is grown in an area not suitable for agriculture (Sun alone isn't enough. Having no water obviously is a problem, as can be seen in droughts like these).
America is such a huge country with a huge variety of climates, microclimates and arable land. Why you need to put everything in (basically) a desert is beyond me.
Well put. 80 percent of the developed water supply in California is used by agriculture. About 6 percent is industrial and commercial. That leaves 7 percent residential landscaping, and 7 percent residential non-landscaping (showers, washing machines, etc.). Source: http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/where-we-...
Even if residential landscaping water usage dropped by a quarter immediately, which seems rather unlikely, that's close to a rounding error compared to the amount of water to turn our near-desert into an agricultural breadbasket. Put another way, more water is used for almond farming in California than all residential landscaping or residential non-landscaping: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/0...
But instead of addressing the 80% problem, and the fact that some cities like Sacramento still don't have everyone on metered water* (it's unlimited! flat rate! use as much as you like!), we'll have hydrotheater restrictions on drinking water at restaurants. Hydrotheater is, of course, a cousin of TSA-style security theater, and approximately as effective.
* Water meters won't even be fully installed by 2025. http://portal.cityofsacramento.org/%20Utilities/Conservation...