California $75 Rebate on Rainwater Barrels

[Leafmite]

California produces a great deal of the US's food. It isn't like in the seventies where food production was more distributed across the US and we had less of a population to feed.
I think California's best option is desalinization. They should use wind (turbines in the ocean) and solar power to help offset the energy requirement.

[wintergirl]

Plus fracking doesn't help.

[Subrosa]

California's development as the breadbasket of the nation is predicated upon a climactic anomaly that is not going to continue indefinitely. The relatively wet climate which allows such huge amount of food to be produced there is, when looked at on a geological time scale, the exception not the rule. To try to fight mother nature on the scale required to maintain this level of production is foolhardy. De-centralization of food production is the intelligent way to deal with this problem.

[AuGrower]

Thought yall might enjoy this.



http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/16...-by-misguided/



If you don't want to read the long article... I can summarize it for you. It basically says the reason the drought is so bad is because of poor water management by the entire state. It is from fox, so it mostly blames liberals. I try to take that with a grain of salt 😁. Although, I do agree about poor management part.



For an individual to make a large dent in collecting rain water, they would need a ton of surface area for collecting. To me its much more dangerous digging deep for water reserves. Even if everyone in Cali collected rain water, there is still so much unused sq footage that I think enough water would make it through. A better plan would be to recycle their water supplies instead of dumping it into the ocean.



I think at this point though, the damage is done. Desalinization is probably going to be the best thing to help build reserves again.



I also agree with the farming being centralized...its an easy way to setup for disaster keeping so much in just one area.

[Leafmite]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

California's development as the breadbasket of the nation is predicated upon a climactic anomaly that is not going to continue indefinitely. The relatively wet climate which allows such huge amount of food to be produced there is, when looked at on a geological time scale, the exception not the rule. To try to fight mother nature on the scale required to maintain this level of production is foolhardy. De-centralization of food production is the intelligent way to deal with this problem.

Exactly. At one time, we had farms across the US. Now farms are sold off for housing developments for people that want huge lawns to mow. It is pretty sad.

Still, it is rather nuts when you look at those pictures of houses with green lawns surrounded by desert. You can't have the constant lovely sunny days and lush green lawns without something giving.

[Subrosa]

I can't understand the attraction of a green lawn here where we normally get enough rain to sustain them. My front lawn is currently in the process of becoming a woodland stocked exclusively with plants native to my area.

[Leafmite]

You are doing the right thing, Subrosa. Don't forget a little milkweed, violets and Queen Anne's lace for the butterflies. We have the nut trees, fruit trees, berry bushes, herb garden, flowers, butterfly host plants, and open chimney (we get chimney sweeps most years) to help nature along a bit.
Poor land/resource/infrastructure management is pretty common throughout the US. No one wants to admit there is a problem.

[Subrosa]

I eat my weight in violets each spring!

[Ordphien]

Yeah.
When we get lots of rain it's just swept into the ocean. A couple cities have set up efficient methods of capturing it. But most haven't.
The problem with a lawn, is that even though it's hugely wasteful, very impractical, and expensive. It's required by most home owner associations. Sometimes down to the to type of sod.
I'm finding the insistence on grass really annoying.

Even my lush flowersbeds don't take much water compared to grass.

In the last 3 years I've let both my lawns die out of a complete lack of desire to even try with grass anymore.
This year I'm looking into alternatives.

California bentgrass is looking good so far. It's supposed to use half as much water.
But I'm not sure what it's heat tolerance is.

[Leafmite]

Wow. You should write someone about your homeowner's association and ask what to do. Maybe they should have the concept of 'drought' explained to them.
It is really too bad that California is going through this. I really hope that the drought will come to an end. It has made me really appreciate all the rain we get (even if I don't appreciate the mosquitoes that make being outside rather miserable).