Take your meds today? Re: adaptation, Los Angelenos are already drinking their own piss because because there isn't enough fresh water so they have to treat waste water for their drinking water, which gets recycled.... And to treat the waste water carcinogenic chemicals are being used to make it drinkable, which the EPA hasn't banned because they are in the pockets of the companies that make the chemicals. Adaptation? Err, if that's you're definition of adaptation I'd hate to see a boiling frog syndrome. And that's before any discussion of PFAS 'forever' chemicals in the drinking water. Coming to a water stressed community near you...
OK, both of you (jbnn and Scott), please keep it civilised. I know the internet is a place full of insults, but this is not. I think we can all disagree agreeably. Keep smiling and let's all move on :-)
What's not so well publicized is the Ogallala Aquifer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer which irrigates nearly 1/3 of the ground water used for irrigation in the United States, which was once thought to be self-refilling, but is drying up as well.
Fossil fuels are bad enough, but fossil water is even worse. Eastern agricultural land with plenty of water is being carved up for development, which has pushed a lot of agricultural production westward.
Klement makes a very interesting point on the energy required for cooling versus heating.
In Germany and most of Europe, only 10% of houses have air conditioning versus 90% in the US. But air conditioning accounts for approximately 6-12% of total energy consumption in U.S. homes annually, with regional variations (higher in warmer climates), versus heating typically accounting for a much larger portion, about 25-30% of residential energy consumption, though this can also vary widely depending on the type of heating system and local climate conditions.
So what happens when Europe has to ramp up air conditioning as the climate warms? As Klement says, there may actually be a (perverse?) near-term net benefit to society.
I've found that the best way to address skeptics is to not ask "do you believe in climate change?", and instead ask "what do you understand about climate change?" Farmers and fellow outdoorsmen already see it, so now it's all about adaptation.
Take your meds today? Re: adaptation, Los Angelenos are already drinking their own piss because because there isn't enough fresh water so they have to treat waste water for their drinking water, which gets recycled.... And to treat the waste water carcinogenic chemicals are being used to make it drinkable, which the EPA hasn't banned because they are in the pockets of the companies that make the chemicals. Adaptation? Err, if that's you're definition of adaptation I'd hate to see a boiling frog syndrome. And that's before any discussion of PFAS 'forever' chemicals in the drinking water. Coming to a water stressed community near you...
OK, both of you (jbnn and Scott), please keep it civilised. I know the internet is a place full of insults, but this is not. I think we can all disagree agreeably. Keep smiling and let's all move on :-)
The issues in the Colorado River watershed are well known https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River , as are the ones surrounding California Central Valley water policy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Valley_Project . The former included the discovery that Arizona was supplying Saudi Arabia with alfalfa! https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/in-drought-stricken-arizona-fresh-scrutiny-of-saudi-arabia-owned-farms-water-use
What's not so well publicized is the Ogallala Aquifer https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer which irrigates nearly 1/3 of the ground water used for irrigation in the United States, which was once thought to be self-refilling, but is drying up as well.
Fossil fuels are bad enough, but fossil water is even worse. Eastern agricultural land with plenty of water is being carved up for development, which has pushed a lot of agricultural production westward.
Take a flight over the region on a clear day and look at all the big green circles https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center-pivot_irrigation .
Klement makes a very interesting point on the energy required for cooling versus heating.
In Germany and most of Europe, only 10% of houses have air conditioning versus 90% in the US. But air conditioning accounts for approximately 6-12% of total energy consumption in U.S. homes annually, with regional variations (higher in warmer climates), versus heating typically accounting for a much larger portion, about 25-30% of residential energy consumption, though this can also vary widely depending on the type of heating system and local climate conditions.
So what happens when Europe has to ramp up air conditioning as the climate warms? As Klement says, there may actually be a (perverse?) near-term net benefit to society.
I've found that the best way to address skeptics is to not ask "do you believe in climate change?", and instead ask "what do you understand about climate change?" Farmers and fellow outdoorsmen already see it, so now it's all about adaptation.
Be careful: you might offend those followers of facial hair persuasion. They might claim you are violating their human rights…..