California's drought caused by pot farms? Naw....

Another cause of California's drought: Pot farms

These farms in the wilderness soak up a tremendous amount of water, especially at the peak of summer.

By: John Platt

Photo: Don DeBold/Flickr

California's ongoing drought has been blamed on a lot of different factors, ranging from climate change to over consumption to the agricultural industry. But here's one more factor that may be draining California dry: marijuana farms. These farms – some legal, most not – soak up a tremendous amount of water in the wilderness. At summer's peak, each plant can soak up about six gallons of water a day, according to a recent report from McClatchy DC. It's so bad in some regions, particularly California's North Coast, that important fish populations are suffering.

Photography from Vyacheslav Mishchenko

Ukrainian photographer Vyacheslav Mishchenko documents tiny creatures in nature who often go unseen. In particular, he captures portraits of snails that are both magical and adorable. The photographer gets in close to snap macro shots of precious, surreal moments. I never thought I'd find the slimy mollusk so cute!

Check out more of Mishchenko's macro photography in his portfolio (here) and keep up to date with his images through his Facebook page (here).

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