Drought (1 Viewer)

[Combat]

Just reading about all the silly measures they are taking in California to try to save water. Like paying people to tear up their lawns. LOL. These are the kinds of reactive solutions they are forced to come up with once things get out of hand to cope with failing to take proactive measures in the previous decades. California sits on an inexhaustible supply of water. The pacific ocean. There are methods to change saltwater into fresh water but there is a cost associated with that. But once it is done there would be plenty of water until doomsday. Maybe folks end up paying a little more, but it's better than having to buy a camel.

 

[Combat]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/w...t-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

 

[hotel3alpha]

Combat,

Yeah, we have been battling the latest drought here in Texas for like...forever. Now, we have have so much rain that the dams are bursting at the seams. It is a continuous state of up and downs, but the difference is that in San Antonio our source of water is the Edwards Aquifer. As the aquifer decreases (in drought conditions) Water Restrictions are implemented by San Antonio Water Systems to protect the aquifer level. It is a series of Stages and we have been in the worst Stage (Stage 3) for years. Hence, no use of sprinklers and only hand watering by address at certain times of the day. For our City it is daily reference in conversation similar to talking about the weather.

So, when I hear about the lengths that Californian's go to battle their drought, I'm like "you got the Ocean man!?!" But, whatever. What I do know is that if you are driving in a neighborhood and all the lawns are brown and there in one guy who has a lush front yard...he's a water cheater...and there is a hefty fine to pay if you are caught abusing the Water Restrictions. Oh, yeah like $1500 or something like that. Anyway, it is cyclical and I am glad we have had so much rain, but now it has turned into a disaster.

My new crib I am putting in artificial grass. The stuff they make now a days looks so real you cannot tell the difference. Plus, I am sick of cutting grass. I have been cutting grass since I was 9 and I am tired of it. I love the smell of fresh cut grass, but to me it is a waste of a precious resource. Water that is.

John from Texas

 

[BLReed]

......... California sits on an inexhaustible supply of water. The pacific ocean. There are methods to change saltwater into fresh water but there is a cost associated with that. But once it is done there would be plenty of water until doomsday.

Who is going to pay for it? California is already some $435 Billion in debt. Federal Government? Not with my taxes. State Bond if they can get a 66% voter approval for tens upon
tens of billion dollars. The California High-Speed Rail initially estimated to cost $9.95 billion voter approved in 2008, which has now ballooned to $67.6 billion. And
they can't pay for it. Well, they finally broke ground in January 2015 after seven years of legal hassels and poor planning. Maybe they'll get ten miles finished before
going bankrupt.

Private industry? Maybe if Apple kicks in, and they can get past all the environmental concerns. Desalination plants have a potentially
destructive effect on sea life, sucking in billions of fish eggs and larvae. Case in point, California has billion of gallons of water in the Sacramento Delta
that flows out to the Pacific They can't use it because it endangers the protected Delta Smelt, a 3 to 4 inch silvery blue fish. The population is practically
extinct as only six were netted last month.

Much of California is naturally a desert. Learn to live with it, and keep your hands off the Columbia.

 

[marco55]

It's amazing that California is in such a drought and yet Texas has had 55 TRILLION gallons dumped on it in May.Enough to cover the whole state with 8"of water.
Mark

 

[theBaron]

California's problem was solved a couple of generations ago by men like Mulholland, men who designed and built aqueducts to bring water to the arid regions. They could do this again, but they've let environmentalism take over, and as long as the voters and their legislature make saving this or that species their priority--often on the most specious of evidence--they will continue to have these problems.

 

[jazzeum]

I don't agree about the environmentalism but getting people to work together for a common cause and putting aside their interests temporarily is the challenge. From what I remember of the article that Doug posted about Israel, the various interest groups and constituencies were able to come together.

 

[Combat]

California's problem was solved a couple of generations ago by men like Mulholland, men who designed and built aqueducts to bring water to the arid regions. They could do this again, but they've let environmentalism take over, and as long as the voters and their legislature make saving this or that species their priority--often on the most specious of evidence--they will continue to have these problems.

That's more of a political strawman argument they role out to distract the masses by trying to place fault on one political group or another instead of admitting a collective failure. Where the politicians have failed is by allowing regions to be overpopulated that can't sustain those growing populations without a willingness to pay for the technology to solve this problem. They make only reactive decisions in response to a crisis that they have allowed to occur instead of a proactive plan to solve the problem. Increasing the water bill by a few bucks a decade or so ago would have allowed the implementation of desalination techology that would have solved this problem permanently. They would have the Pacific Ocean as a water source. It's been done in places like Israel. The politicians don't want to do it because they are afraid of angering the voters by increasing their bills and taxes. So they tell people not to water their lawns or wash their cars like that is the solution. Once things get bad enough though they will have no choice but to consider a meaningful alternative.

 

[BLReed]

The sophistication exhibited on this forum amazes me to no end.