Cotton in the Desert?

A cotton field ready for harvest in Phoenix, Arizona

Ah yes, it’s November here in Phoenix, Arizona. The long hot summer is over, heck just a couple of weeks ago we were still having 100 degree days (38 celsius) – perfect cotton growing weather. Just look out there on this broad expanse of pure white cotton, for every 2 pounds (1kg) of cotton we will use more than 5000 gallons (20,000 liters) of water to grow and process enough fiber to make a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. The Rocky Mountains are not getting the snowfall needed to replenish the Colorado river that fills our lakes for drinking water, but some idiots here in Phoenix feel it is viable to waste this precious resource to grow cotton. Imagine living in a desert where only a handful of days have rain and then think of a place where without much regard water is thrown on cotton, golf courses, and tens of thousands of swimming pools, and there you would find Phoenix, Arizona.

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