The State of California took an unprecedented move today [June 14] by uniformly restricting water supplies across the entire state. Farms will be most affected, although food prices aren't anticipated to rise in any hurry: imports from out of state continue apace. It's notable that this is a problem Silicon Valley hasn't been helping to solve.
Will this move force some much-needed modernization upon the infrastructure supporting the state's 38 million residents? Or will things continue to be corn, corn, corn for the time being?
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday June 14 2015, @08:59PM
Does this threaten the long term viability of California?
Deficiencies can be solved with technology. But those costs and can break down.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday June 14 2015, @09:47PM
It doesn't help that California keeps enticing assholes to move here with runaway housing development.
They need to stop assholes moving here, and they need to throw the illegals and property developers the fuck out. Let them all go to Texas. That's one aspect in addition to the farming and industry aspect which needs to be addressed.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 14 2015, @10:08PM
Take their water Dune-style and you may be willing to import more of them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 15 2015, @03:44AM
California is America's Ark B [wikia.com]. I thought all the clever people figured that out.
(Score: 2) by SubiculumHammer on Sunday June 14 2015, @10:52PM
Most >80%? water is used for agriculture, which produces much more food than CA consumes. CA feeds the world. CA is essentially exporting their water all over the world carried in fruits and veggies. Take away that, CA has plenty of water to support its citizens.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday June 14 2015, @11:14PM
So California has to make some tough choices?
* Produce less food
* Optimize irrigation
* Restrict the number of citizens
* Embark on a gigantic tech project to supply more water (desalination at $$ price and prime target for bad people)
* Consider some land unsustainable for human housing
Otoh, there's plenty of sun and seawater so perhaps it can be combined to grab water from the sea?
It seems however not sustainable to increase the population into a region which is a dessert if humans don't constantly keep up. And the climate will make weather unpredictable and the general baseline temperature hotter. Aquifers that are emptied faster than they can replenish and so on. Somethings got to give.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday June 15 2015, @01:35AM
Speaking of "keeping up", here's a solution which actually rely on putting humans in a desert, the more the better:
provide sea water to them and put them to pedal their exercise bike to desalinate their daily water ratio. Recycle the waste water and use it for irrigation purposes.
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by SubiculumHammer on Monday June 15 2015, @08:57PM
I wonder how much time on the bike that would take?
But the real problem is not desalination its pumping it back into the valley to feed crops.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 14 2015, @11:38PM
in fruits and veggies
Would you believe alfalfa? [motherjones.com]
aka fodder [motherjones.com]
-- gewg_