celebrities ignore drought (San Jose, Cypress, Citrus: income, living, price)

[Seacove]

I'm so glad I live in Seattle. That fake grass looks depressing.

[GoldenZephyr]

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

Not true. Farmers have been taking huge cuts in water deliveries for 4 years, before anyone muttered the word "drought." Agricultural exports are worth $46 billion to the state economy, while the export value of the average lawn is... zero. Given that I think it's reasonable to mandate that lawns die first before we start hurting the economy and reducing our food supply...

$46 billion in a 2.2 trillion dollar GDP is nothing.

Farmers taking cuts mean nothing because they are just sucking the aquifers dry to make up the difference.

Lawns only use 2% of the water, they make cities cooler, green space is prized and provides a store to reduce CO2 and produce oxygen.

Most of the thirsty crops that use more water than every human, every business and industry in the state combined have no business being here. Half the Almond crop is exported and those profits go to a handful of people.

Breakdown of CA water use

50% flushed out to sea
40% to agriculture
10% to all homes and businesses.

Alfalfa and Almonds use more water than every city in the state combined. The smelt, which should be extinct in CA because it doesn't belong here, its an invasive species causes more water to be wasted than if we covered every square inch of LA in lawn.

Please, there is no responsibility in this so called mandate. It is using a crisis for political gain. Namely Jerry Brown and others who have always hated grass an opportunity to manipulate the legal system to attack an object of their hate.

If they wanted to save water, they'd have alfalfa take a hike first.

[Calix]

Originally Posted by GoldenZephyr

$46 billion in a 2.2 trillion dollar GDP is nothing.

Farmers taking cuts mean nothing because they are just sucking the aquifers dry to make up the difference.

Lawns only use 2% of the water, they make cities cooler, green space is prized and provides a store to reduce CO2 and produce oxygen.

Most of the thirsty crops that use more water than every human, every business and industry in the state combined have no business being here. Half the Almond crop is exported and those profits go to a handful of people.

Breakdown of CA water use

50% flushed out to sea
40% to agriculture
10% to all homes and businesses.

Alfalfa and Almonds use more water than every city in the state combined. The smelt, which should be extinct in CA because it doesn't belong here, its an invasive species causes more water to be wasted than if we covered every square inch of LA in lawn.

Please, there is no responsibility in this so called mandate. It is using a crisis for political gain. Namely Jerry Brown and others who have always hated grass an opportunity to manipulate the legal system to attack an object of their hate.

If they wanted to save water, they'd have alfalfa take a hike first.

Hear hear! If we didn't have alfalfa and Almonds in CA, we'd have enough water for over 100 million people. Grow Alfalfa and Almonds elsewhere.

I'm not asking for 100 million people, but it really puts it in perspective the tremendous misallocation and terrible return on investment for the people of CA to allow a couple of billionaires loot the states valuable water. People are so gullible, they slash and burn their own communities just to subsidize a couple of nut/agribuisness billionaires.

There's a sucker born every minute!

I guess that's why billionaires have the money and the lawn and poor suckers desperately dig up their tiny green yards, happily destroying the green space to fill their neighborhoods with gravel to ensure that billionaires have enough water for everything they want.

[MItoBH]

Originally Posted by Seacove

I'm so glad I live in Seattle. That fake grass looks depressing.

I wouldn't even bother with fake grass. It's silly. I'd rather have drought resistant flora. Something like a Japanese Zen Garden, I just LOVE this type of landscaping.

See image.

[Calix]

Originally Posted by MItoBH

I wouldn't even bother with fake grass. It's silly. I'd rather have drought resistant flora. Something like a Japanese Zen Garden, I just LOVE this type of landscaping.


See image.

Looks beautiful, notice it's in an interior courtyard and is wet, it takes a different look when in driving heat. Those Zen gardens are designed for the shade. The Japanese put green around buildings.

Of course, living in a coastal Mediterranean biome, drought tolerant shouldn't mean pave the soil over with gravel. Our native landscape has lots of flora trees, bushes, and wild grasses. gravel pits actually harm biodiversity because it greatly heats the air making it drier, reduces flowering plants, increases the heat island effect.

You know green spaces were designed to reduce the heat island effect.

[MItoBH]

Originally Posted by Calix

Looks beautiful, notice it's in an interior courtyard and is wet, it takes a different look when in driving heat. Those Zen gardens are designed for the shade. The Japanese put green around buildings.

Of course, living in a coastal Mediterranean biome, drought tolerant shouldn't mean pave the soil over with gravel. Our native landscape has lots of flora trees, bushes, and wild grasses. gravel pits actually harm biodiversity because it greatly heats the air making it drier, reduces flowering plants, increases the heat island effect.

You know green spaces were designed to reduce the heat island effect.

That was just one of thousands of images I could have selected, and I do realize that very image would not do for SoCal living. But y'all get the gist of what I'm trying to convey.

[Elliott_CA]

Originally Posted by GoldenZephyr

Breakdown of CA water use

50% flushed out to sea
40% to agriculture
10% to all homes and businesses.

LOL, it's all so simple. The armchair water experts can just trot out a few simple percentages and solve the drought just like that. And based on these oversimplifications, we're ready to vilify an entire industry, make farmers go bankrupt, causing a ripple effect of closed businesses, home foreclosures, a depression in parts of the State just so some self-centered homeowners can keep their precious lawns.

One small problem with the simplified views of the armchair experts. All of the water systems are not interconnected. Just because a farmer in Modesto saves a gallon does not make a gallon available for use in San Luis Obispo. Which means we can rip out all of the almonds and bankrupt the farmers and you'll still have to kill your lawn.

[Calix]

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

LOL, it's all so simple. The armchair water experts can just trot out a few simple percentages and solve the drought just like that. And based on these oversimplifications, we're ready to vilify an entire industry, make farmers go bankrupt, causing a ripple effect of closed businesses, home foreclosures, a depression in parts of the State just so some self-centered homeowners can keep their precious lawns.

One small problem with the simplified views of the armchair experts. All of the water systems are not interconnected. Just because a farmer in Modesto saves a gallon does not make a gallon available for use in San Luis Obispo. Which means we can rip out all of the almonds and bankrupt the farmers and you'll still have to kill your lawn.

The "farmers" you talk about aren't John and Shirley. They are large agribusiness who are collapsing the San Joaquin Valley by draining ancient aquifers to produce almonds for China. Total exploitation and bad for the state.

Agribusiness billionaires count on "useful idiots" to keep the propaganda line going.

California Water Restrictions MUST Include Big Ag, Big Oil and Nestlé!

California Is Fast Running Out of Water - Blame Big Agriculture

California's Green Drought

Both on the left and right, Agribusiness is exploiting the state and needs to be reigned in.

[Delahanty]

Originally Posted by victimofGM

Selfish celebrities ignore California’s drought to keep lawns green | Page Six

Photos don't lie. I'll hold my breath for the day the governor and water police go after them.

Yup. Barbara Streisand, Kim and Kanye, Cher, J-Lo...the Beverly Hills mayor was on TV looking pained about having to ask these entitled boobs to comply--he said he's going to "knock on their doors" first. Gimmeabreak.

Of course, none of this should surprise anyone. Especially with respect to La Streisand. Years ago when CA first threatened rolling blackouts, BS was yapping to anyone who'd listen about "conservation." When asked about her usage of A/C, this hypocrite sniffed that the restrictions weren't meant for her.

If they weren't so pathetic, this the rules apply to thee, not to me crowd would be amusing.

[tickyul]

Originally Posted by Calix

Because most people don't like a desert theme and find it desolate, depressing, and ugly. That is why the wealthy have huge lawns and gardens. They like green, not drab brown.

Besides, some of us live in a coastal Mediterranean climate, which is nothing like most of Arizona. The hills are covered in native plants, tall grasses, coastal oak and bushes. It's is not barren rock and cactus. Learn your biomes. Rock piles are totally unsuited and even harmful for the ecology of coastal California.


Synthetic turf is a better option, allows you to keep the green and lowers the water use.

A desert theme can be attractive and appealing. Might as well make needed changes due to the water situation.

Synthetic turf, LOL.