# [2014] water water -not everywhere



## pgnewarkboy (Jan 31, 2014)

An article in the NY Times online highlights an extreme water shortage in Iran. It is causing a cascade of problems for that nation including air pollution and the ruination of arable fields caused by salt from a dried up salt water lake.

Water shortages is a worldwide problem that is not being addressed by the so called leaders of the free and not so free world.  The lack of water  is the cause of unrest in many parts of the world.  

In the united states we act as if water is not a precious resource as we empty aquifers out west for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes-Vegas.

The draught in California is more than a warning. It is a growing crisis impacting  an important source of our national food supply.


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## Ironwood (Jan 31, 2014)

Canada’s fresh water resources represent 7 percent of the world’s renewable fresh water. About 20 percent of the world’ fresh water is found in Canada, but less than half of it is considered renewable. Most of the fresh water is in the form of fossil water in glaciers, underground aquifers, and lakes and not not classified as renewable.  More than 50 percent of fresh water drains northward into Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean, which means that fresh water is unavailable to 85 percent of people living along Canada’s southern border. While abundant, the remaining fresh water supply is heavily used. 

Nevertheless, we are blessed with an abundance of fresh water.  We are second only to the US as consumers of water.  Will fresh water become the 'liquid gold' of the 21st century?  Whether water can be sold as a commodity or should be classified as a public trust for the benefit of all is a debate just gathering attention.

And on that note if the temperature gets above freezing this weekend, I think I'll get the hose out and wash the cars!


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## Egret1986 (Jan 31, 2014)

*We watched a program recently on this crisis.*

It is a major problem for the world.  I forget all of the places that this is approaching crisis levels.  Australia was one of them.  It said on the program that it is against the law in Australia to take more than a five minute shower. Most states in the US are approaching levels of concern.  

The show went through the history of water (liquid gold) and it's power to topple nations when this precious resource is no longer abundant and available.  It brought up the gas shortage of the 70's (remember the rationing and long lines, no gas?).  This could be the same for water in the future.

It's not something that you think about much when you freely have it at your disposal.  The program was a real eye opener for us.


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## Carol C (Jan 31, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> An article in the NY Times online highlights an extreme water shortage in Iran. It is causing a cascade of problems for that nation including air pollution and the ruination of arable fields caused by salt from a dried up salt water lake.
> 
> Water shortages is a worldwide problem that is not being addressed by the so called leaders of the free and not so free world.  The lack of water  is the cause of unrest in many parts of the world.
> 
> ...



I lived in CA when there was a drought and we posted a sign near our toilet in our communal hippie house. It read: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.". Think that sign is posted in any CA bathrooms these days???


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## silverfox82 (Jan 31, 2014)

I live on a sandbar (long island barrier beach) and our problem is waste water rather than wasting water. At less than 5 feet above sea level and no sewers we learn water conservation as children, no one flushes for "#1" here. On the other hand our water supply is pristine from the Lloyd aquifer and industry has only polluted a small portion of it, so far.


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## Kal (Jan 31, 2014)

Egret1986 said:


> ... Australia was one of them. It said on the program that it is against the law in Australia to take more than a five minute shower...



 Does that mean it could be a 10 minute shower if there are TWO people in the shower?


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 1, 2014)

The fresh water supply is under tremendous stress from a number of sources.  As population grows the demand for water grows as well as the likelihood of polluting the water we need.  Water is becoming polluted all over the world as leaders look for short term gains without considering the near to long term implications of their actions for example: too many damns, poor irrigation practices, chemicals, oil spills,  and other runoff from industry and individuals polluting important bodies of water.  The chemicals we use to keep our lawns looking green often end up polluting water supplies.

  Draining acquifers is not the solution.  When the acquifers are gone they will not be renewed again.  Acquifers took millions if not billions of years to develop.

Of course, water shortage leads to food shortages.  Much of the unrest in the Middle East is related to food shortages.  We will surely see a continuing rise in the cost of the basics like wheat and vegetables and protein sources as water supplies dwindle.  Eventually there will be food shortages in the United States unless our leaders act.  The drought crisis in California will surely be felt very soon in higher prices.

 This is a crucial period where the world needs great leaders who will speak the truth and lay out a course to save our generation and future generations.


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## Passepartout (Feb 1, 2014)

"We have met the enemy, and he is us."

Pogo Possum


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 1, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> An article in the NY Times online highlights an extreme water shortage in Iran. It is causing a cascade of problems for that nation including air pollution and the ruination of arable fields caused by salt from a dried up salt water lake.



Here's a link to the excellent article pgnewarkboy referenced: Its Great Lake Shriveled, Iran Confronts a Crisis of Water Supply - by Thomas Erdbrink/ World/ Middle East/ The New York Times.com





An abandoned ship rusts in the mud on the south shore of Lake Urmia, where only 5 percent of the water remains, Iranian environmental officials say. Morteza Nikoubazl for The New York Times


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 1, 2014)

And on a lighter note...

7 of the World's Weirdest Water Towers - by Andrew Tarantola/ Gizmodo.com

Middle America's decorative water towers—not those nasty things in New York—hold a special place in the annals of Americana history. They serve as both a public utility and as a community's spiritual centerpiece—like a Midwestern totem pole, highlighting and reflecting the local cultural identity.

So what do these strange towers say about their towns?









Richard


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## Fern Modena (Feb 1, 2014)

What do you mean when you refer to Vegas in your post?  Why not substitute California or perhaps Arizona or even other places there?

Yes, there is a drought in Southern Nevada.  It is a desert.  Are we doing anything about it?  Yes.  First, if you live in a house built after 1993, you ay not have grass in the front yard, and only 50% in the rear in Clark County. There is rationing of outside water usage...one day in the winter, two in spring and fall, and three in summertime (designated days only).  Depending on the level of drought, at sometimes you can only get commercial car washes, no washing cars at home. Why? commercial car washes recycle the water.  If you have a pool, you must empty it to the sewer takeout tube in the front yard, not the gutter, so it recycles.  And there are many other rules here.

Fern



pgnewarkboy said:


> In the united states we act as if water is not a precious resource as we empty aquifers out west for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes-Vegas.


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## Tia (Feb 1, 2014)

For years I have wondered how to invest in fresh water supply, but not researched it. Ideas?


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 1, 2014)

Fern Modena said:


> What do you mean when you refer to Vegas in your post?  Why not substitute California or perhaps Arizona or even other places there?
> 
> Yes, there is a drought in Southern Nevada.  It is a desert.  Are we doing anything about it?  Yes.  First, if you live in a house built after 1993, you ay not have grass in the front yard, and only 50% in the rear in Clark County. There is rationing of outside water usage...one day in the winter, two in spring and fall, and three in summertime (designated days only).  Depending on the level of drought, at sometimes you can only get commercial car washes, no washing cars at home. Why? commercial car washes recycle the water.  If you have a pool, you must empty it to the sewer takeout tube in the front yard, not the gutter, so it recycles.  And there are many other rules here.
> 
> Fern



Vegas is one example of many. Vegas is drawing on aquifers for primarily non-agricultural use.


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## CarolF (Feb 1, 2014)

Egret1986 said:


> It said on the program that it is against the law in Australia to take more than a five minute shower.



I live in the driest State in the driest inhabited Continent on earth.   There is no law around time in the shower, I can't imagine how one might police such a law . We do use water saving shower heads and taps and dual flush toilets as well as having restrictions on watering the garden.


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## Egret1986 (Feb 1, 2014)

*I'm so glad that you chimed in!*



CarolF said:


> I live in the driest State in the driest inhabited Continent on earth.   There is no law around time in the shower, I can't imagine how one might police such a law . We do use water saving shower heads and taps and dual flush toilets as well as having restrictions on watering the garden.



I have no doubts about the water issues globally, but I did wonder at times while watching part of the program whether everything being stated was, in deed, fact.  I didn't check to verify the 5 min. shower law in Australia.  Thank you for the verification. 

There are many laws on the books that couldn't possibly be policed, but they are there nonetheless.  

When we visited Death Valley and stayed overnight in the Park, the showers had a timer and signs were posted that water conservation was necessary.  They sited the nearby part of the Park where pupfish are located and their existence is being threatened.  Naturally, it was purely voluntary on the 5 min. shower.  My husband and I took it as a challenge on how fast we could shower.

Folks can't verify all the information coming at them, coming like never before.  This is a golden time for those with a particular agenda or cause, or with criminal intent.  Feed it to them and, some or perhaps many will swallow it.


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## CarolF (Feb 1, 2014)

Egret1986 said:


> Folks can't verify all the information coming at them, coming like never before.  This is a golden time for those with a particular agenda or cause, or with criminal intent.  Feed it to them and, some or perhaps many will swallow it.


Very true.  I did wonder if the documentary maker was perhaps attending a scout camp where they wanted the kids washed, fed and on the move.   Then I had a giggle at the thought of American visitors peeping out of the bathroom door hoping they wouldn't be arrested.


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## am1 (Feb 1, 2014)

I think water should be sold like any other commodity.  

I would also suggest cities raise the cost of water.

Not a fan of car washes using dirty water on my car.


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## SMHarman (Feb 1, 2014)

am1 said:


> I think water should be sold like any other commodity.
> 
> I would also suggest cities raise the cost of water.
> 
> Not a fan of car washes using dirty water on my car.



Water is sold that is why your home has a water meter. 

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk


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## Tia (Feb 2, 2014)

Where I'm at, high desert , we have irrigation for watering yards. It comes from canals out of the mountains where there are reservoirs. Very dependent on mountain snow fall.  There would be no green without it. There are  limited water shares sold to subdivisions, home owners are told  only water certain days/week. My neighbor waters their yard more often then they are suppose to.  If you live in the city where there is no irrigation water you use costly city water to have green gra$$. Seems crazy that the city continues to require new projects with grass and plantings that need  H20 . 

In the USVI they have cistern systems that collect rain h20, very limited fresh water there.


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 2, 2014)

California Drought Prompts First-Ever 'Zero Water Allocation' - by Bettina Boxall/ Local - L.A. Now/ The Los Angeles Times.com

"Officials Friday said that for the first time ever, the State Water Project that helps supply a majority of Californians may be unable to make any deliveries except to maintain public health and safety. 

They also said they were cutting releases from large reservoirs in the northern part of the state to preserve supplies in the face of what could be the worst drought in modern California history..."

Richard


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## vacationhopeful (Feb 2, 2014)

Tia said:


> For years I have wondered how to invest in fresh water supply, but not researched it. Ideas?



American Water Company has been buying up access to water, water systems, built a pipeline to transport water to towns on the Delaware River -- to prevent the salt water line from moving further up the river, got state laws imposed to FORCE towns to BUY of 30% of THEIR water to distribute there water.

Personally, one local (small) town's entire water system of well water has now been contaminated for 4+ years (disclouse was "made"/"found out") last month. The adjoining town (where the chemical plant is located) HAD to close one of its smaller water wells (that town had enough other pumping to do a work around).

The small town just put out info that infants and pregrant women can RECEIVE each 1 24 bottle pack of FREE bottle water per (either a month or week) at a local store -- the chemical company will be footing that bill.

The company has KNOWN for 4+ years about this cancer causing chemical leak into the ground water.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 2, 2014)

No, Vegas draws on water from the Colorado River water pact, and also from water that is recycled through Lake Mead.  There is an elaborate sewer and runoff system, most of which is underground.  It runs from the West side of the Vegas Valley down a mild slope all the way to Lake Mead for reclamation and recycling.

Fern



pgnewarkboy said:


> Vegas is one example of many. Vegas is drawing on aquifers for primarily non-agricultural use.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 2, 2014)

Fern Modena said:


> No, Vegas draws on water from the Colorado River water pact, and also from water that is recycled through Lake Mead.  There is an elaborate sewer and runoff system, most of which is underground.  It runs from the West side of the Vegas Valley down a mild slope all the way to Lake Mead for reclamation and recycling.
> 
> Fern



Vegas draws water from ground water aquifers as well as the sources you site.  The issue is that water is precious wherever it comes from and is increasingly in short supply.  Governments must decide the best way to preserve water so that we can drink water and grow food supplies. Is supporting a gambling industry and hotel industry in a desert  the best use of water?


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## VegasBella (Feb 2, 2014)

People always pick on Vegas for water usage but...
Did you know that Las Vegas means The Meadows? It has water. We have a whole area of wetlands in the Vegas Valley!

The primary industries in the Vegas area: tourism, entertainment, construction, and mining. 


Agriculture is not always the best use of water. Example: a vegan diet requires far less water than a diet with meat. Growing plants to feed them to animals wastes water.


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## am1 (Feb 2, 2014)

SMHarman said:


> Water is sold that is why your home has a water meter.
> 
> Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk



Selling it as a commodity not a service.


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## ricoba (Feb 2, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> ... Is supporting a gambling industry and hotel industry in a desert  the best use of water?



So, for pretend sake, let's assume the government mandates that Las Vegas close all its casinos and entertainment venues to preserve water.

Billions of dollars would be lost, Thousands of jobs would be lost.  Millions of people would be impacted negatively. 

And your solution to this crisis would be...??? 

It's too easy to pick on Vegas.  Yet there are lots of cities across the Southwest that are also impacted by the drought.  Shall we roll up the sidewalks of Phoenix and Los Angeles?

There is no easy answer.  This drought has been coming on for years.  And it's true, we are getting to a crisis point.  But other than not flush toilets and not water lawns (or put in desert landscaping) what can the average Jane or Joe do?  

BTW, for the first time in at least two or three months (I think even longer) it's actually RAINING here in Los Angeles metro!


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## Fern Modena (Feb 3, 2014)

Well, the tourism industry in Las Vegas is notable for their recycling efforts. I don't know what sort of industry might be more acceptable to you. Grow food supplies?  In the desert?  Not likely. It would take a tremendous amount of effort and an even bigger amount of water, and still many crops wouldn't grow. We do have a small farming area near Logandale, but that is about it.

Fern



pgnewarkboy said:


> Governments must decide the best way to preserve water so that we can drink water and grow food supplies. Is supporting a gambling industry and hotel industry in a desert  the best use of water?


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## CarolF (Feb 3, 2014)

Growing food in the desert is counter-intuitive but we have a world first and successful agricultural group who are using the sun to desalinate seawater for irrigation and heating and cooling greenhouses.  They are cheaply growing high-quality, pesticide-free vegetables year-round in commercial quantities.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3805065.htm


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 3, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> People always pick on Vegas for water usage but...
> Did you know that Las Vegas means The Meadows? It has water. We have a whole area of wetlands in the Vegas Valley!
> 
> The primary industries in the Vegas area: tourism, entertainment, construction, and mining.
> ...



  Things are going to change. Hopefully the change will be planned without falling from crisis to crisis.  Right now much of the world is in crisis mode when it comes to water.  The United States will be also be jumping from crisis to crisis without a change in how we see water on our list of priorities.


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## Passepartout (Feb 3, 2014)

*Here's a quick primer on Western water use......*

Here in Idaho, we are dependent on surface water- that which can be captured in reservoirs, held, then released as necessary for multiple uses. Dams were constructed and a network of canals the irrigate a couple of million acres that grow those Idaho potatoes, corn, sugar beets, beans, and our biggest cash crop, trout.

We also sit on top of an underground aquifer roughly the size of Lake Erie. Farmers pump water from that aquifer to sprinkle big circular fields of wheat, alfalfa, barley (for beer) and other crops mainly to support one of the US's biggest dairy and cheese industries.  

Who gets the water is determined by 'Water Rights'. We have a system that is called "First in Right, First in Line." The oldest water rights have precedent over 'younger' rights.

So, enter the current drought. We have used up virtually all of the water that has been held in the reservoirs in the last couple of years and not replenished it due to low rain/snow amounts over the winters. That aquifer is also dwindling, the water table is going down, and shallower wells are going dry.

The older water rights holders are planning to shut off some 2300 users, who may be upstream, but have 'junior' water rights.

So anyway, for the curious, here is an article and map to help you understand the dilemma. http://magicvalley.com/news/local/w...cle_2bafd081-a5ad-50a2-a566-e0344c73a3da.html

This will be going on all over the west as the drought continues, and we learn it's consequences. It will affect a lot more people than just those farmers who are forces to not plant a crop. We are all in this together.

Jim


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## jfbookers (Feb 3, 2014)

*Gov. Moonbeam*

Jerry Brown, governor of CA recently came down on the flushing controversy recommending Californians only "flush when necessary.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 3, 2014)

A desert can be irrigated.  Israel has been doing that for years.  Israel is also a  world leader in desalinization.  There is no reason for the United States to sit on its hands and let a crisis continue to worsen.  There may be many ways to preserve our precious water but doing nothing is suicidal.


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## ricoba (Feb 3, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> A desert can be irrigated.  Israel has been doing that for years.  Israel is also a  world leader in desalinization.  There is no reason for the United States to sit on its hands and let a crisis continue to worsen.  There may be many ways to preserve our precious water but doing nothing is suicidal.



Considering I am sitting about 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, I am curious to learn more about desalinization.  I think in theory it sounds like a plan, but does it work in the real world?  

I see Israel has a population of about 7 million.  California has over 5X that many citizens, with a march larger geographical area.  So, how would this work on  large scale such as CA and also, what can be done about Vegas or Phoenix that are no where near the ocean? 

TIA


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 4, 2014)

Here is a general article on desalinization with some interesting facts on its current use.  

Desalinization my  offer a way out of our water mess if we improve the technology.  It is my understanding that Israel has done just that to a certain extent.  More innovation is needed.


As the cost of water rises, it becomes an economic win for companies that want to make money.  Just as the   price of oil went up companies found it worth their while to go after "hard to get" oil.

Of course, water is more important than oil.  Unless they find a way for us to drink oil.   Maybe desalinization is a better business proposition than next day delivery,  or streaming movies.

It is a question of priorities.   

Here is the link to this general article on the topic:

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/drinkseawater.html


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## Tia (Feb 4, 2014)

Just read on Trip Advisor someone complaining about an energy surcharge at their resort in the Caribbean, their response was to use their monies worth while there. My thought was there needs to more education for residents but esp visitors to area's where certain resources are more valuable.

Believe  USVI  has some desalinization operations already


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## Fern Modena (Feb 4, 2014)

Are *you* doing anything meaningful about the situation, such as Xeriscaping if you own a house, lobbying your local/state government to do the same and to invest in desalination, etc.?

Fern


pgnewarkboy said:


> Here is a general article on desalinization with some interesting facts on its current use.
> 
> Desalinization my  offer a way out of our water mess if we improve the technology.  It is my understanding that Israel has done just that to a certain extent.  More innovation is needed.
> 
> ...


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## SMHarman (Feb 4, 2014)

am1 said:


> Selling it as a commodity not a service.



What is the difference here?  The price on your electric or gas supply line fluctuates due to supply and demand. Is water a constant price?

Or do you recommend a big board starts trading water futures and options like you do gas or FCOJ or pork bellies?

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## "Roger" (Feb 4, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> ...
> Of course, water is more important than oil.  Unless they find a way for us to drink oil. ...


Checkout the prices on bottled water.  Quite a few people are already paying more per gallon for their drinking water than they are for their gas.

(I won't even go into then they throw their plastic bottles along the roadside.  Oops, I just did.)


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## am1 (Feb 4, 2014)

SMHarman said:


> What is the difference here?  The price on your electric or gas supply line fluctuates due to supply and demand. Is water a constant price?
> 
> Or do you recommend a big board starts trading water futures and options like you do gas or FCOJ or pork bellies?
> 
> Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk



To me it is sold as a service if it is delivered to your tap.  Selling it as a commodity is when the "owner" can sell it to another state/country.  

I think price is the fairest way to reduce use.


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 5, 2014)

Severe Drought Has U.S. West Fearing Worst - by Adam Nagourney and Ian Lovett/ U.S./ The New York Times.com

"The punishing drought that has swept California is now threatening the state’s drinking water supply.

With no sign of rain, 17 rural communities providing water to 40,000 people are in danger of running out within 60 to 120 days. State officials said that the number was likely to rise in the months ahead after the State Water Project, the main municipal water distribution system, announced on Friday that it did not have enough water to supplement the dwindling supplies of local agencies that provide water to an additional 25 million people. It is first time the project has turned off its spigot in its 54-year history..."


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 9, 2014)

A World of Vanishing Lakes - by Sarah Zielinski/ Science/ SmithsonianMag.com

From the Dead Sea to a Louisiana lake that was sucked into the Earth, the stories behind the disappearances are varied





Lake Waiau in Hawaii shrunk to the size of a pond in just a few years. Scientists still aren't sure why the lake began to dry up. (USGS)




Richard


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## am1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Maybe golf courses should be limited to how much water they can use.  Or people asking others to conserve should not later play at golf courses in drought prone areas.


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## cotraveller (Feb 17, 2014)

Fern Modena said:


> No, Vegas draws on water from the Colorado River water pact, and also from water that is recycled through Lake Mead.  There is an elaborate sewer and runoff system, most of which is underground.  It runs from the West side of the Vegas Valley down a mild slope all the way to Lake Mead for reclamation and recycling.
> 
> Fern



If the Colorado mountains keep getting pounded with snow as they have for the last few weeks you may get a little extra water via the Colorado River this spring.  It's too early to say though, we have had wet mid-winters before and then very dry springs which wiped out the winter advantage.

The west slope supplies a lot of Denver water, piped in tunnels under the Continental Divide.  One enterprising group wanted to build a dam on the Colorado River near the Utah border and pipe that water back to Denver.  The heck with those of you downstream in Nevada or California.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 18, 2014)

ricoba said:


> So, for pretend sake, let's assume the government mandates that Las Vegas close all its casinos and entertainment venues to preserve water.
> 
> Billions of dollars would be lost, Thousands of jobs would be lost.  Millions of people would be impacted negatively.
> 
> ...



The government doesn't have to do a thing.  Businesses and investors will inevitably understand that it is bad  business to over build in a desert.  Once they understand that their huge investments are at risk because people will not come where water is hard to get without great cost, they will close casinos and hotels and stop building housing and there goes the jobs.


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## Ridewithme38 (Feb 18, 2014)

Edited.....


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 27, 2014)

American Aqueduct: The Great California Water Saga - by Alexis C. Madrigal/ Senior Editor/ The Atlantic.com

A $25 billion plan, a small town, and a half-century of wrangling over the most important resource in the biggest state


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 26, 2014)

Silicon Valley Now at Epicenter of Worst California Drought in Decades - by Andrew Freedman/ US & World/ Mashable.com

"The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor is out, and the statistics are exceptionally grim for California and parts of the Southwest.

For the first time in the 15-year history of the monitor, 100% of California is experiencing "moderate" to "exceptional" drought. A majority of the state (77%) is experiencing "extreme" to "exceptional" drought, which are the two most severe categories. That was up nearly 10 percentage points compared to just one week ago.

The worst drought category now extends across all of Silicon Valley and Monterey County, where water managers are announcing cutbacks to summertime water deliveries, and are putting in place water restrictions that could impact everyone from individual households to high-tech manufacturers of computer chips..."





Drought Monitor map showing the extent and severity of drought conditions in California. The darkest red areas show the more severe drought conditions.

Not an encouraging picture.


Richard


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## pgnewarkboy (Apr 26, 2014)

*This is a catastrophe*

The extent of the drought and water shortage situations in the United States is nothing short of a catastrophe.  Where is the action?

The destruction of California and Canadian forests by unprecedented fire and the unstoppable mountain pine beetle are caused by the same thing:  dry air and higher temperatures.  Get it . Climate change.  The catastrophe of climate change is here NOW.

The unprecedented melting of glaciers across the world is a catastrophe raising sea levels all over the world and contributing to destructions of innumerable species of sea life that humans need to exist. It is a catastrophe caused by climate change.  Happening now.

Where is the action to save our lives and the lives of future generations.

These catastrophes are happening now, not in the future and the are a impacting us now as food prices rise and water disappears.  Get It?. Food and Water.  You need it to live. No water no food.  Can it be any simpler?


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## Passepartout (Apr 26, 2014)

It's (drought, climate change, 'doing something about it') totally a matter of political will. Hence, it will always be 'somebody else's' fault, and therefore somebody else's responsibility to take action. The subject is fraught with political under-and over-tones, and therefore will be banned as a viable subject on TUG. 

Bottom line: We're all in the same leaky boat, or up the same creek without a paddle, or any other cliche' you want to use, but there are too many of us, and greed- or 'free market' drives the world's economies. The 'have's' vs. the 'have not's'. Unfortunately, as the 'haves' win, we all lose.

Wars have already been fought so that gas can continue to flow into the tanks of SUVs carrying one person to too-far-away jobs. And going forward, wars will be fought- perhaps not so publicly over water- but over water access- and food production. And economics. "My golf course brings in $ billions" and that's more important than "My farm feeds thousands." Both use the same amount of water.

My heart goes out to all of us over the current California drought. It's almost a reverse of the 1930's dust bowl. Where's the next 'promised land?' We'll know it's serious when the car washes close and we see dirty SUVs on their lonely commutes.


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## pgnewarkboy (Apr 26, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> It's (drought, climate change, 'doing something about it') totally a matter of political will. Hence, it will always be 'somebody else's' fault, and therefore somebody else's responsibility to take action. The subject is fraught with political under-and over-tones, and therefore will be banned as a viable subject on TUG.
> 
> Bottom line: We're all in the same leaky boat, or up the same creek without a paddle, or any other cliche' you want to use, but there are too many of us, and greed- or 'free market' drives the world's economies. The 'have's' vs. the 'have not's'. Unfortunately, as the 'haves' win, we all lose.
> 
> ...



I agree they have closed discussions as being "political".  I understand there are political overtones and undertones.  But, strictly speaking this is not a political issue.  It is a straight out environmental issue that impacts everyone in the world including those on tug. Maybe a better way to put it is that global catastrophe transcends and dwarfs politics.  The more people are informed the more people will take their own direct action and march in the streets if necessary.  Humanity will do what it needs to survive with our without politicians.  This is a catastrophe, a disaster that is already well underway as more farmland all over the world is lost and species on land and in the sea are going extinct.  There have been 5 mass extinctions recognized by science.  A book was recently written about the 6th mass extinction that is now happening.



 If this thread gets closed because it involves "politics" , shame on TUG for putting its head in the sand.  This is a travel site.  If droughts, flooding, storms, etc. don't effect travel, what does.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 26, 2014)

Water Scarcity and the Private Sector - by The Editors/ ScientificAmerican.com

"Growing population and increasing demand for higher living standards have led to the overuse of water resources. More recently the management of watersheds has been threatened by the impacts of climate change on the water cycle. In the face of these challenges water companies and agribusinesses need to seek solutions.

The editors of Scientific American, Nature and Nature Climate Change (all part of Nature Publishing Group) have teamed up to analyze the problems posed by a drier future and explore the possible solutions..."





Credit: PhotoDisc/Getty Images \ Don Farrall

For those interested in doing additional reading on the subject.


Richard


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## easyrider (Apr 27, 2014)

One huge waste of water that is usually overlooked is bottled water. It takes just less than 2 gallons of water to make each plastic bottle. In other words, it takes over 2 gallons of water to create a pint of bottled water.

When water is stored in containers of any kind it can not evaporate. When water does not evaporate in can not get back into the atmosphere. When water can not get back into the atmosphere it can not rain. When it can not rain the conditions for drought occurs.

The main reason for these current drought conditions are that the earth has been cooling for the last 20 or so years so there is less evaporation of the Pacific Ocean. This causes the Pacific Decadal Oscillation which is similar to an El Nino but lasts for decades instead of < 2 years. Basically the PDO pushes the weather systems north. Its been predicted that this current Pacific Decadal Oscillation event might last over 200 years. This has happened throughout earths history and is nothing new. 

Other factors driving weather changes are magnetic pole shifts. Magnetic north is somewhere near Greenland. 

There is no anthropogenic solution, imo. In other words " enjoy the ride". 

Bill


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## Passepartout (Apr 27, 2014)

easyrider said:


> One huge waste of water that is usually overlooked is bottled water. It takes just less than 2 gallons of water to make each plastic bottle. In other words, it takes over 2 gallons of water to create a pint of bottled water.



In other words, to produce a pint of stored water, almost 2 gallons are returned to 'the system'- 31/32nds. Not bad, actually. The earth holds a finite amount of water. It's a closed system. No new water is created, none leaves. There is exactly the same amount of water on earth as has always been here. In effect, we are drinking dinosaur pee that's been recycled a multitude of times.

The water is just in different places than it has been historically. What has been locked up in ice around the poles, is melting and rejoining the liquid state water in the oceans and in that held in suspension in the air- warmer air holds a lot more water (humidity) than colder air. Humans are pumping ground water that has taken thousands- maybe millions of years to percolate from the surface into underground aquifers. In the last hundred years, humans have reduced the amount of water- fresh water- stored underground and reintroduced it into the salt-water reservoirs (oceans) that are not going to be re-made by rain into usable fresh water.

Pogo Possum said it best: "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

Jim


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## easyrider (Apr 27, 2014)

No Jim. A single plastic pint water bottle has a water footprint of about 1.85 gallons of water plus the pint used for contents. Certainly bottled water isn't the cause of the drought but it is a waste of water. 

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/how-many-gallons-of-water-does-it-take-to-make.html



> Individual Bottled Water
> This irony shouldn't be lost on anyone: it takes 1.85 gallons of water to manufacture the plastic for the bottle in the average commercial bottle of water.



Another thing about empty plastic bottles are they are found every where. Im not sure how they escape but I have found them in the back country, on almost every shoreline I fish, floating in the rivers and oceans and on top of Mt Adams. In areas with population these bottles are all over the place. 

Bill


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## Passepartout (Apr 27, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Another thing about empty plastic bottles are they are found every where. Im not sure how they escape but I have found them in the back country, on almost every shoreline I fish, floating in the rivers and oceans and on top of Mt Adams. In areas with population these bottles are all over the place.
> 
> Bill



No doubt there is a huge problem with people not properly recycling water bottles, soda and beer containers and darn near everything else. But that has zero effect on a water shortage. And you missed the point also about the 2 gallons being used to make a pint bottle. It isn't lost. It doesn't go away. It may be boiled and evaporate, or go down some sewer, through a treatment plant, and empty into a river somewhere, but the thing is, it is not destroyed. The H2O of it still exists. The same as if the water that is directed to a wheat or corn or potato field, then doesn't flow out the lower end of the field. Some of it evaporates, some is used by the plants to produce their crop, and some just powers photosynthesis in the green parts. It is all a very inefficient use of the water. But in the end, that water is not destroyed. Just changed, then in time, changed back to water.

Jim


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## laurac260 (Apr 27, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> Agriculture is not always the best use of water. Example: a vegan diet requires far less water than a diet with meat. Growing plants to feed them to animals wastes water.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


So we should water plants to feed humans but let the animals starve???


----------



## Passepartout (Apr 27, 2014)

laurac260 said:


> So we should water plants to feed humans but let the animals starve???



Not at all. There are lots of plant parts that animals eat that humans do not. For instance the silage left over from the corn crop. Potato and sugar beet tops, The straw left over from wheat production gets plowed back in for soil enrichment and/or is used for animal bedding. There are lots of byproducts from the production of human food that benefit animals and other plants. Like the leftovers from fishing as plant fertilizer which in turn is fed to animal crops.


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## VegasBella (Apr 27, 2014)

laurac260 said:


> So we should water plants to feed humans but let the animals starve???




Yes exactly. We simply MUST eat water-intensive, environmentally-destructive factory farmed animal parts because otherwise they'd starve to death. Forget a more efficient, environmentally-friendly vegan (or nearly vegan) diet!

/sarcasm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SMHarman (Apr 27, 2014)

laurac260 said:


> So we should water plants to feed humans but let the animals starve???



What animals?  CAFOs are an environmental disaster. Humans heat too much meat protein. 

Certainly glad we are keeping river water levels up to protect the fish. 

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk


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## easyrider (Apr 27, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> No doubt there is a huge problem with people not properly recycling water bottles, soda and beer containers and darn near everything else. But that has zero effect on a water shortage. And you missed the point also about the 2 gallons being used to make a pint bottle. It isn't lost. It doesn't go away. It may be boiled and evaporate, or go down some sewer, through a treatment plant, and empty into a river somewhere, but the thing is, it is not destroyed. The H2O of it still exists. The same as if the water that is directed to a wheat or corn or potato field, then doesn't flow out the lower end of the field. Some of it evaporates, some is used by the plants to produce their crop, and some just powers photosynthesis in the green parts. It is all a very inefficient use of the water. But in the end, that water is not destroyed. Just changed, then in time, changed back to water.
> 
> Jim



Jim, how long does this take and where does the water go ? 

About 97% of water is salt water leaving 3% as fresh water. Within that 3% of fresh water over 70% of it is frozen. So there are limits on fresh water. Once contaminated it is no longer fresh. Fresh water has a shelf life.

Also, your examples of fresh water in natural hydrologic cycles as recycling doesn't consider a timeline. 

Bill


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## Passepartout (Apr 27, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Jim, how long does this take and where does the water go ?
> 
> About 97% of water is salt water leaving 3% as fresh water. Within that 3% of fresh water over 70% of it is frozen. So there are limits on fresh water. Once contaminated it is no longer fresh. Fresh water has a shelf life.
> 
> Also, your examples of fresh water in natural hydrologic cycles as recycling doesn't consider a timeline.



I never said it was quick. Only that the water is in a constant state of change. From salty seas that evaporate as vapor in the form of humidity, to clouds to fresh rain/snow to land/reservoirs/aquifers/polar ice fields/plant and animal (including us) life, and returned ultimately to the sea. Yes, it takes time. And as you accurately (I think) say, the vast majority of it is salty. Fresh water is more finite, but still, the earth DOES automatically de-salinate and return it to us as fresh. As humankind has learned to extract water from the depths, humankind, when faced with need, will be able to help nature out with the de-salination. Our future children's children's children and beyond will have to.


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## Tia (Apr 28, 2014)

I have read in Colorado, not followed closely, the eastern slope (Denver side of the Rocky Mountains) has been trying to get legislation passed that gives  them western slope water shed areas and divert it back towards the Denver direction.  

People need to conserve but that message isn't being given out nor considered. Our area  local codes require ( or just allow) green grass/trees to be planted in the dessert. You see the city watering grass at times when most of it evaporates...


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## pgnewarkboy (Apr 29, 2014)

easyrider said:


> One huge waste of water that is usually overlooked is bottled water. It takes just less than 2 gallons of water to make each plastic bottle. In other words, it takes over 2 gallons of water to create a pint of bottled water.
> 
> When water is stored in containers of any kind it can not evaporate. When water does not evaporate in can not get back into the atmosphere. When water can not get back into the atmosphere it can not rain. When it can not rain the conditions for drought occurs.
> 
> ...



 the Pacific Decadal Oscillation is calculated by subtracting the average global ocean temperature from the average North Pacific temperature (JISAO).  The difference is labeled "Pacific Decadal Oscillation" and gives us whether the North Pacific is warm or cold relative to the global ocean average and by how much in degrees Celsius   It says nothing about whether or not the global average is warming or cooling or even if the North Pacific is warming or cooling overall.  It just gives whether or not the North Pacific is warmer than the global average or cooler than the global average.

BTW, the earth has most definitely been warming -not cooling. It is an easily determined and widely known fact -like the earth circles the sun is a fact.


----------



## easyrider (Apr 29, 2014)

This is not any type of political statement. Im not going to argue climate change with you.

Very simply put, when the ocean surface cools there is less evaporation. When there is less evaporation in the ocean there is less rainfall on land. Evaporation also drives ocean currents. When ocean currents slow they shift causing atmospheric pressure. This atmospheric pressure causes weather to move around the area of pressure. 

Occasionally in earths history the ocean surface stays cool for decades. This causes droughts.

Recent articles I have read suggests that the Pacific Ocean surface water has cooled causing the PDO that is causing the drought. 

http://www.livescience.com/38099-southwest-drought-linked-ocean-temperature.html



> The two cycles, called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), flip back and forth between boosting rainfall and causing drought in the Southwest, among other effects felt throughout the continent.
> 
> Pacific Decadal OscillationPin It The Pacific Decadal Oscillation forms a cooler horseshoe of water in the northeastern Pacific Ocean to the tropics.
> 
> Only discovered in the past two decades, these climate patterns have caused periodic, long-term Southwest drought going back more than 1,000 years, according to tree-ring records. More than half (52 percent) of the long-term drought in the lower 48 states can be attributed to the PDO and the AMO, according to a 2004 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.




http://www.globalresearch.ca/global-cooling-is-here/10783



> Despite no global warming in 10 years and recording setting cold in 2007-2008



The sun actually heats the earth.  Really. The sun is getting quiet. The trend has been cooling for the last decade or two. This article is a good explanation of what the sun is doing. 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedo...ning-into-grand-minimum-says-solar-physicist/

Your comment of the earths orbit is interesting. Many people still think the sun orbits the earth, something like 25 - 30 %. I take it your in the group that thinks the earth orbits the sun,  as am I.

Bill


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## pgnewarkboy (Apr 30, 2014)

T"he sun actually heats the earth.  Really. The sun is getting quiet. The trend has been cooling for the last decade or two. This article is a good explanation of what the sun is doing. "


But the earth is not cooling.  The carbon and methane that is in the air is still in the air.  It is still trapping the heat of the sun. That is an anthropological cause for warming.  Once again, a proven fact.  The oceans  are not reflecting heat back  , they are absorbing the heat.        That is  the reason the glaciers are melting.  The glaciers are melting because the earth is warmer.  If the earth was cooling the glaciers would not be melting all over the world. The rate of warming may change because of solar activity but the warming continues.  It is simply physics.

From your link to the FORBES ARTICE by the astrophysicist dealing with Sun activity.

"*Although the rise of global temperatures seen in “the last decade or so seems to have currently leveled off,” says Hathaway, he notes that even a Maunder Minimum would still not be enough to counter the warming effects of anthropogenic climate change.*

If anything, a Maunder Minimum may simply make existing weather and short term climate even more unusual and difficult to predict."


----------



## easyrider (Apr 30, 2014)

Who knows for sure. Things I do know are that the nuclear bomb testing caused ozone layer depletion. Other chemical reactions deplete ozone as well. 

http://www.atomicarchive.com/Effects/effects22.shtml



> When a nuclear weapon explodes in the air, the surrounding air is subjected to great heat, followed by relatively rapid cooling. These conditions are ideal for the production of tremendous amounts of nitric oxides. These oxides are carried into the upper atmosphere, where they reduce the concentration of protective ozone.





> The nitric oxides produced by the weapons could reduce the ozone levels in the Northern Hemisphere by as much as 30 to 70 percent.



The EPA list of ozone killers. If you look you won't see co2. Co2 doesn't affect the ozone layer. 

http://www.epa.gov/spdpublc/science/ods/classone.html

As the magnetosphere get weak magnetic north and south shift. These areas have ozone depletion or ozone holes. This lets uva radiation heat the earth. The magnetosphere protects the earth from solar radiation which includes uv rays from the sun. Interestingly, co2 blocks uv radiation. UVA radiation also has a way of melting ice deeper than uvb or uvc. The melt can occur under the ice as noticed on the Greenland ice sheet.

http://ecowatch.com/2012/11/12/greenlands-rare-earth-metals/

Magnetic north is now west of Greenland in northern Canada. 

Green houses gasses trap heat. Green house gases absorb and reflect uv radiation. UV radiation is the heat source. Its a paradoxical situation, imo. 

Bill


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## pgnewarkboy (May 1, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Who knows for sure. Things I do know are that the nuclear bomb testing caused ozone layer depletion. Other chemical reactions deplete ozone as well.
> 
> http://www.atomicarchive.com/Effects/effects22.shtml
> 
> ...



*Neither of the links you have above,  ecowatch, or epa.gov  state, or hint, or discuss  or support your statement *that "As the magnetosphere get weak magnetic north and south shift. These areas have ozone depletion or ozone holes. This lets uva radiation heat the earth. The magnetosphere protects the earth from solar radiation which includes uv rays from the sun. Interestingly, co2 blocks uv radiation. UVA radiation also has a way of melting ice deeper than uvb or uvc. The melt can occur under the ice as noticed on the Greenland ice sheet."  *You are claiming that the glacier melts can be caused by ozone depletion. That statement is yours alone. Your links simply do not make this claim...One is simply a table from the EPA and the other is an article on the riches to be found as the glaciers melt.*


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## easyrider (May 1, 2014)

Here is a bit on the geomagnetism regarding earth.

https://www.boundless.com/physics/magnetism/magnetism-and-magnetic-fields/geomagnetism/



> Earth is largely protected from the solar wind, a stream of energetic charged particles emanating from the sun, by its magnetic field, which deflects most of the charged particles. These particles would strip away the ozone layer, which protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. The region above the ionosphere, and extending several tens of thousands of kilometers into space, is called the magnetosphere. This region protects Earth from cosmic rays that would strip away the upper atmosphere, including the ozone layer that protects our planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation.





> At present, the overall geomagnetic field is becoming weaker; the present strong deterioration corresponds to a 10 to 15 percent decline over the last 150 years and has accelerated in the past several years. Geomagnetic intensity has declined almost continuously from a maximum 35 percent above the modern value achieved approximately 2,000 years ago. Earth's magnetic North Pole is drifting from northern Canada toward Siberia with a presently accelerating rate—10 km per year at the beginning of the 20th century, up to 40 km per year in 2003, and since then has only accelerated.



This is interesting as well. Its about how uva radiation melts ice and the resulting release of co2.

http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/green/newsid=28968.php

http://www.newscientist.com/article...ase-co2-faster-than-thought.html#.U2KSEFVdX8N

To me, Towsey's paper on warming makes more sense than IPPC climate models. 
In nature, results are based on a wide range of factors that can't be replicated by a climate model. For instance, over simplified, I would say that as the magnetism of the earth decreases the ozone layer depletes. When the ozone layer is depleted or missing more uva radiation warms earth. In response to the warming the earth releases co2. Because of the release of co2 the earth is able to reflect and absorb a percentage of uva radiation. The result of the extra co2 is a cooler stratosphere and a warmer toposphere. A cooler stratosphere creates conditions for polar stratospheric clouds which create conditions for ozone depletion. Occasionally this stratospheric cooling changes weather like with the recent winters polar vortex. 

Towsey's paper
http://carbon-sense.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/evidence-towsey.pdf

Article explaing that there has been no warming on earth for about 18 years.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/04/05/no-global-warming-for-17-years-8-months/
Bill


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## pgnewarkboy (May 1, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Here is a bit on the geomagnetism regarding earth.
> 
> https://www.boundless.com/physics/magnetism/magnetism-and-magnetic-fields/geomagnetism/
> 
> ...



Your first two links in no way support your thesis. I read the towsey paper. Towsey is a geologist who is interested in mining gold. He is not a climatologist and basically stands almost alone in his positions.

"The European Federation of Geologists says climate change is predominantly caused by anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and poses significant risks to human civilisation. The Geological Society of America concurs that “greenhouse gases have been an increasingly important contributor [to global warming] since the mid-1800s and the major factor since the mid-1900s”. The Geological Society of London states that “evidence from the geological record is consistent with the physics that shows that adding large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere warms the world and may lead to: higher sea levels and flooding of low-lying coasts; greatly changed patterns of rainfall; increased acidity of the oceans; and decreased oxygen levels in seawater”.

So climate scepticism seems strongest among geologists closely linked to the mining and fossil fuel industries. Perhaps the words of Upton Sinclair shine some understanding on the forces at play here: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”


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## easyrider (May 1, 2014)

Where does all of this co2 come from ? Natural co2 emissions equals over 780 gigatons while anthropogenic emissions equal less than 29 gigatons. 

Towsey has a masters degree in science, bachelors degree in science with honors, diploma of education and is certified by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. His disciplines include geology but he is also a renown climate scientist.

Why are natural green house gas emissions increasing and anthropogenic green house gas emissions plateauing ? Could it be the correlation is diminished ozone layer and u.v.a. radiation heating earth causing the release of co2 and ch4 into the atmosphere ? While the focus is on co2, ch4 is far worse a green house gas.  

Sorry, went a bit off track about the drought in the USA. From what I have read its going to be dry for long time. Research it your self. I can't explain it any better than I attempted. Its really interesting reading especially when you read differing opinions. good luck 

Bill


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## pgnewarkboy (May 2, 2014)

time to jump off this ship that is going nowhere.


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## easyrider (May 2, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> time to jump off this ship that is going nowhere.



Is your ship grounded because of the drought ?  My buddy has a similar problem. Wanapum Dam cracked so the reservoir was dropped 26 ft. 

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/photos/galleries/2014/mar/03/wanapum-drawdown/#/0


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## Tia (May 2, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Is your ship grounded because of the drought ?  ]


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## easyrider (May 3, 2014)

pgnewarkboy said:


> time to jump off this ship that is going nowhere.



Ok, honestly how can anyone really predict how long the drought will last. My problem with ICPP models is the lack of consideration given to factors such as magnetism, Milankovitch cycles, solar influences and earths rotational speed.

http://www.sciencecourseware.org/eec/GlobalWarming/Tutorials/Milankovitch/

The rotation of the earth does change. The axis does shift. Consider the shifts caused by some of the recent big earthquakes. These quakes caused axial shifts and change earths tilt causing a slower rotation. Besides earthquakes, changes in fluids in earths mantle and core cause weight to be redistributed can cause axial tilt changes. 

Im not sure how it works but I have depended on the farmers almanac for years to plan trips. Last year I decided not to purchase a different snowmobile based off info in these pages. 

http://www.almanac.com/weather/longrange/CA/Los+Angeles

Bill


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## MULTIZ321 (May 4, 2014)

What is Water Worth? - by Brian Dumaine/ Senior Editor-at-Large/ Tech/ CNNMoney/ Fortune/cnn.com

"Farmland is parched. Companies are worried. The global demand for water will soon outstrip supply. What's the solution? Simple, say some business leaders and economists: Make people pay more for the most precious commodity on earth..."







Richard


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## easyrider (May 8, 2014)

This last week I have been supervising a well project in a subdivision. The existing well is only producing about 70 gpm at 210 ft. Records show this particular well was able to produce 220 gpm. So the water table may have dropped because of more users of this table or the water table just isn't being replenished like it once was.

Today, the new hole which should produce 300 - 500 gpm is only producing a mere 50 gpm at 220 ft. Were still in gravel and tomorrow we will be knocking the hole depth to maybe 260 - 280 ft. Its a 12" hole for a 10" casing.

Is this drought related ? Possibly, but wells do fail and this particular well that is being replaced is about 60 years old and has collapsed twice and been relined once.

Bill


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## MULTIZ321 (May 9, 2014)

What Happens If Your Town Runs Out of Water? -by Kelly Loudenberg/ National Geographic You Tube Video


Water Conservation is serious business that affects us all.


Richard


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## wptamo (May 10, 2014)

Hiya, I live in Mississauga, city adjacent to Toronto to the west. Our genius city council have introduced a tax on rain! The plan to tax property square footage because of the water runoff... Citing climate change, apparently there was floods last summer... I was on vacation 

Anyways thought I'd show the flip side of the water issue..... But I guess I'm lucky to be in an area of abundant fresh water. Good clean and florinated !? Why ... But that's another story.


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## MULTIZ321 (May 10, 2014)

Intense Drought Tightens Grip, Spreads to the High Plains - by Tom Yulsman/ Discover: Science for the Curious/ DiscoverMagazine.com

"In the already parched Plains of the United States, intense drought “seems to be waking up and pushing rapidly north along with warmer temperatures.”

That’s the grim assessment, issued yesterday, from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The bullseye of this expanding misery is Texas, large portions of which have been in drought for close to four years. As of this week, 21 percent of the state is categorized as being in exceptional drought — the most intense of the Drought Monitor categories. That’s up from 13 percent a year ago. Overall, more than 80 percent of the state is experiencing some degree of drought..."



Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Jun 21, 2014)

California's Terrible Drought Just Got Even Worse - by Lindsay Abrams/ Salon.com

A full third of the state is now experiencing "exceptional drought" 
Here’s what it looks like (the darker the red, the worse the conditions):







Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Oct 14, 2014)

Not Just California: Droughts Extend Across Americas - by Miguel Llanos/ Science-Environment/ NBCNews.com

"Say “drought” and Americans are likely to think California, but the Golden State is hardly alone when looking across the Western Hemisphere: A dry spell has killed cattle and wiped out crops in Central America, parts of Colombia have seen rioting over scarce water, and southern Brazil is facing its worst dry spell in 50 years.

In the U.S., the few who have taken notice of this wider water scarcity include a former director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Now editor-in-chief of the journal Science, Marcia McNutt last month penned an editorial highlighting what she called “a drought of crisis proportions” across the Americas.

Worst hit has been Central America, where drought has created food shortages for 2.5 million people, most of them “subsistence farmers and families in highly food-insecure areas,” says Miguel Barreto, regional program manager for the U.N.’s World Food Program..."

Richard


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## pgnewarkboy (Oct 15, 2014)

wptamo said:


> Hiya, I live in Mississauga, city adjacent to Toronto to the west. Our genius city council have introduced a tax on rain! The plan to tax property square footage because of the water runoff... Citing climate change, apparently there was floods last summer... I was on vacation
> 
> Anyways thought I'd show the flip side of the water issue..... But I guess I'm lucky to be in an area of abundant fresh water. Good clean and florinated !? Why ... But that's another story.



I don't know the details of this tax. My post is not directly a statement about your particular statement but a generalized statement.   As a general rule it seems that taxing the average person for water problems is not the correct solution at this time.  In many areas of our country and the world, there is simply a lack of clean water because of the big corporate polluters.  The successful environmental principle of the seventies was " polluters should pay for clean up".  In my view polluting our vital waters is a crime against humanity. The polluters have successfully turned the table and now force citizens who are not responsible for their corporate pollution to pay for fixes.


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 1, 2015)

California Just Experienced One of Its Driest Januarys in History - by Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters/ Finance/ BusinessInsider.com

"California has experienced one of the driest Januarys on record, and the lack of rain during a time of year when the weather is usually wet indicates the state is likely headed for a fourth straight year of drought, officials said..."






Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Feb 27, 2015)

California Goes Nuts - by Tom Philpott/ Food and Ag Correspondent/ motherjones.com

...Almond products—snack mixes, butters, milk—are flying off supermarket shelves. The value of the California almond market hit $4.8 billion in 2012—that's triple the level of a decade earlier. Only dairy is worth more to the state than almonds and grapes. In fact, almonds, along with California-grown pistachios and walnuts, are becoming so lucrative that big investment funds, eager to get in on the boom, are snapping up land and dropping in trees.

There's just one problem: Almond orchards require about a third more water per acre than grape vineyards. In fact, they're one of California's thirstiest crops. It takes a gallon of water to produce a single almond—more than three times the amount required for a grape and two and a half times as much for a strawberry. There's more water embedded in just four almonds than there is in a full head of lettuce. But unlike row crops, which farmers can choose not to plant during dry spells, almond trees must be watered no matter what.

In the midst of the worst drought in California's history, you might expect almonds' extreme thirst to be a deal breaker. But it's not. In fact, the drought has had hardly any impact at all on the almond boom. The state's farmers bought at least 8.33 million young almond trees between July 2013 and July 2014, a 25 percent increase from the previous year. About a quarter of the saplings went to replace old orchards, but most of the rest were new plantings, some 48,000 acres' worth, an area equal to three Manhattans..."

Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 11, 2015)

California Farmers Resign Themselves to Drought: 'Nobody's Fault But God's' - by Rory Carroll/ California/ TheGuardian.com

"Despite efforts to dig deeper into the earth to get at diminishing groundwater, the spectre of desertification may cost Central Valley farmers too much to carry on..."





 Baked earth at Clarence Freitas’ farm, outside Fresno. Photograph: Rory Carroll/the Guardian 


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 17, 2015)

South America's Largest City Is Almost Out of Water - by Catherine Osborn/ Science, Tech & Environment/ Public Radio International/ pri.org

"Imagine this: São Paulo, South America’s largest city and economic hub, running out of water by June. That's what Brazil's federal government predicted just weeks ago.

The region is in its worst drought in 80 years. The reservoir that supplies half the city is just over 10 percent full. The government has begun rationing water, though haphazardly..."


Richard


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## pgnewarkboy (Mar 19, 2015)

*California out of water in one year*

California will run out of water in a year and should begin rationing its use immediately, NASA scientist says





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...resource-immediately-NASA-scientist-says.html


----------



## easyrider (Mar 19, 2015)

Its going to be hard on agriculture. America could loose up to a third of the fresh produce if California can't farm. 

Isn't there plans for water desalination plants to get fast tracked ? 

Bill


----------



## Passepartout (Mar 19, 2015)

At a gallon of water to produce one almond, this would be a good time to lay in a supply. They freeze well.


----------



## x3 skier (Mar 19, 2015)

All the dry ground should make it easier to build the California high speed train to nowhere.

Cheers


----------



## SMHarman (Mar 19, 2015)

A crazy stat I saw was that winter precipitation was the same but the warmer weather meant it fell as rain and washed away not as Snow that sticks around and melts steadily through spring and summer.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Mar 19, 2015)

*São Paulo Residents Demand Their City Take a New Attitude About Water*

São Paulo Residents Demand Their City Take a New Attitude About Water - by Catherine Osborn/ Science, Tech & Environment/ Public Radio International/ pri.org

"Edison Urbano’s toilet isn't just a toilet: It’s a teaching tool.

Urbano lives in a middle class neighborhood in São Paulo. A few years ago he wanted to save money on his water bill, so he hacked his shower to reuse the water to flush his toilet. He also set up a cistern to capture rainwater.

Now São Paulo is in a full-blown water crisis. Urbano has helped start an organization called Cisterna Já — Time for a Tank — and opened up his home to visitors to share ideas about saving water.

Urbano explains how he takes a shower upstairs, which fills the toilet downstairs, and uses rainwater to water plants and wash clothes. Altogether, he says, he’s cut his water use in half..."





Protesters march through São Paulo demanding equitable distribution of water throughout the state. Unofficial rationing has brought frequent water outages to neighborhoods throughout the Brazilian megalopolis of 20 million.
Credit:Catherine Osborn


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Mar 19, 2015)

*Drought Forces Brazilians To Curb Their Addiction to Multiple Daily Showers*

Drought Forces Brazilians to Curb Their Addiction to Multiple Daily Showers - by Bradley Campbell/ Science, Tech & Environment/ Public Radio International/ pri.org

"Brazil is in the grip of a huge drought, and the country faces a special challenge as it tries to curb water use: showers.

Brazilians love their showers. Many shower three times a day, and the AP reports that Brazilians are "the world's most frequent bathers, taking on average 12 showers a week, putting rub-a-dub-dub up there with soccer and Carnival as essentials of the culture."

In response to the drought, many are taking what we here in the US might call "combat showers." That's when you get wet, turn off the water while you scrub, and then turn the water back on to rinse. Brazilians would rather do that than take fewer showers.

So what is it about Brazilian culture that makes people want to be so darn clean?..."







A man takes a shower as policemen patrol during an operation in Rio de Janeiro's Mare slums complex on March 30, 2014.
Credit:Ricardo Moraes/Reuters


Richard


----------



## MuranoJo (Mar 20, 2015)

Passepartout said:


> At a gallon of water to produce one almond, this would be a good time to lay in a supply. They freeze well.



Just when I was getting used to shunning flour in favor of almond flour for baking.  Yes, indeed, a good time to build a supply if you're so inclined.


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## Ironwood (Mar 20, 2015)

A comment off the web this morning....

“California has plenty of water…just not enough to satisfy every possible use of water that people can imagine when the price is close to zero. As David Zetland points out in an excellent interview with Russ Roberts, people in San Diego county use around 150 gallons of water a day. Meanwhile in Sydney Australia, with a roughly comparable climate and standard of living, people use about half that amount. Trust me, no one in Sydney is going thirsty.”


----------



## klpca (Mar 20, 2015)

Ironwood said:


> A comment off the web this morning....
> 
> “California has plenty of water…just not enough to satisfy every possible use of water that people can imagine when the price is close to zero. As David Zetland points out in an excellent interview with Russ Roberts, people in San Diego county use around 150 gallons of water a day. Meanwhile in Sydney Australia, with a roughly comparable climate and standard of living, people use about half that amount. Trust me, no one in Sydney is going thirsty.”



Here a link to another article that you may find useful. http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/where-we-are/in-a-season-of-drought-where-does-the-water-go.html Of particular note is the agricultural sector uses 80% of the water managed by the state. So even if every individual stopped using water we still can't fix the problem. This is an honest to goodness drought. I can only imagine what these drought conditions will do the to supply of fresh produce and the resulting prices. 

In our home we have replaced everything that we can - we have low flush toilets, water restricting shower heads, a high efficiency washing machine, and our landscape (drought tolerant plants) is on a drip system. None of those things have come cheap, but we try to do our part. We still have a small amount of turf (I have more carpeting in my house than grass outside), but it's almost 30 years old and gets by just fine on being watered twice a week - if that. The rest of the circuits are programmed to run three times per week for 7 minutes (drip system) at 5:30 am,  to prevent evaporation. We never wash our cars at home but pay to wash them at a car wash that recycles the water. We even keep a five gallon bucket in our bath tub to catch the water that is wasted waiting for the shower to heat up in the morning. It isn't that big of a deal to do these things, but it seems to be the proverbial "drop in the bucket".


----------



## MuranoJo (Mar 21, 2015)

Love the idea of keeping a bucket under the faucet while heating up the water for a shower or bath.  

Some people like to wash and reuse zip-lock bags, thinking it's more environmentally sound.  But with the water it wastes to rinse them, I wonder if it's really all that beneficial.


----------



## CarolF (Mar 21, 2015)

klpca said:


> Here a link to another article that you may find useful. http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/where-we-are/in-a-season-of-drought-where-does-the-water-go.html Of particular note is the agricultural sector uses 80% of the water managed by the state. So even if every individual stopped using water we still can't fix the problem. This is an honest to goodness drought. I can only imagine what these drought conditions will do the to supply of fresh produce and the resulting prices.
> 
> In our home we have replaced everything that we can - we have low flush toilets, water restricting shower heads, a high efficiency washing machine, and our landscape (drought tolerant plants) is on a drip system. None of those things have come cheap, but we try to do our part. We still have a small amount of turf (I have more carpeting in my house than grass outside), but it's almost 30 years old and gets by just fine on being watered twice a week - if that. The rest of the circuits are programmed to run three times per week for 7 minutes (drip system) at 5:30 am,  to prevent evaporation. We never wash our cars at home but pay to wash them at a car wash that recycles the water. We even keep a five gallon bucket in our bath tub to catch the water that is wasted waiting for the shower to heat up in the morning. It isn't that big of a deal to do these things, but it seems to be the proverbial "drop in the bucket".



I currently live in South Australia, the driest state in the driest inhabited continent in the world. It seems we live with the same water saving measures as you. During droughts, a rationing system is implemented.   Is it also common to collect your own rain water for use in the house?  The storage tanks help to reduce our water bill significantly.  Not sure what you pay for water but there is a 3 tier pricing system here, the more you use the dearer it gets.  There is also an annual supply charge of $282.80.

2014-15 Household Water Pricing - From 1 July 2014


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Mar 31, 2015)

What a Record-Low Snowpack Means for Summer in the Northwest - by Ashley Ahearn/ Living on Earth/ Public Radio International/ pri.org

"Now here in the eastern part of the country, weve been breaking snowfall records. But on the west coast, the snow season has been a bust, much to the disgust of would-be skiers. Indeed, snow levels were at record low level in Washington and Oregon. And thats not only a problem for skiers water utilities rely on snowpack for supplies during the summer. But as Ashley Ahearn of the public media collaborative EarthFix reports, its not time to hit the panic button just yet..."

Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 1, 2015)

California Imposes First-Ever Mandatory Water Restrictions - by Alexandra Sifferlin/ U.S. Weather/ Time.com

"The state is facing a historic drought.

California’s governor issued unprecedented mandatory water restrictions for the entire state on Wednesday, in the face of a persistent drought that is growing dire.

Gov. Jerry Brown directed the State Water Resources Control Board to cut the state’s water usage by 25% by enacting a series of water reduction practices, which could translate to savings of about 1.5 million acre-feet of water over the next nine months. The plan would include replacing 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought-tolerant landscaping, replacing appliances with energy-efficient models and enforcing restricted water use for places like golf courses and cemeteries. Additional measures will address agricultural water use and investment in water-saving technologies..."





 Justin Sullivan—Getty Images Weeds grow in dry cracked earth that used to be the bottom of Lake McClure in La Grange, California on March 24, 2015. 


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 3, 2015)

California Water Crisis by the Numbers - Josh Sanburn/ U.S. Environment/ Time.com

"Almost two-thirds of water is used for agriculture — but Gov. Jerry Brown's measures apply mainly to urban areas

California Governor Jerry Brown on Wednesday imposed historic water controls on the drought-stricken state. But who will the burden of conserving water fall upon? Here, nine numbers that explain the new measures:..."





 Rich Pedroncelli—AP 
Rice harvested by Mike DeWitt is loaded into trucks near Davis, Calif., Oct. 10, 2014. DeWitt is among the Sacramento Valley farmers who planted 25 percent less rice than normal because of water cutbacks. 


Richard


----------



## CarolF (Apr 12, 2015)

*Californians turn to dusty Australians for a hand*

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/bus...lians-for-a-hand-20150410-1mib69.html?stb=red



> ...  While most growers' government water allocations have been cut to zero, many retain access to water rights and are drilling more wells on their land, straining aquifers as surface supplies get more scarce.
> 
> The system is different in Australia, where land and water rights are separated and tightly controlled. The country employs a market-based system created three decades ago that allows traders, farmers and government entities to buy and sell $1.5 billion of water annually through exchanges and brokers.
> 
> ...


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 13, 2015)

CarolF said:


> http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/bus...lians-for-a-hand-20150410-1mib69.html?stb=red



Carol,

Thanks for posting what's happening with the water situation Down Under.
Sounds like some excellent stewardship.


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 13, 2015)

California Delta's Water Mysteriously Missing Amid Severe Drought - From The Associated Press/ Environment/ FoxNews.com

"FRESNO, Calif. –  As California struggles with a devastating drought, huge amounts of water are mysteriously vanishing from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — and the prime suspects are farmers whose families have tilled fertile soil there for generations.

A state investigation was launched following complaints from two large agencies that supply water to arid farmland in the Central Valley and to millions of residents as far south as San Diego..."






March 27, 2015: Farmer Rudy Mussi poses at one of his pumps that draws water from a slough to irrigate his farm land in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Stockton, Calif. (AP)


Richard


----------



## LisaH (Apr 13, 2015)

We had good rain this season. I know we are in a drought but it does not look like it where I live. Reservoir nearby has not been that full in years...Here are a couple of pictures I took recently.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 20, 2015)

MULTIZ321 said:


> California Goes Nuts - by Tom Philpott/ Food and Ag Correspondent/ motherjones.com
> 
> ...Almond products—snack mixes, butters, milk—are flying off supermarket shelves. The value of the California almond market hit $4.8 billion in 2012—that's triple the level of a decade earlier. Only dairy is worth more to the state than almonds and grapes. In fact, almonds, along with California-grown pistachios and walnuts, are becoming so lucrative that big investment funds, eager to get in on the boom, are snapping up land and dropping in trees.
> 
> ...




Almonds Get Roasted in Debate Over California Water Use - By Tribune Wire Reports/ Business/ ChicagoTribune.com

"California almonds are becoming one of the world's favorite snacks and creating a multibillion-dollar bonanza for agricultural investors. But the crop extracts a staggering price from the land, consuming more water than all the showering, dish-washing and other indoor household water use of California's 39 million people.

As California enters its fourth year of drought and imposes the first mandatory statewide water cutbacks on cities and towns, the $6.5 billion almond crop is helping drive a sharp debate about water use, agricultural interests and how both affect the state's giant economy..."





Almonds are seen on growing in an almond orchard belonging near Atwater, California. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jun 2, 2015)

*California's Snowpack is Gone*

One of California's Biggest Sources of Water Just Disappeared - by Erin Brodwin/ Science/ BusinessInsider.com

The worst drought in recorded history just got worse.

California's main source of surface water during the state's dry summer months is the remaining snow on its highest mountains. But it has officially melted. The snowpack levels, which hovered at around 7% to 15% of normal for this date in 2009, before the four-year drought began, are currently at 0%.

What does that look like?

Here's a map of the California snowpack on May 29, 2009:.."


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jun 5, 2015)

Drought is Bearing Fruit for Washington Wineries - by Kirk Johnson/ U.S./ International New York Times/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"YAKIMA, Wash. — American wine, for all the hype and hyperbole in recent years about Idaho rieslings or Pennsylvania pinot noirs, is still overwhelmingly a California thing. Even in an off year, wineries there produce more than 20 times as much wine as the vineyards here in Washington State, the perennial No. 2 in the rankings.

But wine producers here also have a message for all those complacent vintners down in Napa and Sonoma: Don’t look in the rearview mirror.

Washington’s winemaking production has more than doubled in the past decade, and the expansion may be accelerating, wine researchers and growers say, for an unlikely sounding reason: drought..."

Photo Credit: Ruth Fremson/The New York Times 

Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jun 18, 2015)

The World is Running Out of Water - by Todd C. Frankel/ The Washington Post/ washingtonpost.com

"The world’s largest underground aquifers – a source of fresh water for hundreds of millions of people — are being depleted at alarming rates, according to new NASA satellite data that provides the most detailed picture yet of vital water reserves hidden under the Earth’s surface.

Twenty-one of the world’s 37 largest aquifers — in locations from India and China to the United States and France — have passed their sustainability tipping points, meaning more water was removed than replaced during the decade-long study period, researchers announced Tuesday. Thirteen aquifers declined at rates that put them into the most troubled category. The researchers said this indicated a long-term problem that’s likely to worsen as reliance on aquifers grows..."






U.C. Riverside ecologist Cameron Barrows inspects the dead, angular branches and drooping fronds of a drought-stricken Joshua Tree


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jul 16, 2015)

Thailand is Suffering From the Worst Drought in Decades - by Helen Regan/ World/ Thailand/ time.com

"Farmers are bearing the brunt

Thailand is experiencing the worst drought in decades, with seven out of 67 provinces affected and water rationing taking place in almost a third of the country.

Thailand’s Irrigation Department said that the amount of usable water in dams across the country, except in the West, have dwindled to below 10 percent and in the capital Bangkok tap water production has been slowing down since May, reports the Associated Press.

Meanwhile the drought is taking its toll on the country’s farmers..."

Richard


----------



## Tia (Jul 17, 2015)

Our subdivision has always had guidelines on using our irrigation water for yards and they just sent another letting saying it's mandatory. Neighbor was out washing his and his next door house sidewalk last night, he usually ignored the watering guidelines before too


----------



## x3 skier (Jul 17, 2015)

We've had the most rain in 144 years the past 30 days. Beginning to think I'm in a rain forest. 

Cheers


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jan 2, 2016)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Almonds Get Roasted in Debate Over California Water Use - By Tribune Wire Reports/ Business/ ChicagoTribune.com
> 
> "California almonds are becoming one of the world's favorite snacks and creating a multibillion-dollar bonanza for agricultural investors. But the crop extracts a staggering price from the land, consuming more water than all the showering, dish-washing and other indoor household water use of California's 39 million people.
> 
> ...



Here's the Real Problem with Almonds - by Tom Philpott and Julia Lurie/ New Republic/ newrepublic.com

"Almonds: crunchy, delicious, and…the center of a nefarious plot to suck California dry? They certainly have used up a lot of ink lately—partly inspired by Mother Jones’s reporting over the past year. California’s drought-stricken Central Valley churns out 80 percent of the globe’s almonds, and since each nut takes a gallon of water to produce, they account for close to 10 percent of the state’s annual agricultural water use—or more than what the entire population of Los Angeles and San Francisco use in a year.

As Grist’s Nathanael Johnson put it, almonds have become a scapegoat of sorts—“the poster-nut for human wastefulness in California’s drought.” Or, as Alissa Walker put it in Gizmodo, “You know, ALMONDS, THE DEVIL’S NUT.” It’s not surprising that the almond backlash has inspired a backlash of its own. California agriculture is vast and complex, and its water woes can’t hang entirely on any one commodity, not even one as charismatic as the devil’s nut almond.

And as many have pointed out, almonds have a lot going for them—they’re nutritious, they taste good, and they’re hugely profitable for California. In 2014, almonds brought in a whopping $11 billion to the state’s economy. Plus, other foods—namely, animal products—use a whole lot more water per ounce than almonds.

So almonds must be worth all the water they require, right? Not so fast. Before you jump to any conclusions, consider the following five facts:..."







Richard


----------



## FLDVCFamily (Jan 2, 2016)

silverfox82 said:


> I live on a sandbar (long island barrier beach) and our problem is waste water rather than wasting water. At less than 5 feet above sea level and no sewers we learn water conservation as children, no one flushes for "#1" here. On the other hand our water supply is pristine from the Lloyd aquifer and industry has only polluted a small portion of it, so far.



I live just north of you in Brevard county also on the barrier island and I wasn't aware that we even had these issues...we have storm drains though. Sebastian really doesn't have storm drains? Crazy the things I've never realized!


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jan 16, 2016)

There's a Place That's Nearly Perfect for Growing Food. It's Not California. - by Tom Philpott/ New Republic/ newrepublic.com

"California is by far the dominant US produce-growing state—source of (large PDF) 81 percent of US-grown carrots, 95 percent of broccoli, 86 percent of cauliflower, 74 percent of raspberries, 91 percent of strawberries, etc.

But all three of its main veggie growing regions—the Imperial Valley, the Central Valley, and the Salinas Valley—face serious short- and long-term water challenges. As I  argued in a New York Times debate, it’s time to “de-Californify” the nation’s supply of fruits and vegetable supply, to make it more diversified, resilient, and ready for a changing climate..."








Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jan 22, 2016)

Disappearance of Bolivia's No. 2 Lake a Harbinger - by Carlos Valdez, Associated Press/ AP/ apnewsarchive.com

"UNTAVI, Bolivia (AP) — Overturned fishing skiffs lie abandoned on the shores of what was Bolivia's second-largest lake. Beetles dine on bird carcasses and gulls fight for scraps under a glaring sun in what marshes remain.

Lake Poopo was officially declared evaporated last month. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have lost their livelihoods and gone.

High on Bolivia's semi-arid Andean plains at 3,700 meters (more than 12,000 feet) and long subject to climatic whims, the shallow saline lake has essentially dried up before only to rebound to twice the area of Los Angeles.

But recovery may no longer be possible, scientists say..."





This photo combo of satellite images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows Lake Poopo filled with water on April, 12, 2013, left, and almost dry on Jan. 15, 2016, right, in Bolivia. As Andean glaciers disappear so do the sources of Poopo’s water. Along with glacial melting, authorities say another factor is the diversion of water from Poopo’s tributaries, mostly for mining but also for agriculture. (NASA Earth Observatory via AP)


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Mar 24, 2016)

The Global Water Crisis in Pictures - from BBC News/ bbc.com

"Since 2011, American photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz has travelled to eight countries around the world highlighting the global water crisis in his documentary project, Water Stories.

Seventy large-scale photographs from the series are on display in London in his first UK solo exhibition..."





Mustafah Abdulaziz/WaterAid
Image caption Children journey to collect water, Sindh Province, Pakistan, 2013 


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Apr 14, 2016)

Climate Change Hits Hard in Zambia, an African Success Story - By Norimitsu Onishi/ Africa/ World/ International New York Times/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"LAKE KARIBA, Zambia — Even as drought and the effects of climate change grew visible across this land, the Kariba Dam was always a steady, and seemingly limitless, source of something rare in Africa: electricity so cheap and plentiful that Zambia could export some to its neighbors.

The power generated from the Kariba — one of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams, in one of the world’s largest artificial lakes — contributed to Zambia’s political stability and helped turn its economy into one of the fastest growing on the continent.

But today, as a severe drought magnified by climate change has cut water levels to record lows, the Kariba is generating so little juice that blackouts have crippled the nation’s already hurting businesses. After a decade of being heralded as a vanguard of African growth, Zambia, in a quick, mortifying letdown, is now struggling to pay its own civil servants and has reached out to the International Monetary Fund for help...."





 Pherry Mwiinga, a hydrologist, looks out over the Zambezi River in Zambia, where water levels are at record lows. Credit Joao Silva/The New York Times 


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Feb 17, 2017)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Almonds Get Roasted in Debate Over California Water Use - By Tribune Wire Reports/ Business/ ChicagoTribune.com
> 
> "California almonds are becoming one of the world's favorite snacks and creating a multibillion-dollar bonanza for agricultural investors. But the crop extracts a staggering price from the land, consuming more water than all the showering, dish-washing and other indoor household water use of California's 39 million people.
> 
> ...



A Bee Mogul Confronts the Crisis In His Field
By Stephanie Strom/ Business Day/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"Beekeeping on an industrial scale is central to American agriculture, and “colony
collapse” has proved to be a severe test.

KERN COUNTY, Calif. — A soft light was just beginning to outline the Tejon Hills as Bret Adee counted rows of wizened almond trees under his breath.

He placed a small white flag at the end of every 16th row to show his employees where they should place his beehives. Every so often, he fingered the buds on the trees. “It won’t be long,” he said.

Mr. Adee (pronounced Ay-Dee) is America’s largest beekeeper, and this is his busy season. Some 92,000 hives had to be deployed before those buds burst into blossom so that his bees could get to the crucial work of pollination.

But it is notable that he has a business at all. For the last decade, a mysterious plague has killed billions of bees every year...."





Bret Adee checked inside a hive on a ranch near Bakersfield, Calif. Credit Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times


Richard


----------



## easyrider (Feb 18, 2017)

So is the California drought about over ? It certainly looks like it has been raining bucket loads in CA.

Bill


----------



## klpca (Feb 18, 2017)

easyrider said:


> So is the California drought about over ? It certainly looks like it has been raining bucket loads in CA.
> 
> Bill


Well, we're definitely getting saturated this year! I'll take it. I think that we were all tired of the drought. They aren't really easing up on the water restrictions though.


----------



## brownhaired_girl (Feb 18, 2017)

As the wife of a dairy farmer I found this article interesting.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2016/0328/Why-Saudi-Arabia-bought-14-000-acres-of-US-farm-land


----------



## Blues (Feb 19, 2017)

easyrider said:


> So is the California drought about over ? It certainly looks like it has been raining bucket loads in CA.



The best resource I've found is the US Drought Monitor, California page.

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA  shows current conditions, where less than 1% of the state is still classified in extreme drought, and about 7% in severe drought.  For comparison, try clicking on "One Year Ago".

Also fun is the following animation.  Starts in 2011 with no drought whatsoever, goes through the extreme years of 2014/2015, and shows how much progress the current rainy season has made:

https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2017/0...rain-storms/?gclid=CMPwq63_nNICFUpNfgodecYAAA


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Feb 19, 2017)

California, Parched for 5 Years, Is Now Battered By Water
By Thomas Fuller/ U.S./ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"A powerful storm with near hurricane-force winds swept through Southern California on Saturday, killing at least two people and causing widespread disruptions, but providing a definitive respite from five years of drought.

Amid one of the wettest winters in decades, more heavy rainfall was due to strike Northern California starting on Sunday...."





Newport Beach in Southern California. A powerful storm swept through that region of the state on Saturday. Credit Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register, via Associated Press


Richard


----------



## Blues (Feb 24, 2017)

Blues said:


> The best resource I've found is the US Drought Monitor, California page.
> 
> http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA  shows current conditions, where less than 1% of the state is still classified in extreme drought, and about 7% in severe drought.  For comparison, try clicking on "One Year Ago".



Followup.  Now if you click on that link, you see the Feb 21 status, where only 4% of the state is severe, and there is *no* extreme drought anywhere.

ETA - So now, the only places with severe drought are Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Imperial counties.  Moderate drought continues in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange counties; the northern part of Los Angeles county; and much of the Salinas valley, though not as far north as Salinas itself.

As a local, I find that last part a bit hard to believe.  Local news reported that Lake Nacimiento is full, and they're releasing as fast as they can into the Salinas River.  While they don't expect it to cause additional flooding, I also find it hard to believe that the Salinas Valley is considered to be in drought.


----------



## x3 skier (Feb 24, 2017)

Might be a good idea to stop the CA high speed rail to nowhere and build more/better dams instead.

Cheers


----------



## Blues (Feb 24, 2017)

x3 skier said:


> Might be a good idea to stop the CA high speed rail to nowhere and build more/better dams instead.



Gov Brown proposes $437 million for water and flood control infrastructure

Totally independent of high speed rail.  And I wouldn't call LA to SF "nowhere".


----------



## x3 skier (Feb 24, 2017)

Blues said:


> Gov Brown proposes $437 million for water and flood control infrastructure
> 
> Totally independent of high speed rail.  And I wouldn't call LA to SF "nowhere".



Not my description, http://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/...cle_b288b442-bd3e-5973-868a-3a5c21a7d1c1.html. From the Bakersfield Californian.

Seems to me, water and flood control is a better use of money than the estimated $60B for the train.

Cheers


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Mar 4, 2017)

Sierra Snowpack Smacks California's Drought
By Richard Gonzales/ The Two-Way: Breaking News From NPR/ National Public Radio/ America/ npr.org


"Remember those pictures of parched lawns and bone-dry unplanted fields when it seemed that Californians could only pray for rain and snow?

Now thanks to one of the wettest winters on record, scientists say that the snowpack along the Sierra Nevada mountain range is a whopping 185 percent of average. And that's important because the runoff from the Sierra snowpack provides one-third of all of California's water...."





Frank Gehrke (right), California's chief snow surveyor checks the weight of the snowpack on a scale. Scientists say the snowpack is 185 percent of average, which is welcome news after the state's long drought.

Rich Pedroncelli/AP


Richard


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Mar 23, 2017)

From the California Sky, Measuring All That Snow
By Mike McPhate, Derek Watkins, and Jim Wilson/ U.S./ Interactive/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com

"Mammoth Lakes, Ca. — The majestic beauty of California’s Sierra Nevada never fails to impress. But the mountain range, which stretches hundreds of miles, is much more than a stunning vista. It’s a linchpin that helps make living in an arid state possible.

That’s because one of California’s most important water supplies is melted snow. Each spring and summer, the Sierra sends runoff down its slopes that recharges rivers and reservoirs, allowing crops to be irrigated and drinking glasses to be filled.

Knowing with precision how much snow has accumulated is crucial for farmers and water managers.

That’s where a mapping project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory known as the Airborne Snow Observatory comes in. Using measurements gathered by specialized instruments on a plane, scientists have been able to gain an unprecedented understanding of the amount of water present in the Sierra’s snow.





Trees on a slope in the snow-covered eastern Sierra Nevada. Photo by Jim Wilson/The New York Times


Richard


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 4, 2017)

Scientists Create Graphene-Based Sieve That Removes Salt From Seawater
By Avaneesh Pandey/ World/ International Business Times/ ibtimes.com

"It is estimated that over 660 million people in the world still do not have access to clean and safe drinking water — a number that is only expected to rise in the coming decades as water supplies begin to run dry. According to the United Nations, by 2025, 14 percent of the world’s population will face water scarcity.

This is despite Earth being a “pale blue dot,” 70 percent of whose surface is covered in water.

The problem is that the water held in our planet’s oceans, which accounts for over 96 percent of all water on Earth, is not potable. So far, efforts to make it drinkable have been either inefficient, dauntingly expensive, or both...."





An artist's concept showing a graphene oxide sieve capable of removing salt from seawater. Photo: University of Manchester 


Richard


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## WalnutBaron (Apr 6, 2017)

Blues said:


> Gov Brown proposes $437 million for water and flood control infrastructure
> 
> Totally independent of high speed rail.  And I wouldn't call LA to SF "nowhere".



As described in this article from the LA Times, the high speed rail fiasco is $3.6 billion over budget and a full seven years behind schedule--and that's just for the first 118 miles of the project through the Central Valley (which was supposed to be the easy part of the project). I'd also disagree that building more dams and reservoirs in California is "totally independent" of high speed rail. Infrastructure projects--whether dams or trains--are paid for by California taxpayers, either living or yet unborn. Increasingly, California's leaders are choosing to lay those costs off on the younger generations. And what a tax wollop it will be.


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## MULTIZ321 (Apr 13, 2017)

California Drought, Then and Now, In Pictures
The Photo Desk/ Flipboard/ cdn.flipboard.com






If interested, click on link for more pictures.


Richard


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## WalnutBaron (Apr 13, 2017)

Thanks, Richard, for posting the photos! 

To put some perspective on what's been going on here in Northern California, Sacramento has received a little over 32" of rain so far this season (the season is measured beginning Oct 1, when California's rainy season typically begins), compared to average rainfall year to date of 16.7". The all-time record for recorded rainfall for Sacramento is 36.6", which occurred in 1982-83. If we receive no more rain between now and September 30, this will still rank as the 4th wettest year on record.

The real concerns are for how well California's system of dams, reservoirs, levees, and canals will be able to handle the snowmelt, which has begun but which will hit its peak in May and June. The mountains are holding the equivalent of an additional 51" of rainfall, the great majority of which will be coming down during the upcoming summer and fall months. It's going to be a very interesting year.


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## Passepartout (Apr 13, 2017)

Maybe instead of building more dams, a system of humongous pumps should be incorporated to inject runoff water back into the underground aquifers rather than flushing it out to sea in the rivers.


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## WalnutBaron (Apr 13, 2017)

Passepartout said:


> Maybe instead of building more dams, a system of humongous pumps should be incorporated to inject runoff water back into the underground aquifers rather than flushing it out to sea in the rivers.



I wish it was that simple. Unfortunately, recharging the aquifers requires slow percolation rather than blasting the water back into the ground. That's why everyone here is hoping we continue to have a relatively cool spring so that the snowmelt comes down slowly and evenly rather than all at once. The truth is we _do _need more storage. The last major storage project in California was the New Melones Dam, completed in 1979. At the time, the population of California was a little over 23 million. Today it's more than 39 million. Over the past 35 years, California's leaders have done a terrible job of investing in the state's infrastructure--and now it's time to pay the piper.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 2, 2018)

Widespread Drought Across U.S. Stokes Fears About a Repeat of 2012's Wrath
By Madelyn Beck/ Food for Thought/ The Salt:What's on Your Plate/ National Public Radio/ npr.org

"Western Illinois might be close to the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, but it's the driest part of the state this year.

"We really haven't really had any measurable rain since the middle of October," says Ken Schafer, who farms winter wheat, corn and soybeans in Jerseyville. "I dug some post-holes this winter, and it's just dust."

His farm is in an area that the [URL='http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/']U.S. Drought Monitor considers "severe." Some of the nation's worst areas of drought are in southwest Kansas, much of Oklahoma and a slice of Missouri. But several states are in some sort of drought, from Illinois to California, the Dakotas to Texas.

The worry also is widespread, considering the reach of this winter's drought is even worse than in 2012, a year that brought the worst drought in the U.S. since the Dust Bowl in the 1930s and cost farmers, ranchers and governments an estimated $30 billion, according to the federal National Centers for Environmental Information...."





In 2012, record heat throughout the U.S. farm belt curtailed crop production like this rotting corn on a farm in Bruceville, Ind. Farmers are now worried that the lack of rainfall this year could start the cycle over again.

Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images [/URL]


Richard


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