Seen in the New York Times on July 22, 2021:
To the Editor:
Re “Fire, Drought and Heat Scorch the Land of Reds and Whites” (front page, July 19):
In Napa Valley, a stone’s throw from the vineyards of the dejected farmers interviewed in your article, other farmers are adapting for life in a warmer climate. The Tofanelli family continues to dry farm well-placed vineyards as they have for almost a century. Others, like family-owned Spottswoode, actively research climate change adaptation and rapidly adopt water-saving methods.
The distressed vineyards were planted in areas known to have high fire risk and/or inadequate water supplies. We’ve known about climate change for decades but failed to develop policies to deal with it, at all levels of government.
The current scale of wine production, driven in part by global business interests, is impossible to support as the megadrought continues. It is time to accept this new reality, to get our land use and water policies in order, and to focus on learning from people who are pouring their time, money and energy into finding new and more sustainable ways to live with our changing environment.
Amber Manfree
[Source: New York Times, July 22, 2021 ]
Napa, Calif.
The writer is a consultant for Water Audit California and other community organizations.