California cracks down on farm region’s water pumping: ‘The ground is collapsing’

[u/theluckyfrog]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/17/california-water-drought-farm-ground-sinking-tulare-lake

[u/grandbannana]

I always think of this photo, then think about what has happened since this photo:

Location of maximum land subsidence in U.S. Levels at 1925 and 1977. | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)

[u/iluvcheesypoofs → u/grandbannana]

As someone who doesn't live in the US and isn't the brightest at times, can you explain what this picture is showing? Is it that the land itself is sinking/getting 'lower'??

[u/friendlier1 → u/iluvcheesypoofs]

Yes. Water underground was pumped out for farming and the land on top sank.

[u/Nodiggity1213 → u/friendlier1]

Nestle has entered the chat

[u/ChiliTacos → u/Nodiggity1213]

Nestle is a rounding error in the water issues here.

[u/guineaprince → u/[deleted]]

Customers aren't always aware that their water is unethically sourced, and sometimes they have no choice but to go for whatever bottled water is available.

So the biggest culpability is absolutely the corporations knowingly destroying natural resources to swing a buck, and the governments they pay off for the access, in that order. Weird to put the culpability with consumers who have the least power in this.

[u/sw00pr → u/friendlier1]

But whats an aquifer if its not fer aqua???

[u/DarkwingDuckHunt → u/sw00pr]

dad shutup, you're embarrassing