If everyone grew their vegetables, would that decrease or increase overall collective water use?

[burritos]

Having tried to grow lettuce, it takes a lot of water. While it might decrease fossil fuel consumption for transportation of veggies, I think the benefits of that would be offset by increased energy used to move more water to individuals' homes. Of course I don't have the numbers to back that up.

[icarus]

It might take more water net/net but the benefit is that you would be decentralizing the draw of the water. Also aquifers can handle smaller draw downs over longer periods better than the same amount of water drawn faster.

Icarus

[Rae Vynn]

No matter how much water your lettuce needs, it is NOTHING compared to the amount of water required to produce beef.

Growing your own produce, and replacing meat with veggies, saves an amazing amount of fresh water - water which is rapidly vanishing for many people in this world.

[icarus]

Yea, but lettuce smells kinda funny on the barbie,,,

Icarus

[markderail]

Not to mention your own produce tastes better.

I think overall it decreases overall, as aquifiers do empty themselves faster than they replenish, and city-suburb water systems leak something terrible.

[oxnardprof]

I read an article a while back in the LA Times, about heavy mulching with hay or alfalfa. Once you set up raised beds, the moisture is trapped below the thick hay mulch, and you will barely need to water. I did a quick search, but could not find the article.

The point is that you can grow vegetables in the back yard, more than enough for your own consumption and consume very little water. This is the next step on our landscaping project; the back yard with multiple planter beds for flowers and edibles.

[hyo silver]

Mulch makes a huge difference in water consumption, and helps keep the predators at bay - both the legged and rooted kinds.

Drip irrigation also cuts down on water use, since the water is delivered right where it's needed, and nothing is lost to spray.

So, done properly, I'd say growing your own uses less water. Veggies, anyway. Beef, not so much. Anyone for rabbit stew?

[SSimon]

Either a farmer is going to have to water the thirsty lettuce and ship it to you or you can water it yourself. Besides, doesn't fossil fuel require water for production? Given this, I would imagine you're at a huge net deficit for water use growing your own lettuce. Grown your own thirsty lettuce without guilt!

[icarus]

Grey water from sinks, baths, showers etc make a great second use of water for plants. I have been watering my fruit trees for years with dish water.

Also, a well designed septic drain field can (with proper design and planning) be a great source for water for the surrounding area. When you think about it, the same water we flush down the toilet goes into the ground to be cleaned, using it as a source of water for gardens and orchards is a fine idea. (You just have to keep the roots out of the drain field)

Icarus

[hill]

Originally Posted by Rae Vynn

No matter how much water your lettuce needs, it is NOTHING compared to the amount of water required to produce beef.

Growing your own produce, and replacing meat with veggies, saves an amazing amount of fresh water - water which is rapidly vanishing for many people in this world.

I'd never cross Rae Vynn
But . . . Just yesterday, PBS had a show on how much of Europe is being over-run with wild boar ... and I have to admit ... right about that time ... a B.L.T. sounded pretty good

tofu bacon, of course

Yea, I know some (you & Danial, etc) abhore us eating animals ... still, every action will have some kind of reaction. Don't eat the boar, and you'll be over-run. If you nearly irradicate all the California sea lions for meat and/or coats, and you'll suddenly have 100's TON'S of crab & spiny lobster covering our shores (a mature sea lion averages nearly TWENTY POUNDS of either crab, fish, lobster or abalony) ... and what fisherman would want to see that ??

As a kid, my dad used to take me up to Avila Beach (north of Santa Barbara) every year. He'd buy fish heads for bait ... tie 'em into a net, that was tied to a 4 foot circular metal frame. After you lower the net down into the sea, all you had to do was have a couple beers and stand around waiting. Pull the net up onto the pier, and you'd EASILY have 4 or 5 BIG ol' crabs. Same with my scuba shore dives I used to do up the north coast ... tons of abalony and crab. Who can afford abalony any more.

With beef though, "sustainability" relating to water supplies is much more critical ... so in regards to that ... I get it. Still ... I REALLY miss getting my nightly limit of lobser for the cost of a refill of a scuba tank




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