patrick.net

This petition seems to ignore the biggest water problem California has... Farming. Farmers use 80% of the available fresh water so unless they cut back the state is screwed. I'm not anti-farm but from an economic stand point it makes sense to give cities the water since most of the food grown in CA is shipped out of the state and a large percentage is shipped out of the country

I want all those non Californians to know the sacrifices we make just to make sure the rest of the nation gets fed.

Strategist says

I want all those non Californians to know the sacrifices we make just to make sure the rest of the nation gets fed.

What sacrifices?

Residential water is priced too low. Golf courses are everywhere, especially in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage).

California residents use less water than those in most (maybe even all) other states, but still have it pretty easy. They could sacrifice a little more - like by zapping golf courses and going toilet-to-tap, but residential use is not the problem anyway.

The problem is that agricultural interests pay way too little for water, so they waste it.

Toilet-to-tap, plus desalination, plus actual market rates for water will fix this. Sure, it'll drive the cost of almonds and meat higher, but -- NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH -- people eat too much fuckin' meat anyway, and if they can't pay enough to cover the actual cost of raising the meat, they should eat more grains and vegetables.

The petition is really whiny, anyway: sure, the Columbia River sends a lot of fresh water into the ocean. So do our sewage systems, and toilet-to-tap only costs 40% what desalination does.

Farmers use 80% of the state's water to generate 2% of its GDP. I can think of no clearer indication that water is mispriced in California.

Sounds like Christian R. Holmes IV, ex-Enron Exec, ex-Bush EPA Senior Admin, multi-millionaire heir, and current "Global Water Coordinator" at the EPA ought to help find more Private Solutions to California's Water Problem. Father of Elizabeth "Self-Made 19 year old Genius who quit school to become a billionaire" Holmes.

HydroCabron says

California residents use less water than those in most (maybe even all) other states, but still have it pretty easy. They could sacrifice a little more - like by zapping golf courses and going toilet-to-tap, but residential use is not the problem anyway.

The problem is that agricultural interests pay way too little for water, so they waste it.

Toilet-to-tap, plus desalination, plus actual market rates for water will fix this. Sure, it'll drive the cost of almonds and meat higher, but -- NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH -- people eat too much fuckin' meat anyway, and if they can't pay enough to cover the actual cost of raising the meat, they should eat more grains and vegetables.

OK. The solution is simply to not subsidize agriculture. "Ain't no such thing as a free lunch"
What the hell is wrong with Governor Brown.

I read the petition. Show me the bottom line & total cost to the penny. Of course I'll cover the cost overruns.

How many desalinization plants will it take to maintain CA.'s water lifestyle? What's the cost of these plants & new infrastructure to connect to the existing distribution system? Who's going to pay.? More taxes or large monthly fees to private plant owners? BTW,what's the present health of the existing water distribution infrastructure?

http://www.mintpressnews.com/nestle-continues-stealing-worlds-water-during-drought/203544/

Strategist says

What the hell is wrong with Governor Brown.

Some of the fattest campaign checks come from large agricultural conglomerates and wealthy farm families.

HEY YOU says

How many desalinization plants will it take to maintain CA.'s water lifestyle?

sbh says

He's behaving like a Republican: subsidizing business.

HydroCabron says

Some of the fattest campaign checks come from large agricultural conglomerates and wealthy farm families.

All I know is we can't have a water shortage if cutting agricultural water by 5% eliminates the water shortage.
Let agriculture figure out their own solutions.
How many gallons of water do you need to ripen one orange?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/food-water-footprint_n_5952862.html
Extensive drought has Californians thinking twice about running the tap while brushing their teeth or taking that 20-minute shower. But what some people don't realize is that a huge portion of our water footprint is "hidden," meaning it's used for the things we eat or wear, and for the energy we use. Globally, agricultural production accounts for 92 percent of our water footprint. In the United States, meat consumption alone accounts for a whopping 30 percent of our water footprint.