Originally Posted By skinnerbox Much of the state will be forced into rationing before the end of summer. Yet Gov Brown won't put a moratorium on fracking, which uses massive amounts of fresh water in the drilling process: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/17/1270555/-Drought-emergency-in-California-raises-stakes-on-fracking-fight">http://www.dailykos.com/story/...ng-fight</a> <> Today, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the State of California. While the details of what this declaration will entail for state water policy remain murky, one thing that should have been included is abundantly clear. If the Governor were to be truly serious about protecting Californians struggling with the drought, he would put a halt to fracking in the state immediately. The drought in California is in many ways a terrifying look at what a climate changed future for the state could entail. 2013 was officially declared the driest year in California’s history. The first snowpack analysis of this winter concluded that the state’s snowpack was at 20% of normal, equaling a record low set only a couple years ago. The image comparing snowpacks between last year (a mediocre snow year) and this year from NOAA below puts the situation in stark relief: [embedded image] Fracking for oil or gas is an inherently water-intensive process. A couple quick facts on fracking and water in California: Water usage estimates range from 2 to 10 million gallons of water for every fracked well. Each fracking well starts with some 2 million gallons of water for an initial injection. Taking an average nearly 5 million gallons of water would mean that if all the potential wells identified by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in California were to be fracked, it would require some 200 billion gallons of water. And of course, aside from taking valuable water out of the system for use by Big Oil companies, fracking for oil is simply counter to any attempts at addressing climate change. The International Energy Agency has concluded that some two-thirds of proven fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change. The Monterey oil that Big Oil is hoping to frack is largely unproven, meaning it should be entirely off-limits from a climate perspective. Governor Brown talks a big game on climate change. But when it comes to standing up to Big Oil and actually paying heed to what the science is telling us, the Governor comes up far short. Allowing fracking to continue in the state is simply denying the facts of climate change, and ignoring the troubling reality of drought in our state. It’s time the Governor stood up for the people in his state, truly protected the ever-scarcer water resources our communities and farmers need, and stop fracking immediately. <>
Originally Posted By RoadTrip And the average California golf course uses 81.5 million gallons of water per year to stay green. Your point is? Not saying fracking is good... I really don't have an opinion on it one way or the other. But Californians could save a massive amount of water if they stopped trying to turn a desert climate green.
Originally Posted By teddibubbles agree.. but the thing is to find ways to reuse the water. one city broke pavement up in alley ways so rain can get in ground table.. i hate seeing water running down cement. if we have everything paved how is water to go down in the ground?. as a teen. I use to get big buckets of it thrown on our yard. it was running by in streams of gutter. the country have laws not to catch rain water. yet cement it to the sea. with it not being forced in areas to get to water table. and cry water drought like in califoria
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>And the average California golf course uses 81.5 million gallons of water per year to stay green.<< If I am not mistaken, the typical SoCal golf course is irrigated with treated sewage water, which is unfit for human consumption and otherwise would be dumped in the ocean.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip ^^ The article I read in the Sacramento newspaper did not indicate that, but obviously I have no way of knowing for sure. And what the golf courses use is probably a pittance compared to what homeowners use, and I'm pretty sure they don't use recycled sewage water.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^^ Well, you brought up the golf courses. That said, Californians are much more conservation minded than you might think. Sure, they have lawns, but they tend to be hardier and less thirsty varieties, unlike where I live where everyone has a well manicured and watered bluegrass lawn.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip And I don't mean to pick unnecessarily on California. Phoenix and Las Vegas are far worse offenders. But overall, the Southwest uses far more water trying to make a dessert climate green than they really should.
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf Here's a good article about the drought. Sounds like it could be a long-term one, which we are long overdue to have. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_24993601/california-drought-past-dry-periods-have-lasted-more">http://www.mercurynews.com/sci...ted-more</a>
