https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA

How will this affect agriculture? Will this have an impact on people as in will people and are people losing their lives over this? Is this a temporary thing? Hoover Dam is expected to run out of water soon meaning LA will be out of electricity (not entirely but it will reach the point where there won't be enough to run the turbines needed for generating electricity)

So is this kinda the end for America or are there solutions to this? Water is water and that shit is important not just for our bodies but for producing energy and preventing and stopping fires.

  • ssjmarx [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    At some point even the libs are going to need to take measures like restricting what types of crops can be grown here. We grow a lot of water-intensive agriculture which puts a lot of strain on our water supply, and we've got some reservoirs that, if they're ever allowed to go completely dry, will never refill again.

    It'll probably take the form of a "pay farming corporations not to grow certain types of crops" subsidy, and it probably won't come until after some permanent damage has been done either to the environment or the people (or both!), but honestly I feel like it will eventually happen (when the prevailing opinion of the ruling class is that if it doesn't we'll all die).

    edit: of course, expect a huge shouting match over restrictions on shit like washing cars and watering lawns, which are both bad but account for a tiny portion of water usage. Libs will probably push these measures first even while knowing that it doesn't come close to addressing the problem, and cons will fundraise off of it by claiming that not being able to water your grass is like living in communist China.

    • bigboopballs [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      some reservoirs that, if they’re ever allowed to go completely dry, will never refill again.

      why not?

      • ssjmarx [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        I might be misremembering this, but certain underground reservoirs require pressure not to collapse, so if you pump too much out of them they close and can't refill naturally again.