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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Saudi Arabia's Water Woes, a Cautionary Tale

California's water authority is voting today on how much we'll have to cut back. And it's going to be a lot more than we've cut so far. New figures show that in March, residents in the state cut back by just 3.5 percent, far lower than the Governor's mandated 25 percent. Agriculture, meanwhile, is a different story.

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By Madeleine Brand • May 5, 2015 • 1 min read

California's water authority is voting today on how much we'll have to cut back. And it's going to be a lot more than we've cut so far. New figures show that in March, residents in the state cut back by just 3.5 percent, far lower than the Governor's mandated 25 percent. Agriculture, meanwhile, is a different story. Water from the snow pack and federal authorities has been slashed, so farmers are increasingly pumping water from underground. Some farmers have dug so deep, they're hitting water that fell to the earth tens of thousands of years ago. Turns out that's what Saudi Arabia did too; now that country is giving up on farming. We hear what could be a cautionary talefor California.

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Madeleine Brand

    Host, 'Press Play'

  • KCRW placeholder

    Jolie Myers

    Managing Producer, 'Press Play'

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    Matt Holzman

    Producer, 'The Document'

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    Anna Scott

    Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

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    Nathan Halverson

    Center for Investigative Reporting

    News
Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand