Texas produces electricity from our own resources, from oil to wind, and is not as much a part of the grid as many other states-it also sells electricity to-California as well as other places-we would lose money if we no longer did that, but I don’t see that as all bad.
Where I live we get electricity from a rural coop-it is pretty “our” power, because we all own shares of the thing-unlike in a city. We get kickbacks of real money for solar and wind power, too. Rainwater capture and gray water, natural planting-including livestock pasturage-is encouraged, too since this is a semi arid area and droughts are cyclical-we don’t want Texas to end up like Cali.
Here, there a moratorium on development-no water well on less than 5 acres, no commercial concerns in rural areas-if we want crowding and noise, there is a city of 1 million or so less than 50 miles away, with plenty or burbs to live in.
I don’t live in a cave, nor does anyone else out here, and I am happy to be in favor of the sensible conservation of our natural resources-and I was not talking about anything other than yard plants/trees and the almond and avocados that are grown in your state-those are non-native, and they do take an enormous amount of water.
Pine and hardwood trees are grown for the purpose of making lumber for building just about everywhere and have been for a long, long time-native trees, not ones from South America or China-I see and use lumber almost every day, since I work in construction. The trees are grown on these places called tree farms, and because they grow naturally in that area they do not need enormous amounts of water-economical, renewable-just like planting beans or tomatoes.
The nearest grocery store has Texas produce and some from Mexico-like avocados-and almost none from California-the stuff from Texas and Mexico is less expensive and tastes just as good. Most of us grow our own seasonal veggies in our yards anyway.
If people where you are want to keep knocking down dams to save fish not even endangered, wasting water on tropical lawns and crops native to the tropics, I say let them go right ahead-but don’t bitch about it, or expect others to give or sell you more water to waste. If Cali really wants to have water next year, they’d best tell the Barbara Streisand crowd to turn off the sprinklers...
The point is that it is idiotic to think that anyone is only going to use the resources from their local area. It is absolutely contrary to modern human existence. Yes, reasonably responsible governance in California would quickly solve the problem ox water here. Unfortunately, we don’t have that here.. Just don’t try to sell me the idea that everything used in Texas is made or grown there.