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California and its Water Usage

Published on Feb 08, 2016

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

California and its Water Usage

How limiting animal agriculture can help cure the drought

Background

  • 1,500 gallons of water per person per day. -Pacific Institute
  • 80% of California's water goes toward agriculture.
  • 2,500 gallons of water needed to produce one pound of beef.
"Californians use 1500 gallons of water per person per day. Close to half is associated with meat and dairy products." -Pacific Institute, "California's Water Footprin According to the Pacific Institute, 47 percent of a Californian’s water footprint is in meat and dairy products.


2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of beef. -Dr. George Borgstrom, Chairman of Food Science and Human Nutrition Dept of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, "Impacts on Demand for and Quality of land and Water."

"It takes three times more water to produce milk than vegetables, ten times more water to produce eggs, fourteen times more water to produce chicken meat, nineteen times more water to produce pork, and forty eight times more water to produce beef than vegetables." -The Water Footprint Assessment Manual: Setting the Global Standard)

"Eating more meat and dairy has been the single greatest factor for water consumption in the past 30 years..." -TIME, "5 Ways to Celebrate World Water Day"

"Animal products are the single most important factor in humanity's water footprint" and "we need to re-examine the place meat and dairy have in the diet of modern man."

-Water Footprint Network founder Arjen Y. Hoekstra, PhD, who is creator of the water footprint concept, has had multiple publications translated into several languages, and has advised government and multilateral institutions like UNESCO and World Bank.



"Raising cattle takes up more of California's water than any other activity."

–Justin Fox of Bloomberg View and the Harvard Business Review



"Of the less than 1 percent of freshwater available for human use, a whopping 70 percent goes toward growing food and raising animals."

"Cutting consumption of animal products in half would reduce the U.S.’s dietary requirements of water by 37 percent."

–National Geographic, Thirsty Food: Fueling Agriculture to Fuel Humans


"On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet."

[Since they specify the average American diet requires 1,000 gallons of water per day, that means the average vegan diet requires less than half the water to produce.]

-National Geographic, "Water Conservation Tips"


"By making one meal a week with lentils instead of beef, a family of four can save the equivalent of 17 bathtubs full of water." -Oxfam


*Statistics from Truthordrought.com and Cowspiracy.com
Photo by miez!

Why does it matter?

  • You live in California.
  • Almost 100% of the state is considered to be in a "severe" drought level.
  • 47% of our water footprint is associated with meat and dairy, 4% is associated with direct household water consumption.
  • Save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you would not showering six months.
"In California today, you may save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you would by not showering for six entire months." -World Watch Institute

36,474,137 people are estimated to be living in a drought area in a California. The population of California as a whole is roughly 39 million, as of 2015. That means that the amount of people in California affected by the drought amounts to less people than the city of Los Angeles. That is less than 1% of the state of California that is not affected by the drought.

Read rest of index card.

Who does it affect?

  • California residents all reap the effects of the drought.
  • The problem can eventually affect American citizens nationwide.
  • Anyone that has the slightest care for the environment would benefit from being fully informed.
Read off of note card.
Photo by Monica's Dad

What should be included?

  • Clips from the popular documentary, "Cowspiracy"
  • Graphs displaying water usage
  • Charts showing different levels of water consumption
  • Images displaying drought severity
  • Images displaying animal agriculture
  • Clips from conservation panels
Describe Cowspiracy, explain why these charts would be beneficial.

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Any Questions?