THREAD - Drought and the coming war for resources in California

It's May 6th and 73% of California has been declared by the state to be in "extreme drought". It is expected that Governor Newsom will declare a state of emergency before the end of the month. 1/

CA's Central Valley accounts for 75% of the state's and 17% of the nation's irrigated farm land. The Central Valley supplies 8% of U.S. agricultural output (by value) and produces 1/4 of the Nation's food, including 40% of the Nation's fruits, nuts, and other table foods. 2/

The Central Valley and much of southern California are arid and lack natural water sources. In the 60s and 70s billions (in today's dollars) were spent to bring water to these areas. It turned CA into an agricultural power house...then we stopped. 3/

California has not built a new reservoir since the 70s. We collect no more water now than we did 35 years ago when we had half the population. This is because of policies put in place by environmentalists that determined creating water storage hurts the environment. 4/

So here we are in 2021, looking back at 5 years of devastating fires and power and water shortages and what are we being told? We're being told that water will be in short supply and rationed by the state. The state that has refused to do anything about water since 1975. 5/

We are in a government created water crisis. We are in a government created energy crisis. And now the government says they're going to fix it. They aren't going to do anything of the sort. They'll shuffle the cards around the table and call it a solution. 6/

In reality we will be forced to make due and then watch as the government does nothing to solve the long term problems while blaming conservatives, science deniers and climate change. 7/

And before you shrug this off because you don't live in California go back and re-read the 2nd tweet in this thread. Now extrapolate that to oil (8.3% of US output), beef (9% of US output), milk/dairy (20% of US output), lumber (6% of US output) and so on. 8/

California has been forced into a resource shortage by bad policy and when resources are scarce people become desperate and when people become desperate they have nothing to lose and when people have nothing to lose they'll do anything to win. 9/FIN