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kalasea2001 t1_iue66h7 wrote

Reply to comment by Cliffe_Turkey in U.S. Streams Are Drying Up. Data showed that in the South and West, streamflow droughts got longer between 1951 and 2020, regardless of threshold. Worse yet, droughts in these regions are becoming more intense by Wagamaga

>sympathetic towards farmers and ranchers in the west as what they've wrought

This is absolutely not just a farmer rancher issue. This is an everyone issue. We all allowed this to happen.

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GreatAndPowerfulNixy t1_iueaz9r wrote

The percentage of water use by almond farmers alone in California dwarfs all other private usage.

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Adamofatom t1_iuf1bhb wrote

And who do you think the farmers farm for?

I am definitely for more regulations for the industry. But at the end of the day the industry feeds the needs of the consumers.

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TheLastForestOnEarth t1_iufaf1h wrote

Farmers farm for themselves. Farming is a for-profit business. They're not heroes, selflessly generating food so the rest of us can live.

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kuroimakina t1_iuf3f6w wrote

Consumers are stupid, and those who aren’t stupid are often too overworked and tired to also spend all their time picking and choosing every single purchase to minimize their impact to the environment. It’s all just how the system works - make everyone overworked, undereducated, and/or generally disenfranchised and they’ll just accept anything

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MewgDewg t1_iuf80fz wrote

idk friend - I understand your sentiment but anecdotally it only took me an afternoon to figure out what in my area was reasonably sustainable and what specifically was not, when certain things I like were in season etc.. I definitely agree with the "No ethical consumption" sentiment but I don't feel like it's a good excuse not to try

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Cliffe_Turkey t1_iuf8x3l wrote

Sure, I agree. We shouldn't build giant cities in the desert either. Or let private equity buy up water rights and sell them to the highest bidder. Lawns and golf courses are ridiculous.

But look how water is allocated and who is using most of it in the west. Look at the insane things our systems of water law have incentivized. Look at the lawmakers who refuse to change the systems of incentives. Look at the ranchers and farmers (most of them) who refuse to do the most basic water efficiency changes because they've got the private property rights, and their traditions. It's the biggest piece, by far.

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