The objective of the entire ad industry is basically to determine what it is you're in the market for. Funnily enough, I'd have no problem telling someone/thing what I'm in the market for providing the offers received matched my specified criteria.
On any given day of the week, we're all in the market for something, right down to a tube of toothpaste. I've always thought that if advertisers knew, from the source, what that item was, their focus would shift to the value of the offer versus today's focus on identifying potential buyers.
It's something that's occurring elsewhere in the world on the basis of a) a population wanting to consume a thirsty crop such as rice, which requires water they don't have; and, b) not wanting to give up its food security and rely on traditional imports.
I don't know that this is something the US has done but the motivators noted above still stand.
Big problems, create big opportunities. Some of the developments that may occur to address this issue over the next 10+ years:
- Development of a robust water entitlement exchange
- Decoupling a water right from the land to create a more tradable asset
- Regulation change to allow for water leases
- A shift away from growing 'thirsty' crops in drought-prone regions
- Decentralization of water treatment plants to reduce distribution costs
- Increased use of grey and recycled water in the home
- Pricing changes based on its use within high water use industries
- Increased use of GM crops designed to require less water
- State-sponsored overseas farming specifically for US import of thirsty crops
- Less water exporting occurring. I.e. selling thirsty crops to China
As someone from Australia who's quite accustom to experiencing droughts, I can tell you such a scenario is handled very differently overseas. Off the top of my head, this is how I've seen it approached in Melbourne:
1. No outdoor water use, whatsoever. That includes washing the car, the dog, watering the garden, hosing down a sidewalk. If you're caught doing any of these, you're in for a $500 fine
2. You're not allowed to fill a swimming pool and all public fountains are turned off
3. The water company will go door-to-door exchanging water restricting shower heads for those currently installed. Egg timers for use in the shower are also given away
4. A marketing campaign is launched promoting the 4 minute shower (the duration of the above-mentioned egg timer)
5. Water saving products receive government subsidies. I.e. rainwater tanks, low water use toilets, etc
I see almost none of this happening in CA and, for the life of me, I can't understand why.