A lot of press has focused on almond agriculture, which has the interesting property that missing one season of water destroys more than one season's harvest; it can kill the trees. This seems politically advantageous in a situation like the present one; by increasing the harm done by denying the water, it has a blackmail effect, yet without looking like blackmail.
Is there any politically realistic way to counter such incentives to be more vulnerable? I'd say it requires government either to take a consistent laissez-faire line so that farmers' failures aren't seen as public responsibility or to step in and regulate more, restricting who can grow almonds or at least requiring a drought plan registered in advance.
How about politically realistic ways to counter the NIMBY and limits-to-growth style arguments that made it impossible to update the state's water infrastructure that led to this problem in the first place.
I think we need a discussion thread for the californian drought going on. I would like to compile information in the main post and would like help compiling it. If we really are proud to be effective altruists then this is an area we should really figure out.
Any one have any good ideas on how we can help?