TreasureCoasting

What are your thoughts on the depletion of fossil aquifers?

Thank you. Yes, I grew up in Eastern Colorado, with multiple generations in the agriculture business. My brother was an irrigation technician and first brought to my attention how quickly the aquifer is depleting. He also spends his free time searching for the abundant arrowheads, which were uncovered by the stripping of topsoil during The Dustbowl. Word is that the water level was dropping so quickly that farmers were constantly forced to drill new wells. Since it's a non-renewable resource, I imagine that little has changed in the past few years.

In my estimation, irrigation is the biggest fallacy that pushes us into food insecurity. No amount of chemicals or good farming practices will compensate for the combination of a drained aquifer and a bad drought. I've observed (during my 48 years) as more and more water-intensive operations have taken over the High Plains, as crop profiles have changed to fuel our dependence upon corn and soy, and as circles have overtaken the patchwork of rectangular fields. Land that was never suited for this is being pushed to its limits.

I'm deeply concerned about another Dustbowl; and I believe that it would cause a catastrophic collapse of global socio-economic systems as well as a great famine. This is a fragile and unsustainable system dependent upon fossil water, fossil fuels, chemicals, cheap labor and subsidies.

Please tell me that I'm way off base, so that I can sleep better at night.

Edit: to add "cheap labor"