Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration on Monday announced two steps to stop a controversial Saudi Arabian company from using groundwater beneath state land in western Arizona to grow and export alfalfa.
Hobbs said in a statement that the Arizona State Land Department had canceled one of its leases to Fondomonte Arizona, and would not renew three others that are set to expire in February.
This is amazing news. Glad we have an actual competent governor now. Good work Katie Hobbs! Fuck republican scum.
Was this a big issue in Arizona? Were lots of people upset about it?
Agriculture uses up the most water in the Southwest - particularly in AZ and California. So, yes curtailing water use from thirsty crops is a big issue. Furthermore, these companies are drawing ground water from increasingly deep wells which is unsustainable and leads to shallower neighboring wells drying up.
I’m aware, at least superficially, about the problem. What I was getting at was how present is the problem in the minds of the average Arizonan. I could have worded it better. I appreciate the rundown though.
Every local news network has been covering it, for reference. It’s pretty universally popular since it’s a Saudi owned farm thats growing super, super wasteful alfalfa in the fucking desert.
Tbh, on the political front it’s kind of a meatball thrown to Katie Hobbs, not that I’ll be upset about that at all. Conservatives should never get their hands on the governorship again.
Trying to grow something in the middle of the desert… literally an explanation of the Saudi state.
The Arabian Desert is not continuous desert. However, the second worst place to put a city in the Arabian desert is occupied by the capital of Saudi Arabia. How’s that for urban planning?
Well I’m glad she knocked that meatball right out of the park. I’m going to be watching your Senate race as soon as the primaries are over.
It’s pretty big news since the reznicks would very very much like to divert attention away from their water use profiteering.
Hint, don’t buy anything “Wonderful” or Fiji water.
The only water I buy is Polar seltzer and they bottle out of Massachusetts
Yes and yes. Water intensive crop grown in a place that lacks water resources.
Source: Arizonian
Source: Arizonian
X to doubt °=°
Source: Arizonan
You guys in the US are using up way too much of your groundwater for farming in scorching hot areas like Arizona and Texas even without the Saudis. Isn’t there enough farmland in states with a less hostile climate?
In the past there were enormous aquifers below the surface. The water was under so much pressure that you could tap it and it would erupt like a geyser. So for generations farmers in these areas had what they thought was unlimited water. Now those aquifers are empty or nearly empty and these farmers are resistant to that reality.
Of course no one wants to face this devastating reality…
In the end it will probably be a large wealth transfer from the states without groundwater to the ones that still have groundwater. Farmers will have to buy land in the groundwater states and the land in the dry states will be practically worthless.
I’m a true believer in technology so I’m hopeful that there will be considerable innovation in desalinization so we can continue to farm in arid areas.
Desalinization would only work in getting Los Angeles and San Diego off of Colorado River water.
The big money right now is in sewage treatment. There are several treatment plants in inland cities which treat their sewage water so that it can either be used for agricultural purposes or even get recycled as potable water.
It depends on the crops and the time of year.
A lot of the crops grown in Arizona are fruits and vegetables grown to be harvest in the off-season of typical harvests.
People should note that indigenous groups had also been practicing agriculture along the rivers all through the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. Agriculture isn’t the problem overall, unsustainable crops like alfalfa are.
Maybe, but the Hohokam died out before the Columbian Exchange and part of it may have been related to a dry century.
The Hohokam are far from the only group that have lived in those deserts all along the Colorado and it’s tributaries
Saudi Arabia unable to buy a US resource?
Ok who has meddled with the cosmic forces and needs to atone?
Damn, I was looking forward to the water wars!
Had no idea they were cloning and selling one of the little rascals. How dare they.
Fucking communist!!!
Why does she hate free markets…
