BBC Video : Water Drought - Farms or Households http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32806435
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Water SCARCITY or Water SHORTAGE? If we are talking about water that can be used by households and firms, fresh water is always a scarce resource because there are limited quantities of it. In most countries, there is sufficient water to meet the needs of the country, but not the unlimited wants. In strict economic sense, California is facing a water shortage, where the quantities of water demanded far outweighs the quantities of water that is supplied, exacerbated by the worst drought that they are experiencing in recent years. |
Question 1: Identify the competing uses of water in California.
Question 2: Explain why the water drought in California has caused the state to ‘think more carefully’ about how they use water. Question 3: Using the production possibilities curve, describe and illustrate the impact of the water shortage on California’s PPC. Question 4: In the video, “some say that farmers should not be allowed to grow crops anymore in light of the water shortage”. Do you agree with this? |
Hint 1: It is useful to identify the main consumers of water, and what they require the water for.
Hint 2: With less water available and the same number of needs, will California use water the same way as it did before? Why not? Hint 3: Recall that the PPC is affected by the quality and quantity of resources that an economy has. Hint 4: Think from the perspective of a farmer, the household and environmentalist. |
HouseholdsHow has the water shortage affected the decisions of households?
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FarmersHow did the water shortage affect farmers in California in terms of which crops to grow?
Despite California suffering its worst drought on record, America's most valuable farming state is still using billions of gallons of water to grow hay - specifically alfalfa - which is then shipped to China. Find out why farmers make such decisions. |
EnvironmentalistsWhy is the government concerned over the use of water?
How has the government intervened to manage the shortage of water in California? |