Tomorrow morning at 3 AM we leave to take a one-week vacation. I won't be doing next Monday's KTK (I can hear the throng cheering!).
Here's something kinda fun. Go to the link below. When the page loads, put in your info and see what's happened since you've been born. It will ask you your height in centimeters. Just go to google and type in, "what's [your height in feet and inches] in centimeters?" and it will pop right up. Once you've entered your specifics see what's happened during your lifetime in so many different areas. It's pretty cool.
During my lifetime so far, there have been 126 solar eclipses. Australia, South America and Antarctica have been pushed more than 28 feet farther apart due to tectonic activity. A typical redwood tree has grown 73 feet and 5 inches. The sea has risen 5 inches.
There are so many more facts. Check it out!
http://www.bbc.com/...
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Water wars news. Well those of us in California are experiencing the problems of being in a drought with quite different situations from various parts of the state. Really, California is so different in the north vs. the central and southern parts. With over 400 different water districts with distinctly different needs and no oversight of it all by the state, we are having real "water wars."
Last week I reported that there is water missing from the Sacramento River that should be there in the midst of this historic drought. It was discovered that farms along the river are sucking water out in amounts like never before because they simply can. There are no restrictions or limits on how much they can take, so they are taking it. It kinda boggles the mind, but it is what's happening. I suppose they fear they'll get cut off somehow one day and are making hay while they can.
Also, new almond orchards are being planted like crazy. The latest stats I've seen state more than 29,000 acres of new almond orchards have been planted last year and this year. Almonds have been made out to be the "bad poster boy" of the drought because 10% of all California water goes into just that one crop (all 38,700,000 people that live here use 20% of all water). But the problem is almonds are so lucrative and make huge profits.
Almond orchards in bloom in February
What folks don't generally know is there are huge financial interests in growing and selling almonds. The second largest almond farm in California is owned by Hancock Agricultural Investment Group, a subsidiary of Canadian insurance and financial services giant Manulife Financial. They make a whopping 30% profit each year on their investment.
The retirement fund TIAA-CREF (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association – College Retirement Equities Fund) has California almond holdings of more than 18,000,000 pounds. As they say in their literature "enough to circle the world more than nine times." This company was established way back by Andrew Carnegie and is the leading retirement provider for people who work in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields. TIAA–CREF serves 3.9 million active and retired employees participating at more than 15,000 institutions.
These are just two examples of the players in California's almond industry. My point being that foreign investors and giant retirement funds are wanting to make money (of course they do, it's capitalism). Do you think a retired teacher in New York state or a retired researcher in Indiana gives a rip about almonds and drought in California? NO, those folks wants their retirements to be safe and secure. Do you think a Canadian investment firm cares about almonds and drought in California. NO, they are a corporation who's sole purpose is to make profits.
As long as these forces are in play from outside the state of California there really won't be anything to stop increasing almond production in the state. It's all very corporate.
Sprinklers watering crops in a California desert-like region
Several weeks ago Gov. Jerry Brown ordered all municipalities to use 25% less water. It's the first time ever in California's history that's happened. Later the state looked at how well towns and cities did last year and adjusted things because some places did great while others didn't even really try to conserve water last year when we were "asked" to save 20%. So some places are going to have to save 36% (Coachella, CA is an example. It's out in the desert and a very wealthy area. They didn't conserve last year so they are having to do better than 25% this year)...other places are being asked to save only 9% because they did so well last year.
Unintended consequences. Life if full of them innit? Back in 1996 Californians passed a law to thwart privatization of municipal water districts, which was beginning to happen. The law that passed doesn't allow a water company to charge more for water than it costs to produce (including infrastructure). This would disallow a private company to take over and simply charge "whatever the market could bear."
We have tiered water pricing where I live as do most places. You pay more for water as you go from tier one usage into tier two...and more if you use so much you end up in tier three. A man in San Luis Obispo, CA successfully sued the state claiming charging more for higher water usage was unconstitutional. His reasoning is it doesn't cost any more to provide the 12,000th gallon of water he might use compared to the first gallon of water he uses. The courts agreed including the 4th district court of appeals in a 3-0 decision. This man actually thinks the charge should be higher for the first tier of watered used and should become cheaper the more you use. This is logical if you put it into the perspective of diminishing costs per unit used. The more of something you use technically does result in the cost of the infrastructure and procurement of that product to be less per unit. If you use 1000 gallons of water and another uses 10,000 gallons of water but the cost of the infrastructure to get it and deliver it is the same for both, then he's got a point to which the courts agreed.
Jerry Brown isn't happy because this really takes away any financial disincentive for using as much water as a person wants. So the price paid for any and all water must be the same in any given city or town. Water wasting hogs rejoice! The only thing a water district can do now is to fine folks for using excessive amounts of water, but several of them won't do this.
This has emboldened San Diego County to sue the state using the same reasoning. Why should the state be allowed to charge any one area more for water than they charge for water in other areas? Does it cost the state any more to obtain water and provide it to San Diego County than it costs California to do so for farmers? I doubt San Diego County will win this one, but if they do all water under the control of California itself will have to be sold to everyone for the same price. Right now farmers get water super, duper cheap as compared to cities and urban areas. Stay tuned.
But, all things aren't equal as we found out where I live. Paradise, CA was in the
94th percentile of ALL towns in California in saving water last year. We did great! I'm proud of our little town. Because we did so well, we have much more water in our one lake fed by one creek that supplies all our water. We have more than 3 million gallons of water more right now than we did last year due to our little town doing such a bang up job conserving water.
Why is there such a large lawn to water?
Last week that state ordered Paradise, CA to use 36% less water than we did two years ago. This is the most amount of water they are ordering any place to save percentage-wise. Our little water board is totally blown out and will appeal. Apparently because we did so good last year (94th percentile) we are being "punished" so it seems. Fairness apparently isn't in the cards.
So it seems if you were selfish water hogs (like Coachella) you get dinged and if you did really great you also get dinged. It makes no sense and I'll admit I'm not pleased. We let so much of our garden die off last year. Our town did it's part and yet...
What do you want to kibitz about tonight?
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Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
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