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Living in the California Drought |
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Here in California where I live, we have an arid climate, and we don't see much rainfall for well over half of the year. We are currently in a drought, and we had our worst drought in history just two years ago.
The geography in California ranges from the sea level coast of the Pacific Ocean, to the Central Valley where agriculture is produced, up to the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and down to the desert of Death Valley. There is a huge demand for water here, with agriculture production and large population centers such as in Los Angeles and in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live. Our climate is prone to droughts, along with wildfires in the summer. These have grown worse, and while many factors are involved, scientists say climate change does make things worse. It used to be standard practice for people to have a lush green lawn of grass in their front and back yards. Now, having a lawn is viewed as wasteful and antisocial. Now, people plant native or drought-tolerant species in their yards instead. People also turn their yards into little vegetable gardens, so when they water they are producing healthy organic foods. Other practices are found on the California Save Our Water website. There is also the practice of "water shaming" that occurs. A government water district will release the name and address of the water consumers who are using up the most water. Usually it is a professional athlete, Internet tycoon or some other wealthy celebrity. The television news reports on it and this often results in a public statement or apology, with an explanation that there was a leak that has been discovered and fixed. Here is an example of a news report: CBS News celebrity water wasters reporting on Hollywood celebrities wasting water. Can these practices help us adapt to save water in our changing climate? It is hard to tell, but all of these individual actions to be vigilant about not wasting water seem to be adding up to a different mindset about this precious resource. |
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5 Comments
I think the picture is up side down Dane, but they're cute in any direction. I was rather surprised that the state government publicly shame people for personal water use. I mean, I can easily think of it happening in some particular countries but i didn't think of this happening in the US. But that really points it out well how severe the situation is there thanks!
Posted 23-08-2016 17:47
Thanks for sharing drought situation in California. I really appreciate the practices like 'water shaming' to name and shame water wasters so that others learn to use water judiciously without any wastage. Water is the basic necessity of life and it is not an endless resource so we must conserve it.
Posted 21-08-2016 02:49
Oh and next time don't forget to post the references as well!
Posted 21-08-2016 01:11
Thanks for sharing the situation in California, Dante. Water shaming, I have never heard about this before. I am surprised how the government has the authority to release a person's information to the public. Also, if people realize most of them are wealthy or well-known celebrities, it may not be effective at reducing the water usage among normal citizens. Anyways, thanks for sharing!
Posted 21-08-2016 01:11
Thanks for such a good article highlighting of California's water issues. Celebrities and wealthy people do sometimes think that once thy can pay for their water bills, then they can misuse it in anyway. The district initiative should keep on publicizing individuals who use water most and also develop a new means of educating public on water conservation
Posted 20-08-2016 16:29