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livingontheland - [Livingontheland] Scarce water and population boom leads California to 'perfect drought'

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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Scarce water and population boom leads California to 'perfect drought'
  • Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 20:05:01 -0600


Scarce water and population boom leads California to 'perfect drought'
entire article at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2110628,00.html

While the waters dry up, demand for the scarce resource increases. Not only
has southern California seen a growth in its population of two-to-four
times the national average in the past 50 years, but neighbouring states
such as Nevada and Arizona are also experiencing population booms. And they
all claim water from the same source, the Colorado River.
----------------

We're not even counting the drawdown on the huge Ogalallah Aquifer that
irrigates the Midwest breadbasket - the area converting to corn for ethanol
and subsidized by tax money. Corn is water-hogging and a serious soil
depleter. Fine combination.

On this list we've intentionally stressed moisture-conserving methods for
home and market growing - no-till, mulch, cover crops, etc. This is not
idle banter. Most importantly, these methods are simply not scalable up to
resource-depleting and fossil fuel-hungry mega-farms and long-distance
agribusiness. It's days are numbered. The future of food is small growers,
low tech and local. But we can only do so much to get the word out. Few if
any other gardening or growing lists are willing to face or discuss the
severe constraints on resources that we're beginning to see. We are on the
cutting edge here.


paul tradingpost@lobo.net








  • [Livingontheland] Scarce water and population boom leads California to 'perfect drought', TradingPostPaul, 06/24/2007

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