Bruno J. Navarro
One study found that 88 percent of water in 17 Western states was used by agriculture. Only 7 percent was consumed by homes. Alfalfa fields single-handedly drank up almost three times as much as all households. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/13/opinion/water-shortage-west.html
Opinion | When One Almond Gulps 3.2 Gallons of Water

If we don’t allocate water more sensibly in the West, Mother Nature will do it for us. And that will be ugly.

The New York Times
May 14, 2023 at 12:15pmMastodon for iOS
Show threadNicholas WeaverMay 15, 2023
@bruno_j_navarro @JorgeStolfi
The entire Colorado river basin water crisis could be eliminated by a remarkably modest federal tax on water, because that would eliminate the alfalfa, and that alone would refill lake Mead and Powell in a few years...
Show threadDanatheoneMay 15, 2023
@bruno_j_navarro just back from Arizona
Florence to Parker, alfalfa and dairy dominate
Frustrating, crap water policy and Dept of Ag incentives running amok
Show threadWe Can Be GyrosMay 15, 2023
@bruno_j_navarro but they'll make individual households pay I bet.
Show threadNicole ParsonsMay 15, 2023

@WecanbeGyros @bruno_j_navarro

The average consumer always subsidizes the billionaire oil oligarch.

Show threadKevin LeecasterMay 15, 2023
@Npars01 @WecanbeGyros @bruno_j_navarro
The only way we're going to decrease the power of the oil oligarchs is to completely STOP buying the products that are funding them.
Show threadNicole ParsonsMay 15, 2023

@GreenFire @WecanbeGyros @bruno_j_navarro

Totally agree!

Defunding oil will defend democracy & the planet.

Show threadKevin LeecasterMay 15, 2023
@Npars01 @WecanbeGyros @bruno_j_navarro
Yeah, after it got favourited, I added the STOP to the post that I'd forgotten to include stupidly.
Show threadBartek OgryczakMay 15, 2023

@bruno_j_navarro at least agriculture produces something useful.

What's the split between good courses and households?

Show threadBill LloydMay 15, 2023

@bruno_j_navarro Yeah, last I read water in use in CA was roughly 80% agricultural, 20% not. Of "not," half was home use (all uses), and half was industrial. Of the 80%, fully 1/3 was almond trees (so the same as ALL non-agricultural in the state), the majority of which was planted in the past 20 years.

It's why when I drive I-5 from SF Bay Area to LA, and see all the cut down almond trees complaining about Feinstein and the democrats, I'm pretty low on fucks to give.