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I can only speak with any knowledge about my region - and here, there is little farming - nothing but desert.
Two of AZ's cities, Phoenix and Tucson are actually growing towards one another - eventually, they will touch
There's already water shortages in various areas (Southeast like Georgia, out West in places like CA who rely already on water piped in from far away and rivers are literally being sucked dry, to where downstream there's hardly a trickle), the power grid nationwide is deteriorating with power production barely meeting capacity in some areas and the utilities and government can't agree on what to do, and as I posted earlier we're a net importer of food. We are becoming more and more reliant on imported food just as happened with oil, though this is more easily reversed if effort were put into it.
Interesting you mentioned the cities you did. Lots of info. out there on the water issues in the southwest. Here's an old thread on it: Arizona Water Issue
Oddly enough other major urban areas are also in areas without the resources to sustain them: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, etc. In some ways humans are pretty dumb, crowding areas that could never support such population without a vulnerable supply system. Clearly endless growth is not possible, not sustainable.
There are some valuable plants that could be "farmed" in Arizona. Jojoba for example. It certainly hasn't taken off though, and likely won't due to the water issues (it's a dry climate plant true enough but it still needs water).
There's already water shortages in various areas (Southeast like Georgia, out West in places like CA who rely already on water piped in from far away and rivers are literally being sucked dry, to where downstream there's hardly a trickle), the power grid nationwide is deteriorating with power production barely meeting capacity in some areas and the utilities and government can't agree on what to do, and as I posted earlier we're a net importer of food. We are becoming more and more reliant on imported food just as happened with oil, though this is more easily reversed if effort were put into it.
Oddly enough other major urban areas are also in areas without the resources to sustain them: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, etc. In some ways humans are pretty dumb, crowding areas that could never support such population without a vulnerable supply system. Clearly endless growth is not possible, not sustainable.
There are some valuable plants that could be "farmed" in Arizona. Jojoba for example. It certainly hasn't taken off though, and likely won't due to the water issues (it's a dry climate plant true enough but it still needs water).
Jojoba is no longer farmed in AZ.
As for water - it was recently announced that Arizona will participate in the construction of a MAJOR desalination facility off the coast of Baja - we will eventually be getting desalinated ocean water - as will Las Vegas and Los Angeles -
As for Az's water "problem". At this time, it is not a problem: Our Aquifers are FULL. Our reservoirs are FULL - to the point that water is being released from them. I have seen this personally as my water comes from my own well - and the level has risen to a point that I am experiencing no down-drafting at all - and this is after draining and refilling a swimming pool!
While you may be experiencing shortages - we here in AZ are not. One of the reasons we are so attractive to migration.
There's already water shortages in various areas (Southeast like Georgia, out West in places like CA who rely already on water piped in from far away and rivers are literally being sucked dry, to where downstream there's hardly a trickle), the power grid nationwide is deteriorating with power production barely meeting capacity in some areas and the utilities and government can't agree on what to do, and as I posted earlier we're a net importer of food.
I can't quite get a handle on what you'd like to see happen. Let's take Georgia as an example. Do you want all the people to crowd into Atlanta so that the suburban land can be turned into farmland?
Because if you wanted to turn the neighborhoods near Atlanta into farmland, you might be able to increase the supply of homegrown peaches. Which might mean our country would import a few less peaches--in season. But all that farming would really use up the water. So what do you want, more farmland or less water use?
And what does the power grid have to do with sprawl? People will still use just as much power if they move into the city--high rise luxury condos are just as big as ranch houses, and they use up plenty of electricity. More, if you add in the need for elevators and lobbies.
Or maybe you don't want people to move into cities--you just dislike sprawl. In that case, are you suggesting people follow your example and buy 20-acre pieces of property? If everyone in America bought 20-acre parcels and tried to be self-sustaining there really would be no room for commercial farmland. 20-acre plots are significanty more sprawling than 1/5 acre suburban lots.
It seems to me that people who are truly disturbed by sprawl should set an example by living in urban areas themselves. Isn't it hypocritical to suggest everybody else should pack into cities to save America's resources... but not be willing to do so yourself? Why is it ok for you to spread out on 20 acres? Talk about sprawl!
I can't quite get a handle on what you'd like to see happen. Let's take Georgia as an example. Do you want all the people to crowd into Atlanta so that the suburban land can be turned into farmland?
Because if you wanted to turn the neighborhoods near Atlanta into farmland, you might be able to increase the supply of homegrown peaches. Which might mean our country would import a few less peaches--in season. But all that farming would really use up the water. So what do you want, more farmland or less water use?
And what does the power grid have to do with sprawl? People will still use just as much power if they move into the city--high rise luxury condos are just as big as ranch houses, and they use up plenty of electricity. More, if you add in the need for elevators and lobbies.
Or maybe you don't want people to move into cities--you just dislike sprawl. In that case, are you suggesting people follow your example and buy 20-acre pieces of property? If everyone in America bought 20-acre parcels and tried to be self-sustaining there really would be no room for commercial farmland. 20-acre plots are significanty more sprawling than 1/5 acre suburban lots.
It seems to me that people who are truly disturbed by sprawl should set an example by living in urban areas themselves. Isn't it hypocritical to suggest everybody else should pack into cities to save America's resources... but not be willing to do so yourself? Why is it ok for you to spread out on 20 acres? Talk about sprawl!
The point I was trying to make is that nationally, our infrastructure is being stretched to its limits and is decaying. We don't have the resources to handle a doubling of the population such a short (relatively) period of time. I'm anti-urban as I noted earlier. It would be better if the population were not so high and such large cities did not emerge, as they can never be contained. Cities inevitably create sprawl. The sprawl is the result of cities and will destroy us in the end. So I guess my point is this: I think the sprawl (a serious problem) is a symptom of a larger problem (or two, but they are inter-related): over-population (over the carrying capacity of the environment) and the over-development that follows it. And it feeds itself: as the population grows, and sprawl continues, it eats up land that could be farmed, logged, mined, left to wilderness, etc., increasing problems. In a sense it can be self-correcting but the horrors that would go with that would be better avoided.
As for water - it was recently announced that Arizona will participate in the construction of a MAJOR desalination facility off the coast of Baja - we will eventually be getting desalinated ocean water - as will Las Vegas and Los Angeles -
As for Az's water "problem". At this time, it is not a problem: Our Aquifers are FULL. Our reservoirs are FULL - to the point that water is being released from them. I have seen this personally as my water comes from my own well - and the level has risen to a point that I am experiencing no down-drafting at all - and this is after draining and refilling a swimming pool!
While you may be experiencing shortages - we here in AZ are not. One of the reasons we are so attractive to migration.
I believe it is on a small scale still but it's a very insignificant crop currently.
There's not a water shortage yet in VT nor in AK. But there are in the more populated areas and in the fastest growing areas. Keep an eye on the Ogallala Aquifer in coming years, and, also, the Colorado River. Its water is already entirely allocated yet 5 of the 10 fastest growing cities rely on its water. A global shortage
I can only speak with any knowledge about my region - and here, there is little farming - nothing but desert.
Two of AZ's cities, Phoenix and Tucson are actually growing towards one another - eventually, they will touch
It's actually not possible for Phoenix and Tucson to touch. As I am sure you are aware, the Native American reservation between Chandler and Casa Grande has inhibited much of the potential growth between Phoenix and Tucson. The area from Casa Grande to Picacho Peak is still extremely rural. Red Rock is about as far north as Tucson's metro spreads; it is still quite a distance away from any part of the Phoenix metro area.
The only way Phoenix and Tucson will touch is if the Native American tribe gives up its reservation, and people start rapidly building homes along Interstate 10 between Red Rock and Casa Grande.
It's very short sighted. Long term loss for short term profit, then the developer needs to find more land to damage. We're already a net importer of food. Keep up the development and the problem will get worse as more land that could be farmed is eaten up for mcmansions/etc. There are many not so obvious costs of sprawl.
I doubt developers care whether sprawl is short-sighted or not. In so many metropolitan areas they have made significant profit based on distant development. As a country, we have been importing food products for many, many years. There are many Europeans countries that are much more densely developed where food is imported from all over the world. At least here in Arizona, we are still a very agricultural state. It is easy for us to get locally grown produce and other food items. It will be decades before we have to worry about not having locally-grown agriculture available.
Still, I believe that people should have the right to live where they want to live. I think the effects of sprawl are often exacerbated by environmentalists. Phoenix is known for it's sprawl, but yet people don't realize that we have one of the largest urban parks in the world (South Mountain Park) and we have numerous, large nature preserves all over the city. As I said before, local produce is widely available here. We have a light-rail system geared to start running in a couple of months. Our downtown has numerous new condos available and we have a new downtown campus for Arizona State University. This is how cities should be. People who want an urban experience can live in downtown Phoenix, while people who want a suburban or even rural experience can live on the farther out.
This is not a socialist state. Everyone should not be forced to live in drab, identical apartment buildings because some have an issue with sprawl.
I doubt developers care whether sprawl is short-sighted or not. In so many metropolitan areas they have made significant profit based on distant development.
Which is precisely the problem, intelligence and long range planning is taking a backseat to making a quick dollar.
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As a country, we have been importing food products for many, many years. There are many Europeans countries that are much more densely developed where food is imported from all over the world. At least here in Arizona, we are still a very agricultural state. It is easy for us to get locally grown produce and other food items. It will be decades before we have to worry about not having locally-grown agriculture available.
Have you paid attention to the news this past year or so about the global food shortages? Here's an example, China (in part due to their water issues shutting down farms and their high population to feed) is a big competitor for world grain supplies: China looks abroad amid global grain shortage - report - Forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/04/29/afx4945576.html - broken link)
Relying on food imports is not a wise plan, from the point of view of national security (imports could be easily cut off by war, terrorism, or angry governments, and global shortages), and safety (the imported food may not be to our standards, such as the peppers from mexico that caused the big problem earlier this year, grain from China, fruits from south american countries using banned in the U.S., unsafe chemicals, etc.). Relying on food imports would make us quite vulnerable. The problem is growing steadily as we increasingly rely on imports. Check out a map of global water shortages, and you'll find many of the countries we are importing food from, have serious and growing water issues.
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