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Page added on April 7, 2015
Big Agriculture, Big Oil and the water crisis in California
The Los Angeles Times reports, “Gov. Jerry Brown [has] ordered cities and towns across California to cut water use by 25% as part of a sweeping set of mandatory drought restrictions, the first in state history. Emphasizing that the drought could persist, Brown said Californians must change their water habits.”
The news article highlights, “The order focused on urban life even though agriculture accounts for roughly three quarters of Californians’ water usage.”
In a media release, Council of Canadians chairperson (and Food & Water Watch chairperson) Maude Barlow says, “The drought crisis in California is not climate change per se, but the massive engineering of the state’s water supplies to provide for a handful of powerful farmers. A huge amount of the state’s water is exported as ‘virtual water’ embedded in export commodities.”
In her book Blue Future, Barlow further explains, “California exports large amounts of water-intensive hay and more than half its rice production — another water-intensive crop — to Japan. …In water-short California, some farmers are letting their fields lie fallow and are selling water as a cash crop to local municipalities. The state is now facing proposals to allow farmers to sell their water to developers, piping it long distances from its watershed. …Aside from the obvious concern about letting good farmland be taken out of production, the government has already subsidized most of these farmers for the water they now want to sell for profit.”
The Los Angeles Times article also notes, “Cities have to stop watering the median strips that run down the middle of roads. The state will partner with local agencies to remove 50 million square feet of grass — the equivalent of about 1,150 football fields — and replace it with drought-tolerant landscaping. State agencies will create a temporary rebate program to encourage homeowners to replace water-guzzling appliances with high-efficiency ones. Golf courses, campuses and cemeteries must cut their water use. New developments will have to install drip or microspray systems if they irrigate with drinking water. Water agencies will discourage water waste with higher rates and fees.”
And the newspaper reports, “Adam Scow, director of Food & Water Watch California, called the order disappointing. ‘The governor must save our groundwater from depletion by directing the state water board to protect groundwater as a public resource,’ Scow said in a statement.” Scow adds, “Governor Brown should direct the Water Board to place a moratorium on the use of groundwater for irrigating crops on toxic and dry soils on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley.” He also says, “It is disappointing that Governor Brown’s executive order to reduce California water use does not address the state’s most egregious corporate water abuses. In the midst of a severe drought, the Governor continues to allow corporate farms and oil interests to deplete and pollute our precious groundwater resources that are crucial for saving water.”
In October 2011, Governor Brown signed a series of bills that recognized drinking water as a basic human right. A previous Human Right to Water bill passed the California legislature in May 2009, but was later vetoed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
9 Comments on "Big Agriculture, Big Oil and the water crisis in California"
Apneaman on Tue, 7th Apr 2015 7:22 pm
As per usual, Tom Lewis conveys the absurdity and hopelessness of the situation.
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California Crisping: But Business as Usual
http://www.dailyimpact.net/2015/04/07/daily-impact-drafts/
Apneaman on Tue, 7th Apr 2015 7:36 pm
Not that anybody is paying attention or anything.
…………………………….
Melting Accelerates in Antarctica: So Far, 2015 Is Hottest Year Yet
http://truth-out.org/news/item/30063-melting-accelerates-in-antarctica-so-far-2015-is-hottest-year-yet#
Davy on Tue, 7th Apr 2015 8:18 pm
The predicaments of overshoot are surfacing. Anyone should clearly see this is an issue of too many people and too much consumption. Combine industrial AG with teaming cities then add a drought this is what you get. People are grasping for solutions but there are none. This is the end of growth and diminishing returns combining with over population and over consumption.
California is now the canary in the coal mine for collapse. Even if the rains return the situation will just be put off a few years. The region is not a region for what California is now. Just wait until food insecurity and fuel shortages start. I have been on California highways and that was a miserable experience. We are talking huge cities that will have to depopulate into a parched and lifeless land. This cannot end well. Get out while you can friends.
BobInget on Tue, 7th Apr 2015 9:59 pm
It still amazes that climate changes have been politicized.
We need now to understand how big business is beginning to feel pain.
When billion$ are lost to unplanned climate
challenges, employment stops at once.
For, it appears climate changes are unreal unless an individual is directly effected..
It’s like gun violence. Unless you, a close
friend or relative comes down with gunshot
it’s always happening elsewhere. You or I will be deeply saddened by the deaths of a dozen children in one mass murder episode but
hardly notice the same numbers scattered.
Just as an unbiased NRA jury would have to give President Obama an excellent
grade, former climate deniers will blame Democrats for not doing anything about climate changes. The beauty part? They would in some insane meme, be correct.
Perk Earl on Wed, 8th Apr 2015 3:02 am
Ap, amazing article you linked. The extremeness of degradation to the planet now, it’s like humankind has Gaia in a rear naked choke. I’m sure at some point the roles will reverse. Here’s one part pasted below:
“Adding insult to injury, scientists have warned that now ongoing droughts in the Amazon are speeding up ACD. The forests there, dubbed the “lungs of the planet,” are now emitting more carbon dioxide than they are capturing. A 2010 drought there released more than 8 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is as much as China and Russia’s annual emissions, combined.”
peakyeast on Wed, 8th Apr 2015 3:25 am
The T-800 model 101 took over the Californian Governorship and made the humans destroy their own habitats. The ultimate in enemy infiltration and destruction.
😀
Lawfish1964 on Wed, 8th Apr 2015 1:29 pm
California’s not the only one. Take a look at Sao Paolo, Brazil. Same situation. Less than a year of water. If I lived in California, I’d be getting out as fast as possible. The government’s approach is to cut down personal consumption while allowing frac’ing and agriculture to continue to use as much as they need. But in less than a year, it will all be gone. Then what?
John Kintree on Wed, 8th Apr 2015 2:43 pm
I like the idea of ratifying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Earth Charter through a global referendum. This would trump even a veto by Arnold.
One principle of the Earth Charter is to internalize the full environmental and social costs of goods and services into the selling price. This by itself would be radical.
Ken300 on Thu, 9th Apr 2015 9:35 am
Large corporations and the top 1% want it all at the expense of the 99%………..
Corporations are only concerned about the next quarters profits and do not look out for the long term, the interests of their workers or future generations. The greed is good gang wants it all.