comment: >
  
  You’re not well-versed on the meaning of the word “unlikely,” huh?
context: Tl;dr: the Southwest is fucked, especially Arizona. >
  
  It's a desert, they don't need Kentucky bluegrass lawns, irrigated corn and alfalfa fields, dairy cows, bazillions of people that only come out at night. >
  
  
  It's a desert, they don't need Kentucky bluegrass lawns, irrigated corn and alfalfa fields, dairy cows, bazillions of people that only come out at night.
  
  Just getting rid of almonds in California would go a long way. Beyond that, we can import from areas better suited to produce those commodities. >
  
  The almonds pay for themselves in $ economic value per acre-ft of irrigation. It's the California corn, alfalfa, rice, safflower, sugar beet, and cotton that will be first to go. >
  
  So it's fine because it makes money? No it's horrible and unsustainable >
  
  Those almonds are producing more calories per acre-ft of irrigation than the wine grapes, the tomatoes or the salad vegetables. And like those, they don't grow well elsewhere in the US.
  Corn, alfalfa, rice, safflower, sugar beets and cotton grow well in other parts of the country, and return less to the California economy.
  Economic productivity of water for crops 
  grown in California in 2010, in $/acre ft
  
  Vinyard          $2470
  Onion/Garlic     $2165
  Tomato           $1652
  Almond/Pistachio $1154
  Cotton           $ 791
  Sugar Beet       $ 629
  Safflower        $ 391
  Rice             $ 374
  Alfalfa          $ 175
  Corn             $ 136
  
  Guess what the #1 water consumer was. It wasn't the almonds, it was the alfalfa. Not for human consumption but for beef and dairy, which in toto consume far more water and have much lower feed conversion efficacy than the almonds.
  Which of these has crops has the best evidence for improving human health? Given whole wheat and legumes aren't grown in quantity in California, its the nuts, with the salad vegetables and fruit (not shown here) trailing shortly behind.
  How do you allocate the water fairly? If the farmers had to bid for it, based on market prices for their product, the corn would be the first to go, then the alfalfa, then the rice... >
  
  I'm more concerned about whether those lakes will completely dry out in the near future. >
  
  I’m more concerned when will cities like Phoenix or Las Vegas enter Cape Town-levels of water scarcity and the inevitable, nightmarish-dystopian rationing of freshwater. >
  
  Vegas does a fantastic job with its water resourcing/reclamation. >
  
  You can post as many facts about the water crisis as you want, but people on Reddit are still going to believe that the only way to solve the water crisis is to nuke Phoenix. >
  
  The early rumblings of the Great Water Wars of the 2030's. >
  
  My son, who is the smartest person I know, told me when he was 15, that there would be water wars. He's 33 now, a biologist and a pharmacist. He was dead to rights. I taught him about climate change from a young age, and when he hit me with that, I was stunned because I had never thought of that part. Then, I thought it wouldn't be in my lifetime. Now I'm 54, and I may well see it. Utterly fucking terrifying. >
  
  I’m 37, didn’t learn about this concept truly until I had an environmental science requirement.
  The lack of water in the Rocky Mountains has been alarming, to say the least, for at least 15 years.  I grew up fishing high lakes in the western states and the level some of them have reached is concerning.
  Add to that the fact that there is a significantly larger drain on those resources from the source, due to the development around these natural and manmade resources, and I see the potential for major arguments between those who are sitting on the water, vs those downstream who think they have a right to it, and we have some real problems. >
  
  “This is the worst water crisis I’ve ever seen!”
  “No, this is the worst water crisis that you’ve seen so far” >
  
  I can’t help but wonder if a looming “once in a thousand year” flood crisis is going to fill the lakes, but kill a lot of people…because that would just be par for the course. >
  
  It's only going to get worse from here, I'm afraid. >
  
  Scientists have known the population in the areas served have been unsustainable for years.  No one wanted to make the hard decisions to  deal with it.
  Don't be surprised when central Texas is in the same situation. >
  
  As the water level goes down evidence of exposed items become visible.  There are even some human remains that were deep under water before are now high and dry. >
  
  Lake Meade is the largest man-made reservoir in the US and has to supply water to millions of Americans - yes this is serious! >
  
  How about California starts with desalination? Israel is doing it to fill the Sea of Galilee. They have so much fresh water they’re selling it to Jordan. >
  
  I don't get that either, the technology is there, it'll probably have a lot of profit and water supply is secured for generations to come. >
  
  Biggest problem is what do you do with the brine afterwards. >
  
  I read they are working to use the brine for metals, though right now it gets pumped back in the oceans destroying ecosystems, mostly in Africa/Middle East. >
  
  Buy North Dakota Land. You’ll thank me in 50 years. (You can also buy Michigan, Wisconsin, and Vermont but North Dakota is way cheaper). >
  
  
  Buy North Dakota Land
  
  Yeah, regular 100 degree days in the summer with high humidity, regular -50 degree wind chills in the winter, and gets about half the rainfall of the Eastern US with much much higher drought risk. Sounds pretty climate resilient. >
  
  Climate change is called climate change because it will change the climate. >
  
  You literally don't understand what climate change is. The weather will get more extreme.
  Those hot summer days in North Dakota will now become unbearable heatwaves.
  Those chilly North Dakotan nights will now become frozen hellholes.
  That's climate change.
  Not that everything gets milder, the weather will be more extreme. >
  
  Its been literally researched which states would have the least Climate change impact and north dakota was at like top 5. With it being the cheapest is a good bet. >
  
  We need to capture these insane rainfall runoffs into the ocean. Connect all reservoirs, aquifers and even reverse the pipes from Hoover damn to cali. Send it to lake mead and Powell. We let trillions of litters go into the ocean this winter. >
  
  Or, you know, don't build golf courses and corn farms in the middle of arid deserts. And don't plant almond orchards in drought prone areas. 
  Or go to war with the water cycle. Fuck do I know? >
  
  Golf courses are next to nothing in terms of water usage. Only reason they are vilified is because golf is seen as a rich person game.
  Agriculture is magnitudes more of a problem >
  
  I think golf courses use recycled water. >
  
  How are all the fountains and golf courses in Vegas doing? They shut those down yet? >
  
  Cut off California and I'm sure they'd fill up real quick. >
  
  Prevent California crops from growing by cutting off their water and the other western states would regret that decision real quick.  They don’t just grow almonds out there. >
  
  Time for pumped hydro. >
  
  This is bad and now they want to tap into the Great Lakes to pipe water into these drought areas.  Not a good idea >
  
  Even if we could wave a wand and erase climate change, this would still be an issue. There are too many people in the area, utilizing a limited resource in inefficient ways.
  The easiest way to correct that, is to price the resource correctly. That means a lot of pain and suffering for existing businesses and home owners, but it’s the right way to do it. It’s the easiest way to alter behavior and bring balance back to the area.
  No one has the guts to do it though. Because they don’t want the backlash when elderly people start getting priced out of affording basic necessities or farmers are forced out of business. >
  
  Have fun , thanks for all the simps!  Bye guys! >
  
  This is so bad. We need to protect and conserve our water sources >
  
  Typical hyperbolic stuff. There is climate change but weather fluctuations are large enough no one can know this really. >
  
  Here in Utah our governor Spencer Cocks has proclaimed that he believes God will refill the Great Salt Lake. 
  So we’re all good
  /s
  Obviously. >
  
  This is false due to how unpredictable Western rainfall is.