California only has about one year’s supply of water left

[Josquius]

There really needs to be a federal body to smash some heads together and reorder things

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bureau_of_Reclamation


I don't know why you make these assumptions all the time, man.

What assumptions?

[MadImmortalMan]

I was looking into the almond thing and apparently California produces 80% of them for the whole world.

But here's some other ones. For the US market, California produces:

-99 percent of the artichokes

-44 percent of asparagus

-two-thirds of carrots

-half of bell peppers

-89 percent of cauliflower

-94 percent of broccoli

-95 percent of celery

-90 percent of the leaf lettuce

-83 percent of Romaine lettuce

-83 percent of fresh spinach

-a third of the fresh tomatoes

-86 percent of lemons

-90 percent of avocados

-84 percent of peaches

-88 percent of fresh strawberries

-97 percent of fresh plums


People aren't going to stop eating, so obviously that production will be made up from other sources. The question is, where. Maybe Mexico's agricultural market can step up? Too bad Argentina is a basket case.

[Ideologue]

I was looking into the almond thing and apparently California produces 80% of them for the whole world.

But here's some other ones. For the US market, California produces:

-99 percent of the artichokes

-44 percent of asparagus

-two-thirds of carrots

-half of bell peppers

-89 percent of cauliflower

-94 percent of broccoli

-95 percent of celery

-90 percent of the leaf lettuce

-83 percent of Romaine lettuce

-83 percent of fresh spinach

-a third of the fresh tomatoes

-86 percent of lemons

-90 percent of avocados

-84 percent of peaches

-88 percent of fresh strawberries

-97 percent of fresh plums


People aren't going to stop eating, so obviously that production will be made up from other sources. The question is, where. Maybe Mexico's agricultural market can step up? Too bad Argentina is a basket case.

Bolded are the foods that will be outlawed once my militia takes over during the Water Wars.

[Eddie Teach]

You want people to be stick thin, yet you'd outlaw lettuce and broccoli? 

[Admiral Yi]

Are those percentages of domestic production or of total consumption Mimsy?

[Ideologue]

I'd also outlaw meat farming.*  It'd even out.

*In all seriousness, the amount of water and resources that goes into cattle farming, and the ecological damage that results, is insane.  Humans are already too many, representing the second largest vertebrate species by biomass on this planet.  The very largest is cattle, a methane-blasting human instrumentality.  It's too much.

[garbon]

Too much for what?

[Ideologue]

An Earth that we expect or wish to support a middle class existence for all.

[MadImmortalMan]

Are those percentages of domestic production or of total consumption Mimsy?

The big list is for the US market only. 80% of the almonds for the whole world though. I didn't look up walnuts but it's probably significant too.

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2011/09/california-agriculture-too-productive-our-own-good

[Admiral Yi]

The big list is for the US market only. 80% of the almonds for the whole world though. I didn't look up walnuts but it's probably significant too.

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2011/09/california-agriculture-too-productive-our-own-good

They seem to jump back and forth between US consumption and US production.

Not surprised Mother Jones is puzzled by a concept like this. 

[garbon]

An Earth that we expect or wish to support a middle class existence for all.

Why would we expect or wish for that?

[Ideologue]

How about "an Earth that can maintain our current technological civilization where your well-honed tertiary economy skills aren't useless"?  Does that motivate you?

[Razgovory]

I like Broccoli.

[Tonitrus]

There's probably a lot of underutilized farmland in the deep south.

[dps]

An Earth that we expect or wish to support a middle class existence for all.

Being able to eat thick, juicy steaks is a fundamental part of a decent middle class existence.