04/06/2015
Does California's Water Clampdown Address The Real Problem?
California Governor Jerry Brown last week ordered unprecedented mandatory water use restrictions as the state suffers through a drought that climatologists describe as the worst in 1,200 years. Agriculture uses 80 percent of the California's water, but large farms which obtain water from sources outside local water agencies will not be affected by the new restrictions.
■Class discussion: In recent years, many California farmers switched to crops that use a great deal of water. What are those crops? Climate change may not be to blame for the weather patterns causing the record drought, but how do rising temperatures make droughts worse? As the reservoirs dry up, Californians are pumping more water out of the ground. What are the dangers of relying so heavily on ground water?