Our Troubled Planet: California Leads Our Water Crisis

By Frosty Wooldridge

Last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a drought in California, "Water is like gold! We have to treat it like that."

Jennifer Steinhauer, correspondent for the New York Times, said, "The drought declaration - the first for the state since 1991 - includes orders to transfer water from less dry areas to those that are dangerously dry. Mr. Schwarzenegger also said he would ask the federal government for aid to farmers and press water districts, cities and local water agencies to accelerate conservation. Drought conditions have hampered farming, increased water rates throughout California and created potentially dangerous conditions in areas prone to wildfires.

"The declaration comes after the driest California spring in 88 years, with runoff in river basins that feed most reservoirs at 41 percent of average levels. It stops short of a water emergency, which would probably include mandatory rationing."

"A survey this year found that the state's snow pack water content was 67 percent of average, and the Colorado River Basin, from which California draws some water, is coming off a record eight-year drought, contributing to the drop in reservoir storage."

"This drought is an urgent reminder of the immediate need to upgrade California's water infrastructure," Mr. Schwarzenegger said Wednesday in a prepared statement. "There is no more time to waste because nothing is more vital to protect our economy, our environment and our quality of life."

Steinhauer said, "Across the state, many districts and municipalities are instituting or considering recycling, rationing and higher fees for excessive use. For instance, Los Angeles officials recently announced their intentions to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies."

"Some cities and regions are rationing, some are doing nothing and a group of people are in the middle," the director of California's Department of Water Resources, Lester A. Snow, said in a telephone interview. "The governor thought it was important to step out in front and get ahead of this. It is in part to avoid an emergency."

Steinhauer said, "A bill to require Californians to cut water use 20 percent recently passed the Assembly. The bill, which requires Senate approval, puts most of the onus on residents, and little on the agriculture industry, underscoring tension over conservation between city dwellers and farmers, who consume most of the state's water.

"Across the state, many districts and municipalities are instituting or considering recycling, rationing and higher fees for excessive use. For instance, Los Angeles officials recently announced their intentions to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies."

Does anyone see the irony in California's water crisis? That state houses 37.5 million people. It grows by 1,600 people per day, which exceeds 584,000 people added annually. (Source: www.capsweb.org) Governor Arnold pretends to instigate water rationing with people drinking recycled sewage--but refuses to address the injection of 1,600 people daily! Is that stupid or what?

In addition, that number of people added every day adds 400 cars and other vehicles EVERY DAY to California's already gridlocked traffic in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Bakersfield and other large cities. It's a living nightmare! And, it's getting worse by 1,600 people every single day in California!

Can you tell me why that's happening? Consider this: America immigrates 182,000 legal immigrants and illegal migrants every 30 days. How many immigrants? That many people nearly fill the Pasadena Rose Bowl twice! That number stems from a line that grows by 77 million annually around the globe. It stems from Mexico, which grew from 50 to 104 million in the last century-but will triple their population to 300 million in this century.

If you think California suffers, consider that five million residents of Atlanta, Georgia depend on Lake Lanier, which stands on the brink of vanishing. Ironically, Georgia at 8.4 million expects to grow to 16.4 million!

Does anyone understand that this nation immigrates itself into irreversible consequences with unsolvable problems?

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