Forbes: Memo To California: If You've A Shortage Of Something Then Change The Price. (Do you agree?)

[Computer 10,980]

Do you agree with this Forbes article that California should raise the price of water to combat drought shortages?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2015/04/05/memo-to-california-if-youve-a-shortage-of-something-then-change-the-price/

It's simple supply and demand economics, yet for something so essential as water maybe there needs to be more consideration than that.  I'm on the fence about it tbh.

[1986 629]

i agree.

[MonsterMum 2,532]

yes supply  - demand 

If there is less of something you want to have you'll have to pay more. That's how it is with everything.

 

[Tropico 4,145]

No. Water shouldn't be too pricy. It's water. 

[AM98GJ 3,086]

Maybe people will stop using tonnes of water to keep their grass nice and green if it costs them more 

[Pablo 8,585]

I want to say yes but water is essential to life, plus California is so large that it would be crazy.

 

But the drought is really bad.

[isak 173]

Maybe people will stop using tonnes of water to keep their grass nice and green if it costs them more 

​Domestic usage of California's water has only been 0.5%. It's not because people are watering their lawns and taking longer showers. That's laughable. 74% of CA's water usage has been from irrigation of farmland. That's the real culprit...not people watering their lawns.

[AM98GJ 3,086]

​Domestic usage of California's water has only been 0.5%. It's not because people are watering their lawns and taking longer showers. That's laughable. 74% of CA's water usage has been from irrigation of farmland. That's the real culprit...not people watering their lawns.

Looks like they're all gonna have to starve then 

[isak 173]

Looks like they're all gonna have to starve then 

​California doesn't ONLY distribute to its own citizens LOL do some research...PLEASE!

California produces a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts: 99% of artichokes, 99% of walnuts, 97% of kiwis, 97% of plums, 95% of celery, 95% of garlic, 89% of cauliflower, 71% of spinach, and 69% of carrots (and the list goes on and on). Some of this is due to its climate and soil. No other state, or even a combination of states, can match California’s output per acre. Lemon yields in California, for example, are more than 50% higher than in Arizona. California spinach yield per acre is 60% higher than the national average. Without California, supply of all these products in the United States and abroad would dip, and in the first few years, a few might be nearly impossible to find. Orchard-based products in particular, such as nuts and some fruits, would take many years to spring back.

But the current system is unsustainable. Either the farms use up all of the remaining water reserves and these fruits, vegetables, and nuts vanish from our grocery shelves indefinitely or supply is decreased and prices increased. These goods will become more valuable just as anything with a high demand but low supply. Here's an agricultural review that's 23 pages in length: http://www.motherjones.com/files/2agovstat10_web-1.pdf

But I bet you don't care enough to read it in order to shed some of your ignorance

[PoshLife 17,019]

I think the regulations they've put in place are the better policy tool. Raising the price is just going to put us into a situation in which the rich have water and the poor don't. I consider water a public good - everyone should be able to access it. That doesn't mean it has to be free, it just means it shouldn't be prohibitively expensive. I feel the same way about electricity, sewage fees, garbage collection, and frankly high-speed internet (though, like "Bionic," I may be ahead of my time on that one).

Water is in such short supply in California that the price would have to be extremely high to reduce demand to meet the supply. It would be oppressive.

[AM98GJ 3,086]

​California doesn't ONLY distribute to its own citizens LOL do some research...PLEASE!

California produces a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts: 99% of artichokes, 99% of walnuts, 97% of kiwis, 97% of plums, 95% of celery, 95% of garlic, 89% of cauliflower, 71% of spinach, and 69% of carrots (and the list goes on and on). Some of this is due to its climate and soil. No other state, or even a combination of states, can match California’s output per acre. Lemon yields in California, for example, are more than 50% higher than in Arizona. California spinach yield per acre is 60% higher than the national average. Without California, supply of all these products in the United States and abroad would dip, and in the first few years, a few might be nearly impossible to find. Orchard-based products in particular, such as nuts and some fruits, would take many years to spring back.

But the current system is unsustainable. Either the farms use up all of the remaining water reserves and these fruits, vegetables, and nuts vanish from our grocery shelves indefinitely or supply is decreased and prices increased. These goods will become more valuable just as anything with a high demand but low supply. Here's an agricultural review that's 23 pages in length: http://www.motherjones.com/files/2agovstat10_web-1.pdf

But I bet you don't care enough to read it in order to shed some of your ignorance

It's not that deep 

 

people be pressed over some water 

[Computer 10,980]

It's not that deep 

 

people be pressed over some water 

It is though.

[AM98GJ 3,086]

It is though.

For the people being affected by it maybe, I have enough water here in London 

 

good luck with your water struggle tho srly