3 HN users recommended this explainer3 months2024–2026score 3
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026
HN points to it in Colorado River and water-use threads as an accessible explainer of why the Western water shortage keeps getting worse.
A Climate Town episode on who uses America's water, particularly Western water. It looks at agriculture such as alfalfa and animal feed, and at water-rights rules that discourage conservation.
If you don't mind the presentation style, [this video] is great presents an even direr situation: because water rights are "use it or lose it", we are actively encouraging water misuse, beyond just "it's cheap enough to misuse it".
Explains use-it-or-lose-it water rights encouraging waste
Climate Town did a great video breaking down where a lot of this ends up, worth the watch if you want some more detailed background on the agreements in place that are leading to this happening: [this video]
For anyone interested in the background behind this clusterfuck, Climate Town has a good explainer: [this video] . It's not just drought, it's because many of the players involved are required to waste as much water as they can - the video has the details.
Residential water use is tiny compared to water used to grow things mostly cattle feed, Primarily alfalfa [this video] The reason for the water shortages is not more people it’s a complete and utter mismanagement of the watershed
Arizona and California have outdated water management laws that basically mean that big agriculture gets free water. Until recently Saudi Arabia was using these laws to grow alfalfa in the desert. In California, water intensive crops like almond trees get free water. [this video] [link]
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