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Maybe it's me but the tone of the article reads to me like "the issue is solar pumps, they're depleting groundwater reserves" whereas the point seems to be more that pumping groundwater is ungoverned and access to it is now easier than ever, thanks to solar powered pumps.
Unfortunately, doesn't change that the issue exists.
I don't think it's just you. It does seem a bit pessimistic / fatalistic at first glance, especially the headline, but it's clearly a more complicated issue once you read through. You're right, the issue isn't solar energy but more about being careful about how it's put to use and the impact thereof. If anything it shows the dangers of expecting capitalism to save us and issues we run into if we try to take the easy way out. We know the issue exists now so it's more a question of what next.
The problem is not complicated. The problem is population. The solution is complicated.
Our local aquifer didn't need the introduction of solar pumps. They manage with fuel powered pumps and corn, all along the stream. In August the water is gone.
The farms without accessible water just drill a deep well, 120m or thereabouts, and now you have magical water - and the problem gets worse!
The solar just makes it more accessible, so even the remotest areas can participate in the destruction.
At same time there is only very little collection of rainwater from any roof and/or water storage for use in the dry season, and not much education about drought resistant plants. I think that's where efforts need to point towards: share knowledge of different people all over the world as to how to farm with less water and how to farm in respect of the existing aquifer.
There's just too many people on this planet.
Yea sure that was said years ago then farming happened. Then it was said again and thr new world was found. Then it was said again and the harber process was found.
Yes we will probably make lab grown meat and we can keep increasing our population.
But look we are farming absoulte marginal, temporary farmland.
But there is too many people. We make up a huge amount of the biomass on this planet there are just too many people and we are fucked because of it.
There doesn't seem to be any solution to it either.
Please look at past trends in fertility, and predictions of reputable, independent sources. The growth rate is already sinking fast (just in case: the rate is sinking, population is still growing). With the current/recent situation, in the short term the growth continues, but slows and mid-term there will be a reduction in population. And already today we do have the means to support this population much more sustainably, we just choose not to (we even produce food to turn it into gasoline o.O ): It would require a massive wealth/standards re-distribution, and re-distribution is socialist and thus bad (/s in case that's necessary). A possible starting point: https://ourworldindata.org/population-growth-over-time
About the only solution would be barbarism. A lottery to decide who gets to live and who has to go. And I’m not willing to participate in that. But as things get desperate, there will be those who are.
China's one child policy worked well for China.
But there is no way to get a whole world, one child policy.
No need to, as countries develop, the birth rate already shrinks.
Looks like we need wind traps or water collectors that they have on dune or tatooine or realistically change the farming practices to use less water.
I know that GMO gets a bad name, but taking indigenous food plants and modifying them to be even more suited to the area could add yet more benefits.
Having the seed lines owned by the public would be the only way to make it viable for developing countries tries, though.
And this is why the idiotic Mr Beast well project is so stupid. Building wells willy nilly is extremly short sighted and might ruin aquifers permanently in the long term.
This is like saying "we shouldn't give people food, because then they live longer, and have more time to do crap." Kind of an unhinged thought, TBH.