I haven't looked extensively, but from what I can see, if all of Taiwan's semiconductor fabrication were to move here it would barely budge our water usage (by one estimate that would be about 87000 acre-feet). I think that very thirsty crops like alfalfa are a much bigger issue, and alfalfa doesn't directly affect the prices of much of our food (although maybe burgers?) Water usage by manufacturing in general does matter, since all uses for water matter in a dry state like AZ, but agriculture is the sector where the choices of crops matters hugely.
I have a friend who grew up on a farm inn Kansas, and in her lifetime she saw neighbors switch from wheat to corn, using far more water, because of subsidies. The aquifer there is disappearing ... so it's not just here.
One source of information I found (not a primary source, sorry) was https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/18/semiconductor-silicon-chips-carbon-footprint-climate which was an article that was fairly critical of TSMC resource usage; but if you transform the 63 million tons of water used in 2019 to acre feet you get about 52,000 - and TSMC does the lion's share of semiconductor manufacture in Taiwan. The Guardian article links to a longer one in NYT when you follow up on the 63 million ton figure.
Please note that construction of apartments and houses to rent are less affected by water restrictions because they do not require subdivision of land, therefore are not subject to the requirements to demonstrate 100 years of water supply, which are triggered by subdivision.
They still will house people who use the same amount of water as ownership homes. Sleight of hand by landowners, a loophole that must be addressed.
I'm very frustrated that we are considering stopping growth as a solution to the water issues. To me it seems like a water tax and dividend could help us direct our water usage to the most productive places, rather than having subdivisions with grass lawns, no local flora, and a pool in every backyard.
Are there any plans to implement market water strategies? Or is the only plan to stop growth??
You owe me 800 hours of therapy. Tricking us into listening to the Truth Bombers is just wrong.
I haven't looked extensively, but from what I can see, if all of Taiwan's semiconductor fabrication were to move here it would barely budge our water usage (by one estimate that would be about 87000 acre-feet). I think that very thirsty crops like alfalfa are a much bigger issue, and alfalfa doesn't directly affect the prices of much of our food (although maybe burgers?) Water usage by manufacturing in general does matter, since all uses for water matter in a dry state like AZ, but agriculture is the sector where the choices of crops matters hugely.
I have a friend who grew up on a farm inn Kansas, and in her lifetime she saw neighbors switch from wheat to corn, using far more water, because of subsidies. The aquifer there is disappearing ... so it's not just here.
One source of information I found (not a primary source, sorry) was https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/18/semiconductor-silicon-chips-carbon-footprint-climate which was an article that was fairly critical of TSMC resource usage; but if you transform the 63 million tons of water used in 2019 to acre feet you get about 52,000 - and TSMC does the lion's share of semiconductor manufacture in Taiwan. The Guardian article links to a longer one in NYT when you follow up on the 63 million ton figure.
Please note that construction of apartments and houses to rent are less affected by water restrictions because they do not require subdivision of land, therefore are not subject to the requirements to demonstrate 100 years of water supply, which are triggered by subdivision.
They still will house people who use the same amount of water as ownership homes. Sleight of hand by landowners, a loophole that must be addressed.
I'm very frustrated that we are considering stopping growth as a solution to the water issues. To me it seems like a water tax and dividend could help us direct our water usage to the most productive places, rather than having subdivisions with grass lawns, no local flora, and a pool in every backyard.
Are there any plans to implement market water strategies? Or is the only plan to stop growth??