U.S. Farms Waste A Lot Of Water - But This Tech Could Help

[@josearmandoramos8334]

There are many aspects to this, but one thing that was not mentioned is Soil and how it relates to this issue. Healthy, fertile, high organic-content soils are able to hold and keep much more water in place. On the other hand, infertile, "desertic" soils can't do this and water runs off, even when you irrigate. So by improving soil quality we could drastically reduce irrigation requirements overall. Not to mention higher nutritional value in food and higher yield as well. There is a movement called Save Soil showing how this can be done worldwide to solve these kinds of issues.

[@A_J502]

Runoff depends more on terrain than soil composition.

[@selectbrands]

@@A_J502 Some of the worst erosion in the world is happening on laser-leveled flat agricultural fields, particularly in the American Midwest and along the Mississippi River. That is why there is now, a "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. It is very much a function of soil structure which has been degraded for decades by harmful industrial agricultural practices such as heavy machinery tilling, toxic chemicals, over-grazing, bad crop management, deforestation, etc.

[@A_J502]

@@selectbrands That’s a matter of wind and poor management, not a problem inherent or unique to any kind of agriculture. So what’s your point?

[@selectbrands]

@@A_J502 There has always been WIND and poor management, it never caused DEAD ZONES in our oceans. You must not be familar with how intensive modern agriculture works. You can read any science journal to learn about how destructive fertilizer leaching from this erosion (SPECIFICALLY caused by industrial agricultural practices) has now become. Toxic chemicals from herbicides and antibotics are also finding their way into public water systems after they leach off of these farms through erosion. Harmful bacteria from animal waste like E Coli and salmonella are leaching off of CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) which is a quintisentially industrial agricultural practice, contaminating water resources. Just visit a CAFO when it's raining and you'll be able to see and smell the erosion of filth, chemicals, and oxidized dirt running off in all directions. There is another phenomena you should look up called "topsoil loss". That is a specific and particularly harmful type of erosion because it is happening at an alarming rate in what is considered the most fertile farmland in the world. Erosion from farmlands are also destroying wetlands, rivers, and other watersheds at the same time that these intensive farm practices are quickly depleting aquifers and other water sources. Organic farms, backyard gardeners, small family farms, etc. are not really a part of this crisis, it is primarily happening on large broad acre cropped fields farmed with toxic chemicals and heavy machinery. In other words, industrial agriculture. You can Google just about anything related to modern intensive or industrial agriculture to learn about the unparalleled level of agriculturally caused erosion and how it is desertifying the Western United States (among other places). Many scientists are now identifying modern agricultural practices as being among the most ecologically destructive forces in the world. Please, just do some cursory reading on the topic, it is a worthwhile pursuit---unlike arguing with me.

[@pameliaheider]

Waste?

[@chrisaycock5965]

The other thing that isn't said here is that the way water rights work in the southwest is that states and farms get a certain allotment if you don't use it you lose it.. so growing thirsty crops is something a lot of farmers will do to keep their water rights.

[@melisboregard]

Wow. That seems like it needs more looking into. So they need to be wastful to keep the rights to stay wasteful?

[@chrisaycock5965]

@@melisboregard Yes because the western water pact was made 100 years ago when water wasn't a concern. Most didn't really understand what it mean to look down the road a century later. Also the western population was a fraction of what it is now.

[@vueport99]

@@melisboregard just like how govt funding works. If you don't use up your budget for the year you have to explain why you over forecast last year.. And next year you'll not only have your budget cut but face more red tape. So it's better to go over

[@TimA-kf1qv]

That’s a hot and yet untriggering point that’s being addressed

[@mr.g816]

some people even inherited the "right to use." They say that their great grandparents signed treaties with the government to use as much water as they want. The US did this back then to push out Mexican and indigenous people from the Southwest and push in the manifest destiny. After the Mexican-American War, any Mexican staying on newly acquired US land had to make a choice of citizenship - choosing to be Mexican or US. And if they abstained, then they were automatically given US naturalization. This was done to apply US laws on new US Land

[@brentheid6002]

I am a Farmer from Missouri. California should not raise crops that can be raised elsewhere. No corn, cotton, alfalfa etc. And move the dairies back to the Midwest (Wisconsin) so all the silage will not need to be raised in the desert SW. Just a thought. Save the Cali Central Valley for high value crops.

[@Enrique-peralta]

Ya but you tell that to the farmers in California they'll throw a hissy fit Lotta people don't wanna work together

[@razasoldier3041]

California raises a huge amount of fruits and vegetables that can’t just be grown anywhere, you guys produce grains.

[@billyyank5807]

California isn't getting rid of their dairys. I'm not in California but on the west coast 2 miles from the pacific ocean. I wouldn't give up my local dairy either for some crap Wisconsin cheese. no thanks! I like my milk,ice cream butter and cheese made local thanks.

[@oldmech619]

California 40m residents use only 20% of the water. Almond trees use 10%. It takes almost 2000 gallons of water for one pound of almonds.

[@jensholm5759]

Im from Denmark and wont compare, but USA try hard to export very sheep soyabean to us and everyone. Its a miracle it can give plus. USA also enjoy many more kilos of meat then most people. So a slightly reduced meat consumption could have a positive effect on seize and lifetime. You also will need much less medicine, which of course includes diabetes. You could reduce the commercials. We have too many of them here as well. By that I dont think Your mainproblem is fruit and vegetables. I like nappa wine, raisens and gfrapes from here. Im also willingly to pay well for them. I kind of think You should make a country healthcare program. Thats a positive entrence for the many changes made for too many overweight solutions and not only seats and chairs. We have many fat ones even its slightly better here. Most of them hardly know how they do it. A very big difference between You and us is, that You buy so many kinds of food in big, large. By that you of course dont want to leave the paid product to OUT. You eat it. You drink it. You are "normal". Here we know seize means a lot. You either take it in or make a too big waste. Thats my spontane reflexions and not only for USA. And Im no vegetarian at all. When I goes up in kilos, I have the good habit to eat less meat. By that I also use less oil and butter.

[@mikestaihr5183]

If the true unsubsidized cost of water had been incremented into the system decades ago the solving of this dilemma would have already been happening. Cheap water was always an incentive for waste.

[@Honken]

This idea of how costs affects supply/demand is so prevalent, so well understood, that it makes you wonder what forces prevents cities/states/countries from taxing water use, especially given that the alternative is "the collapsing of your industry".

[@mikestaihr5183]

@@Honken Taxing isn't necessary. Just pricing of water equally among purchasers.

[@Honken]

@@mikestaihr5183 I'm not up to speed with how things are done in the US. Who owns the water? Why are they selling it at different prices? My assumption was that it was owned by the city/municipality, as is common throughout Europe. In that context, taxation is the tool AFAIK.

[@mikestaihr5183]

@@Honken Didn't realize you aren't from here... Water "ownership" laws are way too complicated here in the US for me try to go into here. I was born here and really have a hard time sorting it out myself---😁-- There are other commenters on here that touch on some of the issues.

[@khofstee3571]

As a California farmer and advocate, farms here in the Central Valley have significantly reduced water usage. Many have been using micro jet sprinklers for years already. Farms have also been forced to fallow a third of their ground here. They have also cut crop production by about 40% to be in compliance with sgma

[@Freshbott2]

They should do another 40%. They’ll talk about sprinkler efficiency but no sprinkler is as efficient as dry land farming or greenhouses. California being a necessary salad bowl for the things they grow is a colossal myth. The things being grown are found anywhere from Sweden to Kenya. They could be grown elsewhere in the US. If they weren’t getting massive subsidies either directly or through water infrastructure that should never have been built, someone else would grow it competitively. Let farmers move somewhere else or rot. Self sufficiency and adaptability is expected of people in every other industry but farmers hold some special place in national mythos so get a free pass.

[@A_J502]

@@Freshbott2 Greenhouses are incredibly inefficient due to wasted space.

[@javier6226]

Water cuts for farmers should prioritize cutting the water of farms which mainly export out of the United States so it could give a fair chance to local farmers to produce and sell locally

[@shreyasbhatt7112]

that is so dumb on so many levels

[@t-money8572]

@@shreyasbhatt7112 not at all.... Americans need to stick together, not handout our food to foreigners when we are in a crisis

[@lptvboy]

Hey grow hay for middle east for horses with our water!

[@superbatmanwayne]

@@t-money8572 lol dude, you know nothing about how global economics works lol.... you think an economy can survive withouth sufficient exports???

[@t-money8572]

@@superbatmanwayne not about an economy. This is about self sustaining. America first in times of crisis. When lake Mead dries up - this will be the case. No exports because there won't be any margin in exporting

[@DavidM2002]

Until water comes with a monetary cost, the waste will continue. Yes, the price of food will go up but that may be the cheapest way to pay for the water that is used and wasted. The more efficient farmers are with water the more profitable they will be relative to their competitors. Certainly not a popular move for sure. We all want everything for free or cheap.

[@Freshbott2]

The government floated the price of water in Australia years back after similar issues. Some action is taken against it proactively so it’s not entirely a free market (e.g allocated against entitlements due to changes in rainfall etc) but it can otherwise be traded freely. The policies ensure the water isn’t being taken from a completely different water shed to where it’s used and in a wet year farmers don’t feel compelled to use their entire allocation for no reason.

[@billyyank5807]

there is a monetary cost lol. lots of people need clean water and transporting that water costs money. getting it,costs money. one of the guys that made billions in the housing collapse went into Water and the transporting of water.. Making bank.

[@billyyank5807]

I pay for water each month. what are you talking about?

[@DavidM2002]

@@billyyank5807 Depending on how much you pay, you may actually be somewhat careful with your consumption. And the more you pay, the more careful you would be. But, there are far too many commercial users who pay nothing directly.

[@jensholm5759]

We use that kind of taxing very well in Denmark. For water all consumers has meters. We normal ones are much more carefull, so we spend a lot less water, when we open the taps in and also outside the house. Many having only some few flowers or vegetables systemacly collect water from the roofs. USA has the most stuoid shower system. Youshould make your shower handheld til a pipeline. By that You can use much less water and wash You all over just as You afterwards use a towel. In the industrial sector our products dont gets more expensive. You also lives in a best to the price country. So compte also says inventing much better methods. Its everywhere. You can use the water again and again if You clean it well or enough. If Yiu use a lot of water for cooling something, You very often can let i go to a tank, where You cool it down with an air to water heat pump. Its the same for carwashing. Its total routine they all has a filter taking away salt and dirt. Its the same high plus for buildings. Millions and milions of American houses would be strictly forbidden here. The houses all here(any new building - ANY) has to have hard walls inside and outside. Its a demand You put 30 cm insolation between them(Rockwool invented in United States in 1926). The windows as well as the doors has to be high isolated in the same way. So we have much better(and more advanced) windows then most of Yours. Our doors to to in and is slightly thicker but not heavy. By that all buildings use 15% energy for warming and cooling compared to Your light and too cheep buildings. We are in control. When its summer not much heat from the sun comes in. In the winthertime we keep the expensive heating up. We do live in a colder climate then You, but the advanced windows can be opended more safe in the top. By that You can get free aircondition, when the weather mainly in the nighttime is for it(we do have bugs too, but its dark in Our bedrooms when we sleepp). So taxing it as 2 of those examples keep many things and not only water and electricity prices down. So the Goverment here help to keep Your wallet or credit card full. You even get more time having shorter showers😀😀 We by the way also has the highest car prices in the world. People by that buy a little smaller cars, which consumes much less fuel. By that we have still has the same too many cars as You . Its tempting to compare compare driving licenses as well. Ours are much much more going to school with professional teachers. By that they also are very expensive. But it reduce killed, wounded, car repairs, insurrences and expensive laywers and advicers.

[@jamram9924]

Many of these farms can reuse treated grey water from municipal sewage plants. Israel claims to use about 85-90% of their grey water for agriculture.

[@ignaciogonzalez8716]

Grew sewage water* I think you got some weird autocorrect.

[@jamram9924]

@@ignaciogonzalez8716 No autocorrect issues. It’s typically called grey water. It’s been treated and the heavy solids removed and treated with bacteria, filtered and then reused

[@ignaciogonzalez8716]

@@jamram9924 I'm talking about the part where it says "grey soldiers ayer"

[@jamram9924]

@@ignaciogonzalez8716: Yes, the silly auto correct. I just noticed it….🤦🏻‍♂️Thanks!

[@j.mclouth4968]

Israel is just phenomenal at water conservation

[@Fabdanc]

There are certainly a lot of things we could be doing, but we have to wrestle with the economics of the situation. Many farmers are forced to absorb the costs of upgrades due to pricing pressure, which benefits the wasters not the savers. The need to secure our food supply should be seen as a national issue, and farmers should be able to easily access funds that allow them to invest in upgrading irrigation, ongoing subsidies for maintenance, ongoing education, and regulatory oversight to ensure that the farms do indeed utilize the upgraded irrigation techniques. There are, of course, many other issues that must be addressed such as water rights, usage claims, and "get big or get out" commercialization. Complex problems have complex solutions. It is going to take multiple layered solutions to properly address this situation. The more we recognize that hydrology is impacted by things like tree cover, native plants vs. non-natives, earthworks, etc., the better. I strongly believe that California's drought situation would be different if its forests were not devastated by logging. All that tree cover cooling the ground, slowing water, transpiring, and stopping the encroachment of forbs into the forest floor that fuel abnormal fire cycles, it would be a different story.

[@timothymruttu1]

❤❤ 😂

[@JJs_playground]

The federal government should be paying for all drip irrigation systems for every farm that's impacted in these region. farmers are already stretched financially and run on thin margins, they need help. We need to ensure our food supplies are solid.

[@cameronf3343]

Reminder even from this non-vegan but from a farming family that over 80% of the crops grown in the US are exclusively for animal feed. Restructuring our culture to have a Mediterranean diet and/or vegetarian diet with more well rounded consumptions (although we can do without almond milk) are necessary for moving forward if we’re to survive.

[@rickricky5626]

we will not survive.......we have a short time left

[@cameronf3343]

@@rickricky5626 Not with that attitude we won’t Ricky Bobby

[@Johnrl21]

Yeah…..good luck with that

[@johnsnow5955]

I would say this isn't really true. We could easily move to more modern production farms and maintain the same relative cost excluding the high up front cost of building these modern farms. We just need to make it feasible for farms of yesteryear to move into the future.

[@A_J502]

@@johnsnow5955 “Modern” production farms aren’t scalable to a third of a North America. Compact farms are only useful where space is the limiting factor.

[@gardengeek3041]

Encouraging report in a year of drought doom news. CNBC did it's job to show so many new ways to save water so our growers can still grow enough, profitably. Always nice to see a complex topic made understandable.

[@fabz2347]

Copium for the masses

[@warrenc0417]

Interesting that I always hear about this drought and how we need to save water. How about recycling what you use.

[@kitemanmusic]

Droughts everywhere. Floods everywhere. "Ne'er the twain shall meet!" Why so much crop farming in unsuitable land?

[@intheuniversekey]

Kratky hydroponics has been a blessing for me in California during a drought, very easy method.

[@johnsnow5955]

Hydroponics is better but still produces chemical waste.. Aquaponics is our sustainable future.

[@intheuniversekey]

@@johnsnow5955 kratky is easy and afforable for the average person who can not afford the full system, no waste is made when you re use the same water and solution (you do not dispose of it) . Aquaponics is farming of the future.

[@alostbard]

A huge problem is what is being grown in these arid climates. A Saudi Arabian company takes huge amounts of water to grow things like alfala and almonds in the deserts of Arizona. Until this type of craziness ends, the water issues will only get worse.

[@jensholm5759]

You are right but its no new thing to buy and produce Your needs crossing oceans. America was made for that. There was too many Europeans in Europe some even had a bad religion. And thats wasnt enough so slaves were taking into the country of freedom as a must.

[@TheMrDwiebe]

In the midst of all these comments on the topic at hand, I am here simply to point out that the script writer confused “exasperate” with “exacerbate” at 2:24. That aside, a very interesting video!

[@ericpmoss]

We can’t take diction for granite. Heh.

[@Surga_myth_dewa_real]

Solar cell for cheap electric water pump irigation there,or small wind turbine where always exist supply of sources(but not as unlimited like offshore) just for farm needs❤❤

[@Surga_myth_dewa_real]

Keeping the quality of harvest from polutant❤

[@maxheadrom3088]

Use dripping ... get an arduino with a humidity sensor and regulate the drops. My very market oriented solution: make water more expensive.

[@kenhunt5153]

65% of the water in my State goes to one crop, alfalfa. This contributes about 1% of the State's GDP. The Ag program at Utah State brags about their capture and reuse of flood irrigation overrun but it's still flood irrigation. They want to ignore USDA and UC Davis work in California. Israel uses underground drip irrigation for feed crops like alfalfa. When will the power structure in my State ever use best practices?

[@shepherdsknoll]

In California, agriculture accounts for 80% of our water usage - the kicker? Agriculture accounts for only 3% of California’s GDP. Alfalfa is the number one water consuming crop yet in a restaurant the other day, I was offered beef raised in Idaho !

[@neverstoppulling5169]

Awwww poor farmers didn't do any regenerative agriculture the last 50 so now their soil sucks without all the crutches :((

[@mikewood8680]

Israel and the Netherlands are leaps ahead of the US in water recycling and conservation. It’s not new. US is used to doing things “the way we always do it”.

[@Vaeldarg]

Correction, US conservatives are that way. That's literally the meaning of them being "conservative". Then they complain that liberals are "ruining the country" when push to try doing something different to how it has been done.

[@mikewood8680]

@@dennis567 ok. But all I was saying is that the US could easily leverage the same agricultural water technology from those who do it well.

[@Sparkk0]

Water isn't exactly wasted. Water goes through cycles. It returns to the atmosphere, ground, and lakes/rivers...

[@ericpmoss]

Not necessarily where it does us any good, though. A higher ocean doesn’t do farmers over a dry aquifer any good.

[@Sparkk0]

@@ericpmoss Increasing global temperatures on the Ocean will defacto evaporate water and dump it on land.. Thats part of the cycle. If you think Oceans get higher then peak and thats it.. then you don't understand cycles.. And, water just doesn't go to the Ocean. It can go back underground (actually a lot of it does and is stored there and filtered through the ground)..

[@MemoGrafix]

I totally agree & know the same water dinosaurs drank & p!ssed out is the same water We drink & p!ss out due to the water cycles. ILLitist beings of flesh are the ones who CONtrol the water & weather with |-|/-\/-\RP technology. Then try to scare peop|e into not using water. Also, these High IQs never say the Earth is constantly shifting, expanding and moving as to possibly why the water is drying up in some areas worldwide.

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

Cleaning water takes resources, energy, and labor. So it is wasteful. Many farmers like to use clean and convenient water from facets. Or don't have the infrastructure to collect rainwater. Collecting enough rainwater is less dependable. Droughts exist.

[@Sparkk0]

@@user-gu9yq5sj7c A lot of water exists in aquifers. Thats why we developed and build wells. Soil is a naturally occurring water filter. Droughts exists. Floods exists (welcome to the water cycle). A great project happening right now is the re-greening of the Sahara Desert. And their techniques are showing great results. Plants and life are lot smarter than we are and do not require us to thrive. We require plants to thrive.

[@anuaremaganamanzo4840]

Maybe Arizona shouldn't have farming considering it's mostly deserts

[@roycebarnett3383]

Not all, but most of what is grown in California can be grown in other parts of the United States. The only difference is that it is seasonal and not year round. So maybe we can go back to eating food seasonally again and quit putting so much pressure on a drought stricken area to give us what we want any time we want it.

[@saichandred]

Erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state in South India started free electricity for agriculture and this is continued now in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and many other Indian states emulated this. I worry that there will be no water in the future for these areas because of the 24 free electricity for borewells for agriculture in these areas.

[@bkayganich]

You want agriculture to become more water frugal? Eliminate farming subsidies...

[@stapleman007]

It's worse than that, paying farmers not to grow anything at all! Look up CRP

[@tom4ivo]

It's worrisome that they concentrated on water conservation and said nothing about the soil salinity problem. All irrigation water contains dissolved salts. These salts are left in the soil when the water evaporates or is used by plants. These salts are leached out of the soil into the groundwater if there is enough water from irrigation or from precipitation, but if there isn't enough water to remove the salts, they build up in the soil. They will also build up if the groundwater has no route to the oceans, in which case it builds up in the groundwater. The soil will gradually lose the ability to grow plants. With flood irrigation in arid regions, it takes about 1000 years for this to happen, but using more efficient irrigation methods will reduce that time. In areas where salt is beginning to build up in the groundwater, irrigating with groundwater will also make the problem worse. Some previously irrigated parts of the Central Valley in California already can't be used to grow crops, and the current drought will only cause this problem to spread.

[@chrisalex001]

13:38 I thought of this 10 years ago. More specifically the practice of analyzing the moisture in the soil, kind of what is done with drip irrigation in Israel, but also more profoundly analyze the biodiversity of the soil and the health of the plants. The app's AI could notify the farmer which specific plant needs more care, and the drip irrigation only waters the plants when they actually need it, thereby saving even more water. Indoor farming could also be implemented locally at every city center, next to the city hall, which would provide very low cost food locally. Trees could also be planted in every lawn that doesn't have one, and with drip irrigation, perhaps, even drip irrigation obtained from recycled water, we could conserve water and have much more foliage in the city, which would also greatly reduce the heat index. All these solutions can be implemented at least in some form. But why do things move so slowly? Why weren't people doing this 10 years ago? The Isrealis did. Our focus should not be to invent something to profit from, but to offer a service or product that can better society, while also creating jobs. I draw this distinction because what I got from this video, is that a lot of these people interviewed, are the owners or creators of these businesses specializing in agriculture or water irrigation. But it would be better if, for example, the guy who owns the hydroponics business, worked directly with local governments to speed up the implementation of his business through subsidies, and to make any advancement he achieves open source, so other people could also add to it. The idea here would be to speed up innovation, which is simply stated here 14:47.

[@trespire]

@Christian Alvarez Local manicipalities are removing trees because the leaves block 5G transmission. Good luck with convincing big-tech and big-money that urban foliage is even something to consider.

[@udishomer5852]

This kind of apps already exists, in Israel there are several companies specializing in sensors that analyze moisture, ph levels, temperature etc to optimize irrigation and fertilization.

[@chrisalex001]

@@udishomer5852 That's exactly why I mentioned Israel. I'm aware that they have it. It's really amazing. I'm not sure if they can measure the biodiversity of the soil though. Perhaps it's not necessary to care for the plants. Maybe knowing the PH levels and temperature is enough of a good measure of health to care for the plants.

[@bengagnon2894]

The problem is not the methods used. It's the water right allowances...

[@humblecourageous3919]

Just saw a video by The Flexitarian Times on KZbin. Some companies are working on making protein from CO2 and Hydrogen. It uses a lot less water. Very mind blowing and interesting.

[@DirectorButter]

I noticed a school sprinkler using too much water, thanks for covering this

[@terramater]

Very interesting and smart solution! Technology will be def a great ally for us when it comes to water. Our crew registered a project that aims to turn sea water into fresh water without pollution. It's hard to predict what it's going to happen, but very interesting to see how technology can help us on this matter.

[@simonbravo87]

I believe over all that small leafy greens can be a warehouse solution with smart technologies in the long term. As far as orchards go, it will always be outdoors and yes we have drip irrigation for that or sprinklers. I work in this sector and the first solution up there is most likely the most implementable one, it will save tons of water. There are alot of invasive weeds that also take up lots of water but if you have robots that can weed them out....there you have it. Just imagine a empty car park or a multi story facility managing these small crops. Definitely doable.

[@___beyondhorizon4664]

What do you do with the byproduct of the brine after the sea water is desperate from the salt?

[@tgsoon2002]

Please mention about technique using in permaculture. Swale and berm these to help capture and avoid run away water. Run away water is the main reason for a lot of water dry up. Also mulch to avoid evaporate water.

[@SetTheCurve]

These systems that are going to “save” farmers are absurdly expensive. One moisture sensor from these guys costs over $1000.

[@basedoz5745]

Yea cotton can’t grow anywhere else, alfalfa exports to Saudi Arabia can’t grow anywhere else, cattle can’t be raised and then exported to other states anywhere else. I guess people need almonds more than the country needs food security.

[@WillTheBassPlayer]

The big thing with the "cant be grown elsewhere" is the fresh fruits and vegetables in the central valley. Like if you go to walmart of kroger, the only way you get fresh peppers and tomatoes in February is if you grow them in desert south west where they grow year round. You do have a point with the ones you mentioned tho, cotton grows well in the SE, alfalfa has no place in cali and would be better off in Wisconsin, and cattle have been doing great on midwestern pasture for forever.

[@KRYMauL]

@@WillTheBassPlayer Most of those things come from Mexico.

[@WillTheBassPlayer]

@@KRYMauL very true, but domestically speaking, Cali and part of Florida maybe are the only places that have that can support that kind of agriculture. Many, though not all, parts of Mexico are also experiencing drought just as bad

[@blank.9301]

Ecosia 👍🌱🌳

[@l.ls.8890]

This drought did not start in 2020 this has been an ongoing and progressive issue for decades. Governments have chosen to ignore the problems until recently by allowing cities to grow enormously people overcrowding and megastructure development.

[@markp1333]

The majority of water consumption is not caused by urban living. The majority of water consumption, as mentioned in the video, comes from agriculture

[@taty1534]

This is important!!

[@scooby7877]

What the farmers are doing is the right step but no one talks about the CHIPS act which will brings more semi conductor factories to the US where those machines will use up more water for production in a day than the waste currently that farmers are depleting

[@SetTheCurve]

Chip factories don’t need to be outside of cities nor do they need to be in areas that are good for farming. There are many places in the USA with plenty of water; getting it to farms from these locations is infeasible. Industrial factories for the most part will not take water from farmers. Also, municipal water is easily reclaimed because it travels through a circuit of faucet to sewer, or even filtered and re-used, like much water at chip factories is. Farmers are lacking water not because it was stolen by Biden or whatever you’re asserting, it’s because they are trying to farm in the middle of the desert during increasingly severe droughts and many of them have historically used aquifer water that takes hundreds of thousands or even millions of years to accumulate, so once it’s gone it’s gone.

[@looseygoosey1349]

Those factories are known to recycle thier water.

[@krap101]

What the video kind of glosses over is the impact of flood irrigation on groundwater. Seasonal peaks are just dumped into the Pacific.

[@A_J502]

What do you mean “dumped into the Pacific”? The Colorado River doesn’t reach the ocean and flood irrigation doesn’t have run off.

[@thedonkeypuncher2395]

California receives water from the Colorado so it does reach the Pacific Ocean, most water sent to California is used in the cities.

[@A_J502]

@@thedonkeypuncher2395 Where did you hear all that? Most water from the Colorado is used in agriculture because it’s cheap. Water used for culinary and potable water is either recycled, desalinated, or pumped from aquifers. There is very little runoff from CA agriculture to the Pacific.

[@thedonkeypuncher2395]

@@A_J502 well I never said agriculture is dumped into the Pacific, with soil it is absorbed until the soil is saturated and cannot hold anymore. At that point it will take the excess water and head to the lowest point on the land be it a pond or stream and continue. My point was more to the cities or any area with asphalt or concrete and buildings, they tend to keep the water from being absorbed into the soil and refilling the underground water supplies. If you notice in a city their waste water and runoff from the streets are channeled usually to streams or rivers, maybe through a treatment facility to take most of the bad stuff out.

[@MrErichuizer]

Just like in Italy, they loose 89%!!!!! of their rainwater during heavy showers.... It just runs of in the rivers and in to the sea instead of slowed down and lowering into the ground.... Swales etc for the win imo

[@carmelitabaca2724]

Depending on the region many farms are in desert regions made that way by farming activities...what would happen if on the edges of the farms trees or tree breaks were planted?

[@Game4Art_24]

Technology in agriculture is very important in 21 century 😍

[@theravenreal]

Drought? Israel has a surplus of usable water-in the desert! We should take notice.

[@cantorcleberoliveiraagenor3779]

Ótimo comercial

[@trespire]

Cotton is a huge guzzler of water, this should be the first crop to stop growing. Drip irrigation has several benifits, one of which the nutraints are delivered directly to the roots, this also reduces wastage of expensive nutriants. Another advantage is much less loss to evaporation. Drip irrigation can also be installed under grass lawns, typically when installing a new lawn.

[@A_J502]

The problem with drip irrigation is it uses LOTS more fossil fuels than metal sprinklers. There is also the issue of drip irrigation being very fragile when exposed to heavy machinery like tractors. Drip irrigation is great for residential gardens and landscaping, but is too labor intensive and expensive for hundreds of acres to be watered by drip irrigation.

[@trespire]

@@A_J502 The piping is layed out using big roller drums on a tractor. They are picked up tha same way. The only manual effort would be connecting and periodic inspection / maintenance. It's used extensivly in many countries. The plastic is also recycled back into products.

[@A_J502]

@@trespire Exactly why it’s more expensive; it’s more labor intensive.

[@A_J502]

@@trespire Sounds like you are talking about soaker hose or punctured hose irritation, not drip irrigation.

[@trespire]

@@A_J502 Probably punctured hose. Very common to see the big drums on agricutlural fields. The little push in drip heads are fragile.

[@hr2079]

Great report. Thank you for sharing

[@Blaze6432]

Maybe don't grow things that aren't sustainable in a desert climate ?

[@scottyflintstone]

Like fruit and vegetables?

[@ronkirk5099]

The era of growing water intense crops like cotton and alfalfa in the desert is over.

[@stapleman007]

Wait... lets grow crops... in a desert? Who is the brilliant human being who thought this would work in the long term?

[@44jimcordell31]

Climate change has exasperated- now the problem has a Problem Exacerbate, but I'm so petty. 2:25 Really great video

[@stapleman007]

I thought we had to wait 100 years before we experience climate change! Instead, it's here, right now! Water shortages in a desert... fascinating.

[@JeffreyGoddin]

@3:47 YES! We should be paying double what we do for food, both because we should be eating better food and not processed junk, but also because we should be investing in our food systems. I agree, let's pay more! To be fair, I'm a vegetarian, and not a materialist, so I already don't waste my money on junk we don't need, and I understand that what I'm calling for is a major cultural shift that will be difficult for many.

[@adamclabaugh1945]

You do realize most Americans can't afford to eat healthy right? That's why processed foods have become so popular.

[@jensholm5759]

You can make more restriction by a good governess for it. By that the farmers are forced to innovate. They compete and the quality goes up as well as the prices dont go up. We do it and often for all EU. We are not semilar in structures but we actually are 28 states and can agree.

[@JeffreyGoddin]

@@adamclabaugh1945 No, we absolutely can all afford to eat healthy, instead we choose to prioritize spending on smart phones and plans, cars and insurance, unnecessary things.

[@spiritualhumanist]

@@adamclabaugh1945 you realize that is a biggest lie that’s been repeated over and over. Healthy food is not more expensive if you cook at home. People are choosing fast instant junk food so they can be more on Facebook and other crap.

[@jamesleonard4607]

Indoor farming will remain a niche, no matter how efficient it is it’s not free like sunlight and rain. The large crops we depend on like wheat, corn, soy, and cotton are not realistic in this sense. The west needs to adopt center pivot and drip irrigation, although if they are dealing with salinity issues with their irrigation water those methods become difficult and over application of water is the best way to mitigate salt buildup in soil.

[@whowereweagain]

We dont depend on cotton, fast fashion does, industrial cotton plantation should just cease to exist sorry Boswells

[@A_J502]

@@whowereweagain Cotton is one of the world’s most used textiles, beyond clothing. What equivalent price per unit textile do you propose replacing cotton with?

[@whowereweagain]

@@A_J502 hemp, cotton grown in a place that has water. Rivers shouldn't be running dry just to produce commodities

[@A_J502]

@@whowereweagain Rivers are running **lower** due to reduced precipitation and increased use. Don’t try to oversimplify complex matters.

[@timberwolfe1645]

Why are there farms in Arizona? Don't plant in the desert!!!

[@estertavares4126]

Muito bom!

[@waterboi4846]

these "tech" solutions arent good enough. just remedying the outlying problem. Its the old school farming which is still wasteful. The only thing that saves water is a recycling closed system where it captures everything from nutrients to vapour.

[@andreashabeck1155]

Try doing that on a massive scale, you know how expensive that would be?

[@jolson5448]

@@andreashabeck1155 it’s going to be a lot more expensive to solve our water crisis long term. The robotic farming / vertical farm / hydroponic farms will be best for the future

[@andreashabeck1155]

roughly 52% of us land is used for farming, lets say your closed system is 4 storeys high, that would mean to feed the same population you would have to build a building 13% the size of the US

[@waterboi4846]

​@@andreashabeck1155 ^ look up what Jake O said. if water becomes more scarce then the expenses to run traditional farming will be more expensive. price = supply/demand

[@A_J502]

@@waterboi4846 Recycling and desalination are more expensive than conventional means of water production, so you whole argument fails from the start.

[@Lima547]

Water is the new gold!

[@Edward-ry3st]

time to update this information.

[@taylorweick8688]

And yet people wanna say we can support more human life. They keep saying we’re having a population decline crisis.

[@ericpmoss]

That “crisis” is just for shareholders that depend on constant growth to make their money. It points to a broken model of a functioning economy, that simply can’t go on forever.

[@wagnerpatooficial2406]

Muito bom , gostei.

[@sirgrundel]

good thing i live near the great lakes & many in state lakes

[@tgmur1114]

1200 year? Didn't know we kept records from back then...

[@thenewwayhome]

Together with the current economic crises and then this news. We're living in an alarming state. Hope we all realize these natural resources are not infinite.

[@hughjaass3787]

Here is a thought, don't grow crops in the deserts of Arizona & New Mexico.

[@WJINTL]

>builds farms and cities in the desert >complains, cries, and panics over water shortages 🤡 IT'S A F'ING DESERT WHAT DID YOU EXPECT??

[@KRYMauL]

@@WJINTL That’s usually a good idea.

[@johnsnow5955]

So no more oranges, avocadoes, mangos, etc etc etc

[@jensholm5759]

Ha ha thoughts here too. Old Lazy kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKimkpmjn66AjtE very good with a long beautifull start and then high speed. The text as I remember it is: If You dont wat to eat then stay in bed.

[@McknamersonMcklaststerson]

The soil can be fixed so easily

[@kerrryschultz2904]

I'd like to see a feasability study done on the cost for two projects. 1: water distribution canal or piping from say the mississipi river west ward with appropriate lift pumps to move large volumes of water to the drier western regions. 2: Development of the geothermal energy in the yellowstone caldera for powering the enormous energy required to pump said water hundreds of miles to the drier regions.

[@dangle933]

There's a strong Vox vibe in this video...

[@PerversePoster]

How strong is the Cyber security on LUMO? It needs to be air tight.

[@stapleman007]

I'm sure all the IOT devices have TikToc integration, so China can help manage the world's water resources!

[@ranchsystemsinc.6455]

Great story!

[@kingpoo7205]

and everytime those tech go down you goda find the repair man.

[@cameronf3343]

You’re right, they should totally keep on using watering practices that use several times the amount of water. That’s definitely worth (maybe) avoiding a repairman visit for a day or two.

[@brodriguez11000]

Farmers are the "repairman". That's why the right to repair movement is so important to everyone, but especially farmers.

[@ollievw3450]

Farmed desert lands for generations…that sentence says it all

[@jarrodyuki7081]

good.......

[@jonathanborunda3239]

Make America great again and go to Africa and do the same living off the land a great feeling 💕

[@Daniel-fl5oq]

Let's see what will happen in American's agriculture. Technology Revolution.

[@nandisaand5287]

Unfortunate that among the mitigation techniques being employed, regenerative techniques like no-till and animal integration is not mentioned.

[@A_J502]

No-till wouldn’t produce enough calories per area. Can you give a real life example of a post-iron age society surviving totally on no-till?

[@jessmurphy5532]

Agriculture. E1. Postal Support. We are all individuals we are all different here.

[@nandisaand5287]

@@A_J502 Gabe Brown practices no-till ag (along with animal integration) and harvests more bushels per acre than surrounding farms. Or claims to.

[@A_J502]

@@nandisaand5287 That’s not a self-sustaining society.

[@kinngrimm]

Decades over decades water was used to keep pressure up in oil fields, pumping out oil and exchanging it with water. Are there any numbers on how much water in this way was taken out of the system and if that would have any effect upon the water cycle?

[@johnsnow5955]

More then likely that water just returned to the ground water supply and was syphoned out through wells and etc.

[@kinngrimm]

@@johnsnow5955 Why is that likely? Aren't those oil caverns usually deeper than groundwater? Would people really try to drill into former oil fields which usually still hold oil and gas and therefor would contaminate the water for wells? Not saying you are wrong, just what i know about how oil and water interact, it would seem strange that your discription would be how it is.

[@mrhackerman4817]

Everyone saying California is a desert you are wrong California is not a desert. And be thankful for all the fruit we grow here most of the US gets their juicy fruits from here. Technology will drive innovation and we will get more efficient with water.

[@chickdan5]

Tech won’t save us. Farmers need to farm where plants grow and what is appropriate for that environment.

[@lawrenceleske3470]

As others have pointed out, high water use crops should be banned; at least until the crisis is completely over. That is all reservoirs are refilled. And high use farmers should be charged for loss of electrical power at the major dams.

[@garyes]

No mention of regenerative agriculture?

[@jonathakleytonsilva4737]

😮 top

[@benbrown8258]

. We can't grow oranges here but we sure can grow Alfalfa tomatoes and peppers in the North. Is it tradition they're guarding or life itself. Traditions have always changed but unless we're more honest with the planet we won't be around to worry about it.

[@ericaltm]

but we have vertical farming, uses 95% less land and 95% less water.

[@bengagnon2894]

And how much more energy? Moving a kilo of mass 1 m up is infinitely less emergy efficient than moving it 1 m right or left.

[@Tier1American]

How many GPH of wasted water is that leak at 9:34?

[@silver831cali3]

Water rights is a problem. When I was a teen I worked as an irrigator. I was told why they waste so much water. "Use it or loose it" They used it. Water truck's all over the ranch just watering the roads. Inorder to keep dust of the crops. You also keep dust off by planting sunflowers or any heavy plants at the edge of a field. But because of their water rights they wasted water like theirs no tomorrow

[@Interglacial_optimist]

These unplanted new deserts are the future brought to you by corporate farming fertilizer and centralized food distribution.

[@ddc2343d]

The video showwing road collapses was from around the Dead Sea not California.

[@stapleman007]

Death Valley, Dead Sea... Potato patato

[@mirajalam7939]

The idea that Thanos did nothing wrong has become an internet meme, but the joke does have some truth to it

[@StreyX]

The government needs to subsidize all farmers to switch to more water efficient irrigation. With any farmer where it's not feasible, they need to be subsidized to switch crops as well. It makes no sense to keep using water until we run out of it given our drought conditions.

[@CherryIofficial]

every 10 acers of land grow 1 acer of micro dense forest which will help retain ground water and keep air cool and consume CO2 and give more oxygen back to the environment.

[@paulvanoosten8380]

What is "micro dense forest"?

[@CherryIofficial]

@@paulvanoosten8380 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXfHq2OQZb-Kb7s

[@mcchristenson]

I stopped watching when the guy said its a hard choice between washing your car or taking a shower. I didn't even think that would cross someone's mind. Ever.

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

Hydroponic farming is the best water conservatory process for farming.

[@johnsnow5955]

Aquaponics is better and has no chemical waste like hydroponics.

[@stapleman007]

Drive through the Midwest and tell yourself "We can replace all of this with hydroponics".

[@bgiv2010]

The more plastic, lithium, and silicon you throw at the problem, the worse things will get. Stop trying to be clever and just be clever. We need to do more with less. Permaculture is the way.

[@thedonkeypuncher2395]

Great thing about farming is that excessive water will be absorbed into the soil until it is saturated. You don't get that with asphalt or concrete, instead it's directed to streams and rivers to send it to the sea.

[@genaroaalvaradosalcido]

No water no life ..... simple ... gotta stop abusing it .

[@ilcerodrigues3859]

verdade

[@mofogie]

Thomas Sowell could tell you why there's so much water waste in California...

[@valenciae271]

Golf courses definitely don't use any water.

[@billyyank5807]

bad forest management and fire suppression have led to terrible wild fires. the forests are full of fuel. lots of it.

[@maxheadrom3088]

You need to bring Wallace and Roosevelt back to life and recreate the CCC!