Within the editor: Due to reporter Sammy Roth for his glorious piece on the repurposing of many farms within the Imperial Valley for photo voltaic power manufacturing.
For these unfamiliar with the challenges we face on a warming planet, Roth supplies up-close and private views of farmers dropping water and crops, cities rising regardless of shrinking assets, and the folly of those that promised the water of the Colorado River to everybody with out understanding the results.
I encourage local weather science skeptics to learn this and provides our plight a extra severe thought. We are able to remedy it, however it’s going to take a long time.
Within the meantime issues will worsen. There are extra misplaced farm acres, larger meals prices and extra water restrictions. In already heat areas just like the Imperial Valley, extra folks will die if it will get hotter.
Begin supporting fossil gas discount together with your vote and use of your house home equipment. We are able to keep away from complete catastrophe.
Edward Dignan, Lengthy Seashore
..
Within the editor: The query within the article, “What’s the finest use of land?” ought to be adopted by, “What’s the finest water use in California?”
The important thing lies within the precise worth of water in comparison with what the farm barons are paying. They profit from decades-old contracts with low water costs that distort what crops are economically viable. Rising water-thirsty alfalfa within the dry Imperial Valley is clearly not the reply.
We can not reside with out consuming water, however we will get the greens now grown within the Imperial Valley from different elements of California with “actual worth” water connected.
Local weather change will create extra harm in California. We worth water based mostly on the precedence of its use: consuming water, sustainable meals manufacturing, and sustainable environmental safety.
Raju Yenamandra, Thousand Oaks
..
Within the editor: Far-right political extremism seems to be affecting the pondering of at the least one farmer within the Imperial Valley who opposes solar energy installations on the area’s rising variety of non-farm lands.
Whereas farmer Eddie Wiest properly acknowledges the necessity to diversify native land use, his neighbor Trevor Tagg “refuses to simply accept the science of world warming,” as his personal mom modified a part of her property from farming to solar energy era.
I hope Tagg’s eyes are opened to the actual reality earlier than his land turns into unbearably sizzling and dry to provide any crops.
Marcy Miroff Rothenberg, Porter Ranch
..
Within the editor: I do not perceive why photo voltaic corporations select to cowl acres and acres of farmland when just some miles away, there are tons of of acres of open desert land getting simply as a lot daylight as the remaining. in Imperial Valley.
This place is the “salad bowl of America.” When fields are coated in photo voltaic panels, your head of lettuce turns into a luxurious merchandise, and alfalfa is eaten solely by racehorses.
Mike Hatchimonji, La Palma
..
Within the editor: Roth’s article leaves the impression that in an effort to keep away from a local weather catastrophe, both farmland or distant desert lands have to be sacrificed for photo voltaic farms.
I hope to learn extra sooner or later about photovoltaic panels positioned on residential rooftops, on prime of parking heaps, on business buildings, on prime of canals and in contaminated landfills.
The dangers and prices related to long-distance transmission of electrical energy have to be thought of in California’s efforts to cut back greenhouse fuel emissions.
Craig Deutsche, Los Angeles
