Who cares there is so much more to exploit. For example no-one has yet moved massive freshwater icebergs by boat, and its up for grabs!
A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
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Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#12You all knew how it was going to end, for decades, and did nothing. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/location-maximum-land-subs...
> You all knew how it was going to end, for decades, and did nothing.
And the same is true for global carbon-related climate change, for which the real bill will become increasingly due over the next 10 years.
We are all insanely fucked and our response is still just to mostly to ignore it and hope it goes away.
Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Conservation is basically defined as being unused by humans.
Uh...they're just going to pave it and throw something over it. Edit- To be clear maybe not specifically in this case, but "oops we've ruined this ecosystem to the point we can't farm it" rarely ends with "better move down the road and let nature reclaim it". It's a lot more "cool now we can put strip malls/data centers/whatever here"
It’s unlikely strip malls and data centers will be built on the land, but utility solar PV is an acceptable use that requires no water, is beneficial to the local environment, and gives the land 20-30 years to recover from agricultural use.
It takes 600 to 3,000 years for 6 inches of topsoil to develop naturally, as it generally requires 100 to 500 years to form just a single inch. Underground water aquifers operate on similar timescales, if they can regenerate at all. The land needs time to recover from the demands of present timeline position humans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrivoltaics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S03014...
https://cleantechnica.com/2026/01/03/21-gigawatts-of-solar-f...
https://www.goldenstatecleanenergy.com/valley-clean-infrastr...
Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#14Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#15>In an aquifer that’s permanently collapsed, artificial recharge—pumping water forcibly back underground—is the only option, according to Shirzaei. That’s expensive and carries the risk of triggering earthquakes.
I have spent most of my life in the San Joaquin Valley and what I have been wondering about over the past few years is what is the effect removing all that water from the faults. Specifically, does this water removal cause the stresses along the faults to build making the resulting earthquakes larger?
Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#16I see parallels between water rights "xxx acre feet per year" without regard for how much water is incoming, and pension funds where they simply declare how much will be paid out. I really can't tell the difference between people being uncaring or just stupid about either.
The whole pension fund concept only works because it declares how much is going to be paid out.
Who’s going to pay in if the fund expects a guaranteed commitment but refuses to give such in return?
Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#17You all knew how it was going to end, for decades, and did nothing. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/location-maximum-land-subs...
I think it’s somewhat fortunate when these aquifers permanently compress, it takes the land out of agriculture production as a sort of forced conservation, because in many ways, humans cannot be trusted to be responsible stewards of such a natural finite resource. https://uttoncenter.unm.edu/resources/2026-06-1-update-paper... https://www.organicproducenetwork.com/organic-growers/califo...
Sci-fi brings us some optimism on that front. You can build out Brawndo distribution pipes overland.
Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#18There are some reasonable books by William T Volleman called 'Carbon Ideologies' it is all about Nuclear and Coal power. Regardless of that, they are written focusing on the people that would be reading those books in a few hundred years time. The justification being that those that read it today already understand the issues. As such they are focused on a world that is deeply resource depleted and much hotter.
But it is the opening chapter that is very explicit in trying to highlight how most people live today. It isn't that we don't know what is happening or that we do not care, it is just that we have needs and wants that unfortunately have long term blow back. We are just trying to take care of others, but that is leading down a less desirable path.
I thought it was a great message that needs to sent to the future.
The aquifers are being drained, but it was being done to feed the people. Yes, it could have been handled much better but that core driving force behind it will probably be the same in hundred of years from now.
If that message isn't sent forwards, the stories that will be made in our place will not be very kind to us.
If that matters or not, that is up to you to decide. And that is the whole debate on 'What is legacy?'.
Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it’s somewhat fortunate when these aquifers permanently compress, it takes the land out of agriculture production as a sort of forced conservation, because in many ways, humans cannot be trusted to be responsible stewards of such a natural finite resource. https://uttoncenter.unm.edu/resources/2026-06-1-update-paper... https://www.organicproducenetwork.com/organic-growers/califo...
Sci-fi brings us some optimism on that front. You can build out Brawndo distribution pipes overland.
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Re: A California aquifer may have crossed the point of no return
#20You all knew how it was going to end, for decades, and did nothing. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/location-maximum-land-subs...
Doing something about this is the job of the government, not of “you all”. If taking care of such essential matters is somehow the responsibility of society as a whole, we may as well get rid of governments altogether.