Category Archives: Infrastructure

Infrastructure

California Drought is a Crisis Not an Inconvenience

California Drought MonitorThe news is exploding with commentary on every angle of the drought in California, pitting industry against the general public. With all the posturing of a political thread on Facebook, opposing sides are slinging blame, “the other guy needs to do something” and coming up with “facts” as to why.

A  20% voluntary reduction failed miserably across the board and with 99% of the state feeling the effects of drought and 66% in “extreme or exceptional” drought (according to the US Drought Monitor), it is now clear to all that action needs to be taken immediately — and by all. Governor Brown’s mandatory restrictions of 25% is a start, but they need to be implemented collectively. Limiting lawn watering and driveway wash down,  while a help,  is not going to be the fix. The affluent will simply pay the fines, leaving the burden on the less wealthy, and will also not generate much in the way of water savings. It is difficult to see where anyone has taken proactive drought measures to date, instead relying on “the other guy needs to do something” attitude.  The drought issue should have been appropriately addressed a few years ago. After four years of drought, not much has action has happened, other than to drill deeper.

The solution is for all to collectively to come together and adjust our lifestyle (public) or operations (industry) for the good of all. Simply hoping that the drought will end naturally in another year will most likely end with the same results as this past year’s use, showing more consumption than ever.

We must stop taking water for granted. We turn on the tap and don’t think about the fact that there might not be enough. We’ve never had to worry about it before, so why should we now?

The greatest impact will be made by increasing the price of water – keeping in mind that there needs to be water available for basic needs such as hydration, hygiene and food production. This does not mean high water use agriculture should continue with business as usual.  It may be time to plan for a more sustainable crop based on nutrition needs and resource availability, rather than high profits. Fracking for natural gas and oil in the drought area should be restricted at best, if not halted immediately and the general public should also curtail unnecessary water use.

The drought is a crisis, not an inconvenience. Stalling the fix by means of fighting over the water will end up in a disaster that none of us will be able to live with. A concerted effort, along with a huge change in policy with adherence is needed for long term solutions to this drought.

California has a chance to show the world what its government, people and industry can do in the face of a natural disaster – or they can show us the alternative of what we may indeed have become.

Infrastructure, Rainwater Catchment

Should Economic Principles Be Applied to Set the Cost of Water?

water-168245_1280In his Forbes article titled: Memo To California: If You’ve A Shortage Of Something Then Change The Price, contributor Tim Wortsall suggests applying economic principles to address the California drought and allow the free market to set and regulate water pricing.

Mr. Wortsall writes: “whereas if you have a scarce commodity, allow the market to dictate the price.  If agricultural industries are using more of this scarce resource, they should pay more for it, or reallocate resources to another product.”

When questioned about his thoughts on the subject, RainBank President Ken Blair stated:

“I agree with Mr. Wortsall. The 25% reduction should absolutely apply to agriculture, it is a business for profit, and if their goods cost more because of higher operating costs, then of course that gets passed onto the customer. If the customer quits buying that product because of higher prices and that affects the business negatively, then they would adjust their products, perhaps using less water and money to produce. Consumers will decide what is grown based on purchasing habits and hopefully would bring about a more sustainable agricultural industry by encouraging producers to grow crops that use less water while offering nutritional value.

Action for this drought has been ignored from local government, business, and the general public primarily because water is cheap. When Gov. Brown asked for voluntary restrictions last year, nothing happened. No one conserved. Lawns are still being watered, farmers continue drilling deeper – impacting ancient aquifers, thousands of years old. The ground is actually dropping. The crisis is well advanced and extreme solutions are late in coming to meet the extreme issue.

“”Each individual has to pay for their consumption choices’ needs to be adjustable, based on use. Basic hygiene and hydration need to be available to all – regardless of wealth, so there should be levels of use – and charged accordingly. Business will take care of itself much like higher gasoline prices have; adjustments will be made. Credits with caps, like carbon, could help by allowing large users to still have access to the resource but still meet conservation goals.”

Ken adds: “Pricing is not the only solution: smart, immediate conservation measures need to be addressed by all – not just large corporations. The unwillingness to change is part of the reason California is now in this crisis.

Adoption of rainwater collection is a good start for the general public, as I wrote about in a blog posts after the recent rain episodes this past winter. The biggest problem, as I see it, is that people are reluctant to change. So – mandatory restrictions, incentives, and education should go hand and hand with pricing.”

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Infrastructure, Rainwater Catchment

California Drought – Immediate Action is Required

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Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times The effects of California’s ongoing drought are evident at Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet as shells, once under water, lie in the soil of recently exposed banks.

When a NASA scientist writes that the California drought has reached such epic proportions that the state is in danger of turning into a dustbowl, we need to stand up, take notice and act.

According to Jay Famiglietti, the senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech and a professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine, in an op-ed article for Los Angeles Times. “Statewide, we’ve been dropping more than 12 million acre-feet of total water yearly since 2011.” 

Famiglietti also writes, “Right now the state has only about one year of water supply left in its reservoirs, and our strategic backup supply, groundwater, is rapidly disappearing. California has no contingency plan for a persistent drought like this one (let alone a 20-plus-year mega-drought), except, apparently, staying in emergency mode and praying for rain.

In short, we have no paddle to navigate this crisis.”

Please click here to read this interesting and compelling article in LA Times.  Click here to read another report on the California drought from FeelGuide.

Action throughout the world on conservation is needed now – and it must be immediate and decisive.