Letters to the Editor: Using animals for food is draining California’s water supply

To the editor: In his piece on the necessity to fallow or re-purpose San Joaquin Valley farmland, columnist George Skelton ignores the very fact an estimated 47% of all usable water in California goes towards animal agriculture.

Skelton says we have to “plant fewer thirsty crops, comparable to almonds.” He ignores the egregious use of decrease Colorado River water for alfalfa, which is grown within the California desert and far of it despatched abroad to feed livestock.

In Southern California, residents are requested to restrict water use to 500-600 gallons per week. One decent-sized hamburger requires greater than 600 gallons to provide; the identical quantity would produce greater than 4 cups of almonds.

A ten% discount in animal meals manufacturing would obtain a 4.7% discount in whole water use. It could additionally considerably improve the water accessible to California households and end in important greenhouse fuel reductions.

Booker Pearson, Playa del Rey

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To the editor: Our response to the water disaster has primarily been to chase a reducing provide with elevated conservation. That’s not going to work anymore.

The apparent resolution is extra water, and historical past reveals us the way in which. When the L.A. River wasn’t sufficient, we introduced in new water from the Owens Valley. When that wasn’t sufficient, we imported water from the Colorado River and Northern California.

These provides are actually vanishing. Conservation is ok, however we’d like new water. Luckily, there’s a vast provide to the west of us. All we’d like do is get the salt and different undesirable minerals out of it.

Others have accomplished it. Simply considered one of Saudi Arabia’s desalinization crops can produce 370 million gallons of consuming water a day. Israel has 5 crops that produce about half the water it makes use of. There are a minimum of 16,000 working desalination crops globally.

We’d like a everlasting, dependable supply of latest water. We are able to have it if we overcome our lethargy and hustle.

Geoffrey England, Menifee

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To the editor: Constructing the already deliberate Temperance Flat Dam on the San Joaquin River or elevating the Shasta Dam would offer a minimum of an extra 1 million acre ft of water storage.

Agriculture is a crucial supply of tax income and employment for the state and is considered one of our greenest industries. Changing agriculture with photo voltaic panels within the Central Valley, identified for months of tule fog within the winter, could possibly be one of many worst photo voltaic installations but proposed.

Robert Rex, Calabasas