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California is not in drought

latimes.com

11–20 of 216 posts

Re: California is not in drought

#11

> But we legislated and plumbed this state for a different climate pattern, when annual winter rains reliably fell on Sonoma and points north, and a full Sierra snowpack reliably melted through the spring and summer to feed streams and irrigate orchards and farm fields. That era is long gone. The snowpack comes unpredictably, because a warmer climate means water that formerly stayed in the mountains as snow through t…

> rainfall is the same

Compared to the last 1,000 years, yes.

Compared to the abnormally wet 1900s-era patterns that established our current expectations, no.

Re: California is not in drought

#12
post #4
post #2

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mercurynews.com/2014/01/25/... CA climate has been much drier in the past, even before global warming. We seem to have this discussion every few years when there's a drought, but quickly forget. It seems like we do the same thing with wildfires and earthquakes.

During the dry years, the people forgot about the rich years, and when the wet years returned, they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way. (East of Eden)

I was reading East of Eden recently and that description really wormed its way into my mind.

Even if it's worse today, we knew there were ~35 year drought cycles!

Re: California is not in drought

#13

Desalination of seawater will be the norm in the future and people then will wonder how we ever got by without it

I worked for a desalination company in the 1980s. From then until a few years ago, I would have disagreed with your assertion. Some recent advances have me rethinking that, however.

https://singularityhub.com/2019/06/18/inching-towards-abunda...

Re: California is not in drought

#15
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we moved 50 million people there in the past 60 years so clearly nature must stop the mega drought cycle.

It has nothing to do with the people. The majority of the water is used for agriculture, which supplies the nation and even the world with water-hungry food.

It's both. Yes a lot of fruits, veggies and nuts are grown in California but the nation's staple crops (corn, wheat, and soy) and livestock are grown in many other states.

That is to say, we should be building desalination plants in California. Israel figured out a way to do this economically already. It's high time for CA to follow suit.

Re: California is not in drought

#16
post #11

> But we legislated and plumbed this state for a different climate pattern, when annual winter rains reliably fell on Sonoma and points north, and a full Sierra snowpack reliably melted through the spring and summer to feed streams and irrigate orchards and farm fields. That era is long gone. The snowpack comes unpredictably, because a warmer climate means water that formerly stayed in the mountains as snow through t…

> rainfall is the same Compared to the last 1,000 years, yes. Compared to the abnormally wet 1900s-era patterns that established our current expectations, no.

> Compared to the abnormally wet 1900s-era patterns

This assertion seems to compare historical rainfall averages across the entire nation against just the SW region.

ref: https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate...

Re: California is not in drought

#17
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

During the dry years, the people forgot about the rich years, and when the wet years returned, they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way. (East of Eden)

I was reading East of Eden recently and that description really wormed its way into my mind. Even if it's worse today, we knew there were ~35 year drought cycles!

[deleted]

Re: California is not in drought

#18

Desalination of seawater will be the norm in the future and people then will wonder how we ever got by without it

I worked for a desalination company in the 1980s. From then until a few years ago, I would have disagreed with your assertion. Some recent advances have me rethinking that, however. https://singularityhub.com/2019/06/18/inching-towards-abunda...

Have you seen this desal operation in Australia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundrop_Farms#/media/File:1604...

It's a farm in the middle of the desert that gets all its water from desalinated sea water powered entirely by an array of mirrors.

Re: California is not in drought

#19
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has nothing to do with the people. The majority of the water is used for agriculture, which supplies the nation and even the world with water-hungry food.

It's both. Yes a lot of fruits, veggies and nuts are grown in California but the nation's staple crops (corn, wheat, and soy) and livestock are grown in many other states. That is to say, we should be building desalination plants in California. Israel figured out a way to do this economically already. It's high time for CA to follow suit.

We already are [1]. Obviously we need more, though. I'd much rather have a sizable desalination plant for LA County than most of the boondoggle projects that get funded by propositions.

[1] https://www.sdcwa.org/your-water/local-water-supplies/seawat...

Re: California is not in drought

#20
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has nothing to do with the people. The majority of the water is used for agriculture, which supplies the nation and even the world with water-hungry food.

It's both. Yes a lot of fruits, veggies and nuts are grown in California but the nation's staple crops (corn, wheat, and soy) and livestock are grown in many other states. That is to say, we should be building desalination plants in California. Israel figured out a way to do this economically already. It's high time for CA to follow suit.

Exactly. I don't want to feel like I'm acting amorally when I want to water my garden. If I go over my allotment of naturally provided water, then I should start paying desalination rates, but I should not feel bad because I'm not "saving enough" compared to my neighbors.
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