California - a‘Thoughtful’ Conversation on Water

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California - a‘Thoughtful’ Conversation on Water

In California, a ‘Thoughtful’ Conversation on Water

To the Editor:

Re “Winning the Drought,” by Charles Fishman (Sunday Review, Aug. 16):

Yes, California has much to be proud of in terms of its environmental leadership. But the conversation on water needs some adjusting.

First, let’s stop calling this a drought; when we do so, we are holding on to the notion that the past is a guide to the future and that a good rain will return us to normal. Water scarcity is driven by increased population, demand for energy and food, and the rise of the middle class.

California’s population has grown dramatically, and that has helped create increased demand for water. Couple this with a dramatic reduction in supply (very little rain or snowpack), and the state is now adjusting to the new normal through technology and public policy innovations to move beyond business-as-usual practices.

Furthermore, instead of declaring that we are winning, let’s recognize what creates water scarcity and evolve our mind-set. This means valuing water and pressing for water efficiency and water reuse. It also means driving technology and policy innovation at the water/energy nexus, and improved acquisition and analytics of water data.

California has a proud history of environmental leadership. By engaging in thoughtful conversations, and adopting a mind-set for a new era, it can continue to lead the way.

WILL SARNI

Denver

The writer is director and practice leader, water strategy, at Deloitte Consulting and the author of several books about sustainability and water strategies.

To the Editor:

Re “Building Boom Refuses to Slow Amid Drought” (front page, Aug. 20):

The lack of available water in California may be causing housing development problems, but it also is resulting in staggering losses for the state’s farm community. Figures released this month by the University of California, Davis, estimate that because of the drought 542,000 acres of farmland have not been planted this year, costing farmers $1.3 billion and the agricultural economy as a whole $2.7 billion.

But these figures do not tell the whole story. Since 1990, American Farmland Trust has seen more than a million acres of California farmland lost to urban sprawl. While fallowed farmland can be put back into production, farmland that has been paved over is gone forever, with recurring economic losses that cannot be recovered.

We need to pay just as much attention to what is happening to our farmland as to the water needed to make it fertile.

EDWARD THOMPSON Jr.

California Director

American Farmland Trust

Sacramento

To the Editor:

California faces a housing affordability crisis brought on, in part, by environmental restrictions on development. With folks priced out of the coastal markets, where would you have them live if you stifle development inland?

DAVID SHULMAN

Santa Fe, N.M.

The writer is a senior economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast.

Source: The New York Times

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