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The rest of the nation's attitude to California's water problem is very short sighted. I don't think most people realize how much food is produced in Californi
by cpprototypes 11y ago
The rest of the nation's attitude to California's water problem is very short sighted. I don't think most people realize how much food is produced in California. If California agriculture goes down, the result will be high food price increases everywhere. Many just have a cavalier attitude of "the market will adjust". There are big issues with just assuming "the market will adjust"
1) There is a big lag time for some crops to grow. Something like corn is no problem. But apples or anything else grown from a tree? Or any other crop that requires years of growing before it's productive? It will be many years until the California output could be matched.
2) Other places like the Midwest have potential water issues too. For example, look at the history of the Ogallala Aquifer. If a greater strain is put on the aquifer, it's possible they will also have the same water shortages that California has now.
The California water crisis is a national issue, but the rest of the nation would rather just laugh at us. The western states should be discussing serious proposals to build more aqueducts or pipelines to divert water from water-rich states to California. Maybe the Federal government could help with financing desalination plants. But this kind of cooperation isn't happening. I'm worried that what will happen is everyone will continue to just laugh at us until they go to the grocery store one day. Then they will care, but by then it will be much too late.
- sigzero 11y agoNo, we are not laughing. We are screaming because nothing was done sooner.
- avn2109 11y agoI am neither laughing nor screaming, but rather praying for nuclear desal.
- pekk 11y agoIt's a California issue. You can solve your own problem, and let other states solve their problems. It will not cause mass starvation. If you grow stuff (and export a lot of that stuff) it doesn't entitle you to federal resources or water from other states. The rest of the country can live with fewer almonds, and less hay shipped to China, and Southern California using xeriscaping as is appropriate for the desert. The only real loser there will be big farmers whose lifestyle is premised on converting communal resources into money that goes into their own pockets. Why do these special people deserve a special handout at the expense of everyone else?