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California Drought: How Stupid Can We Be?

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Glendora isn't the only city with laws like that on the books.

I recall a story where a Glendale family re-landscaped their front yard to be desert-like with drought tolerant plants. The city was fining them out the ass because they didn't have enough plants.

At least in LA, the local utility will pay $3 a sq. ft. to replace lawn with a drought tolerant alternative whether it be native plants or artificial turf.
 
Guarantee the HOA my parent's home is on will be sending notices to everyone in the neighborhood for having brown lawns.. like they always do.
 
rockyct said:
Sure the Central Valley is basically Texas but people only live there because they have to.
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No, its not. There's low humidity and no stifling steam bath heat in the summer and no severe storms (tornadoes or hurricanes). I live 65 miles north of Sacramento and its 91 degrees here today with 25% humidity. In the spring and fall its basically paradise. 60-80 degrees. In the winter it can have some ground fog or frost at night, but the run-of-the-mill winter day is in the mid-50s for a high. We don't raise the majority of the country's Navel Oranges here because the winter climate is severe. Basically, the worst place in California for weather is still better than the vast majority of the country.
 
I doubt many people are arguing the use of water for agriculture reason but for personal use such as lawn watering and the idiots that ignore the fact they live in a desert and still water their lawn during a drought.

With over half a houses daily use of water going to just that, 190 out of 360 gallons a day, is the issue here.
 
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Leyawiin said:
No, its not. There's low humidity and no stifling steam bath heat in the summer and no severe storms (tornadoes or hurricanes). I live 65 miles north of Sacramento and its 91 degrees here today with 25% humidity. In the spring and fall its basically paradise. 60-80 degrees. In the winter it can have some ground fog or frost at night, but the run-of-the-mill winter day is in the mid-50s for a high. We don't raise the majority of the country's Navel Oranges here because the winter climate is severe. Basically, the worst place in California for weather is still better than the vast majority of the country.
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Umm no its not paradise sorry. I lived in Sacramento for 3 years and the weather sucked. It wasn't humid but it was hot as hell and cold during the winter. Glad I moved back to SoCal. There's a reason why it's cheaper to live in places like that.
 
rudeguy said:
so what if it does cost $1b? You need it.

Shall we post Cali's budget for the past 20 years and show you how many you could have built without all the stupid shit you bought?
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They could build roughly 100 or more of them if they stopped that idiotic train idea betwen San Fran and LA.
 
Genx87 said:
They could build roughly 100 or more of them if they stopped that idiotic train idea betwen San Fran and LA.
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The infrastructure of America is shit enough as it is right now. And that includes both high speed rail and desalination plants and other water and power infrastructure. The fact is we need high speed rail. Most other first world countries had high speed rail decades ago. Even countries like Brazil and India are now building high speed rail.
 
norseamd said:
The infrastructure of America is shit enough as it is right now. And that includes both high speed rail and desalination plants and other water and power infrastructure. The fact is we need high speed rail. Most other first world countries had high speed rail decades ago. Even countries like Brazil and India are now building high speed rail.
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The problem is with the so called High Speed Rail in California is that it's only high speed for an extremely small distance because they can't afford to build the new track and are using the old normal rails. Insanely over budget, they already know they won't make money off of it, it's a disaster.
 
zerocool84 said:
The problem is with the so called High Speed Rail in California is that it's only high speed for an extremely small distance because they can't afford to build the new track and are using the old normal rails. Insanely over budget, they already know they won't make money off of it, it's a disaster.
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Make money off it? You don't build infrastructure for strictly monetary returns. The states don't make money off the roads. But the economic activities due to the availability of them makes them worthwhile. The environmental and economic impact of regional HSR systems could be pretty substantial.
 
If you lived in CA you would understand why HSR is akin to the Springfield Monorail. It's a boondoggle in every possible way.

Effective mass transit in LA is a much better use of money.
 
NutBucket said:
If you lived in CA you would understand why HSR is akin to the Springfield Monorail. It's a boondoggle in every possible way.
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I don't doubt the veracity of the claim that some HSR projects are boondoggles. Unfortunately, as it seems to be the case with many of these large projects, everyone wants to get their grubby hands on a piece, driving up costs instead of pushing the project in a direction that is actually best.
 
Markbnj said:
I knew this, but I'm curious as to why it evolved that way. It has to be more political than rational. The whole central valley requires massive irrigation in order to be productive. Wouldn't it make more sense to grow those veggies in other states that have water?
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I think the reason so much produce is grown in Southern Cali is a combination of very good soil, no frost worries so most crops can be grown year-round. It's a perfect place with one exception, lack of local water resources. The current drought is just exasperating an already existing problem, yes, it's possible to grow lettuce, peppers,and other crops elsewhere and they are grown elsewhere but the season is relatively short. Take FL for example we grow a shitload of strawberries from February to April, same with tomatoes, but once the summer's blistering heat and humidity settles in this is no longer an option. I checked with the local agricultural extension to see what I could grow here in the summer months, only okra and a few variates of beans tolerate the heat and humidity, everything else is fail..
 
zerocool84 said:
Umm no its not paradise sorry. I lived in Sacramento for 3 years and the weather sucked. It wasn't humid but it was hot as hell and cold during the winter. Glad I moved back to SoCal. There's a reason why it's cheaper to live in places like that.
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I didn't mean paradise literally. The springs and falls in the Central Valley are very, very nice. Again, 60-80 degrees from late March to late May and then again from late September to late November should be damned good in anyone's book - even a SoCal person's. And Sac isn't much hotter than the San Fernando Valley in summer. Again, little humidity - definitely nothing like Texas (as per the person I quoted). Also, if you think its cold in the winter you're an absolute wuss. I stand by what I said that even though its considered California's worst climate the Central Valley is still better than most of the country (by far).
 
NutBucket said:
If you lived in CA you would understand why HSR is akin to the Springfield Monorail. It's a boondoggle in every possible way.

Effective mass transit in LA is a much better use of money.
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Isn't the first route like Fresno to Bakersfield? Who makes that commute?
 
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