WaterCalifornians mull life with less water
Following Californian governor Jerry Brown’s decision to enforce mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history, Californians are planning for changes in their daily lives. Experts say, though, that California cannot resemble its drier neighbor, Arizona. “Without water, you can’t live in California,” Stanford University’s Bill Whalen. “It ties into the California psyche. They have plush lawns and nice gardens that require lots of water. They have the ocean and Lake Tahoe skiing. You have a nice car. You want it clean. You need water. You can’t have California agriculture without water. You lose the nation’s salad bowl.”
Following Californian governor Jerry Brown’s decision to enforce mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history, Californians are planning for changes in their daily lives.
Faced with high temperatures and increasing drought over the past three years, the state has been deprived of necessary precipitation. A recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) report has predicted a “megadrought,” expected to last thirty years, if many of the Southwestern states cannot curtail their carbon emissions and water use.
As theWashington Post reports, the governor broke the harsh reality to citizens when he said that the restrictions would mean that “watering grass every day is going to be a thing of the past,” leading many to suspect that the state will soon begin to resemble its drier neighbor, Arizona.
“Without water, you can’t live in California,” said Bill Whalen, of Stanford University’s Hoover Institutionpolicy think tank. “It ties into the California psyche. They have plush lawns and nice gardens that require lots of water. They have the ocean and Lake Tahoe skiing. You have a nice car. You want it clean. You need water. You can’t have California agriculture without water. You lose the nation’s salad bowl.”
The governor has ordered 400 water agencies in the state to reduce their output by 25 percent or face fines of up to $10,000 a month, according to a state official. The penalty can also be passed on to homeowners if they do not comply with the mandate.
The order, though, has excluded Californian farmers who account for 80 percent of the state’s water use, and grow crops such as rice and almonds which use large amounts of water per acre — a $40 billion industry.
“We don’t like when we see a double standard,” said Adam Scow, the California director of Food and Water Watch. “Everybody’s going to have to do their part. The guys using all the water — you’re not asking them to do their part? It’s dishonest.”
“Agriculture is already taking a hard hit,” said Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board. “Urban users depend on agricultural production. It’s not about finger-pointing. It’s about everybody having to step up.”
Whalen said that Brown’s decision, at least in part, derives from the fact that he is serving his second term and is in his final years under term limits. He is thus not in danger of a previous governor, Gary Davis, who was thrown out by Californians following power blackouts. “He [Brown] wants to do big things,” he added.
Following the announcement of the restrictions, the governor’s next step is to use the opportunity to bring developers, planners, environmentalists, and specialists together, leading to discussions that can benefit from how these different stakeholders may work together.
“First thing to talk about is agriculture’s use of water, forcing them to look at whether we need thirsty crops like alfalfa,” Whalen said. “Developers who build edifices with huge fountains, environmentalists who call for too many restrictions and other fixes, and urban planners should all be at the table. It’s a conversation that can lead to action.”
