How much California water are YOU using?

[btdt]

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/21/us/your-contribution-to-the-california-drought.html?_r=1 

There are tons of graphics on here that won't copy.

[emisi]

Okay, so what's the solution? Unfortunately, California is the breadbasket of the US. Where else would we grow half that stuff?

[btdt]

May 22, 2015 9:49:46 GMT -5 emisi said:

Okay, so what's the solution? Unfortunately, California is the breadbasket of the US. Where else would we grow half that stuff?

Unfortunately, I have no idea. I try to buy local produce as much as possible, but giving up nuts and avocados? Yeah, not happening.

[pixy0stix]

None. CA is using OUR water. heh heh heh. Ok, I'll go the link now.

[darnkatz]

I've been actively trying not to buy CA produce, which is hard. Luckily, we're seeing an uptick in local produce right now, so that makes it easier.

[Velar Fricative]

Ooooooo boy. I guess a lot?

Thankfully my online grocery provides a lot of local produce options. I will pay more attention to those now.

[Deleted]

We buy mostly local stuff.

But avocados, man, I eat two every week.

[jsillyfun]

Well I live in Ca so.... I've cut back on a lot of water use though.

[meshaliuknits]

May 22, 2015 9:55:38 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

None. CA is using OUR water. heh heh heh. Ok, I'll go the link now.

lol

I was going to say Pepsi is using CA water & the rest of CA is using CO's water.

[meshaliuknits]

May 22, 2015 10:16:01 GMT -5 jsillyfun said:

Well I live in Ca so.... I've cut back on a lot of water use though.

Same.

[itsme]

May 22, 2015 10:17:31 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

May 22, 2015 10:16:01 GMT -5 jsillyfun said:

Well I live in Ca so.... I've cut back on a lot of water use though.

Same.

Yup

[karinothing]

May 22, 2015 9:49:46 GMT -5 emisi said:

Okay, so what's the solution? Unfortunately, California is the breadbasket of the US. Where else would we grow half that stuff?

I heard a fascinating story on NPR about this. Apparently it wasn't always like that. Like there is zero reason cows have to be in CA. The article was talking about moving dairy back to the midwest. And then it was mentioning a lot of other crops which started out in other states but were moved to CA and the environment was artificially manipulated to foster their growth (I assume with water issues). So the thing would be to move everything back to where it started growing in the first place?

[Deleted]

May 22, 2015 10:22:15 GMT -5 karinothing said:

May 22, 2015 9:49:46 GMT -5 emisi said:

Okay, so what's the solution? Unfortunately, California is the breadbasket of the US. Where else would we grow half that stuff?

I heard a fascinating story on NPR about this. Apparently it wasn't always like that. Like there is zero reason cows have to be in CA. The article was talking about moving dairy back to the midwest. And then it was mentioning a lot of other crops which started out in other states but were moved to CA and the environment was artificially manipulated to foster their growth (I assume with water issues). So the thing would be to move everything back to where it started growing in the first place?

But then where would we plant all the subsidized corn?!

[emisi]

May 22, 2015 9:53:16 GMT -5 btdt said:

May 22, 2015 9:49:46 GMT -5 emisi said:

Okay, so what's the solution? Unfortunately, California is the breadbasket of the US. Where else would we grow half that stuff?

Unfortunately, I have no idea. I try to buy local produce as much as possible, but giving up nuts and avocados? Yeah, not happening.

Yeah, same here, and I've planted a garden, but what about this winter?  I guess there's always canning stuff and buying frozen veggies (or stuff grown in Mexico), but... I like fresh veggies.

[heyjude]

May 22, 2015 9:55:38 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

None. CA is using OUR water. heh heh heh. Ok, I'll go the link now.

Hey many states have water rights to Colorado River water.

But most of CA water comes from CA sources.

[msmerymac]

Wisconsin, NY and Vermont are huge dairy-producing states. If you can't buy locally, at least source from there, since they are not yet experiencing massive drought.

[btdt]

I can't plant a garden (between the total lack of sunlight, the deer that eat every-fucking-thing, even stuff labeled to be "deer resistant," and my own black thumb), so I make do with joining the local CSA. We eat lots of kale and sweet potatoes in the winter, but at least it is locally grown, and using GA water (okay, Alabama and Florida water, too).

[karinothing]

May 22, 2015 10:31:44 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

May 22, 2015 10:22:15 GMT -5 karinothing said:

I heard a fascinating story on NPR about this. Apparently it wasn't always like that. Like there is zero reason cows have to be in CA. The article was talking about moving dairy back to the midwest. And then it was mentioning a lot of other crops which started out in other states but were moved to CA and the environment was artificially manipulated to foster their growth (I assume with water issues). So the thing would be to move everything back to where it started growing in the first place?

But then where would we plant all the subsidized corn?!

Well aren't we growing feed corn? Cows eat corn. So it actually works out perfectly lol. Just let the cows lose in teh corn field

[ttt]

A good deal of our fruit here comes from Florida, and they have plenty of water there.

[sparrowsong]

What kind of climate do avocados need? Do they grow well in any other area of the country?

That's the hard one for me too. Can I still eat them guilt free as someone who doesn't eat meat? That means I already have a much smaller water footprint than most, right?

[elleblue]

May 22, 2015 10:38:31 GMT -5 heyjude said:

May 22, 2015 9:55:38 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

None. CA is using OUR water. heh heh heh. Ok, I'll go the link now.

Hey many states have water rights to Colorado River water.

But most of CA water comes from CA sources.

And it'd be great if CA stopped selling off water to bottled water companies. 

[msmerymac]

May 22, 2015 10:57:27 GMT -5 sparrowsong said:

What kind of climate do avocados need? Do they grow well in any other area of the country?

That's the hard one for me too. Can I still eat them guilt free as someone who doesn't eat meat? That means I already have a much smaller water footprint than most, right?

Honestly, yeah. Same with the almonds. People freak about how much water almonds use, but 40% of all of CA's water is going to meat and dairy. 

[miniroller]

May 22, 2015 11:18:16 GMT -5 elleblue said:

May 22, 2015 10:38:31 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Hey many states have water rights to Colorado River water.

But most of CA water comes from CA sources.

And it'd be great if CA stopped selling off water to bottled water companies. 

Right?!? How is this not illegal? C'mon CA govt; don't make us try to rely on the Feds for this

[savan]

May 22, 2015 10:16:01 GMT -5 jsillyfun said:

Well I live in Ca so.... I've cut back on a lot of water use though.

This is what I was coming in to say.  I try to buy local as well.  I guess I should opt for produce from Mexico, then?

[aussiecrush]

I live in CA, so even eating locally screws us over. We did let our front and back lawns go though.