[mywittyname]

At least the fabs can recycle the majority of their water. Unlike farms which use more than is needed and are likely producing animal feed for international animals.

I get your point, but not all farms are created equal. Is it really so bad to shut down farms that grow feed for Arab race horses to produce computer chips?

[therein]

> I get your point, but not all farms are created equal. Is it really so bad to shut down farms that grow feed for Arab race horses to produce computer chips?

That, I agree. I noticed a sibling comment also mentioned that. If the farms in question are of that kind, it is reasonable. I'd just like to object to the creation of a general sense of sacrificing farms for fabs.

[mlyle]

Having water artificially cheap for agricultural uses is a mistake.

If you're concerned about food security, subsidize actual food that could go to people in some way, but let water hit a real market price.

Else, we end up subsidizing water for clever export and other uses we don't really want, and we remove any incentive for efficiency in water use.

[umanwizard]

> I'd just like to object to the creation of a general sense of sacrificing farms for fabs.

"I was wrong, but I think my comment was still right based on vibes, so I wasn't wrong after all."

[timewizard]

Farms recycle the majority of their water as well. Just instead of it looping inside of a closed process it returns to the broader environment.

[lovich]

really stretching the definition of recycle there. Material staying within a closed loop is kind of a requirement for something to be recycled. The farms don't do anything to keep the water available and have to extract more water from other sources

[heavyset_go]

Water loss from evaporation and transpiration are inevitable, and run off is a large chunk of it. Nearly half of the water used in farming is lost, and some of that becomes run off that pollutes the environment and whatever bodies of water it reaches.