The California Water Crisis, Essay Example

The California water crisis is becomingly increasingly troublesome as researchers continue to educate the public about potential causes of the disaster. While state residents have been making many lifestyle changes over the past few years to prevent against a major drought, it appears that the efforts that we have all been taking are not sufficient to resolve our water problems. Even though we’ve been told that we should avoid taking long showers and mowing our lawns in addition to other seemingly common activities, it appears that the water problem has become worse and worse. What is even more frustrating than this is the realization that the water shortage is not our faults. Many reports have shown that less than 4% of the state’s water supply is used by residents. If we’re using so little water, then where is it going?

It appears that farming appears to be the major culprit. Many vegetable and fruit farms located in California were formed in a dry, desert environment that requires the use of irrigation to ensure that these crops are regularly watered. Researchers have identified these practices as unsustainable and the major cause of the water shortage. This is problematic because these farms produce crops that are consumed by Americans around the country. Because we have grown so reliant upon these inconveniently placed farms, it will be challenging to reestablish them in a new location. However, it appears that removing these farms and building them in a new location is a necessary fix. California residents are suffering as a consequence of this farm placement and the only way to ensure that the population will have enough water to survive will be to remove wasteful farming practices from the area.

One of the major reasons that these farms have not been shut down is that agriculture is one of the main profits of the state. Likewise, the individuals that own these farming operations are considered to be wealthy and can use this wealth to influence politicians to vote in their favor (Foley). As a result, it appears that no change will occur in the immediate future. It is therefore important for California residents to contact their representatives to pressure them to consider the environmental and health impact that a drought will cause in the state. It appears that there will be more than enough water for the state’s operations, provided that water waste is cut across the board, not just with regards to private use.

Many individuals are worried that eliminating the water wasted through agricultural practices would not be sufficient to ensure long-term sustainability. Interestingly, both scientists and animal rights activists have argued that in order to conserve water, it may be beneficial to go vegetarian. This is an interesting twist to this story because a lot of research data supports this concept; livestock consumes about 9% of the state’s freshwater (USGS). Ultimately, more water is needed to raise cows, chickens, and other food animals because most of these animals are vegetarian. Therefore, these animals need to consume crops, which required water, in addition to their need to drink water to sustain themselves. To eliminate the additional water usages, it would be helpful to avoid breeding mass amount of animals for meat consumption (Olsen-Sawyer). While many Californians are already vegetarian, many would refuse to change their dietary lifestyle. However, as the drought conditions become worse, this concept of switching to a vegetarian diet becomes more and more plausible.

The idea of the state of California needing to switch to a vegetarian diet is frightening for many. However, an alternate solution proposed by Nestlé is even more concerning. The company plans to fight against the water shortage by offering a greater amount of bottled water products. While bottled water would serve as a quick fix, it is necessary to consider the repercussions that such a plan would have. First, bottled water would result in an increase in the amount of plastic produced, which is severely harmful to the environment. Releasing byproducts from factory plastic production into the air will ultimately make the drought in California worse over time. Even more concerning is Nestlé’s plan to privatize water. Privatization of water would mean that we would have to pay for our access to it, which is essentially a violation of one of our most basic and natural rights. Since water is required for life, Nestlé plans to profit on its sale. However, it is not clear whether their plan will allow for a free water option to be available, which is extremely concerning for individuals and families who may not be able to afford water. Water is a resource not a commodity.

To ensure that a favorable resolution to this water crisis is enacted, it is imperative to inform your friends and family about the current economic and political conditions that are contributing to the worsening state of the environment. While a majority of the proposed solutions appear to be unreasonable to at least one group of people, it is important for a consensus to be reached regarding its resolution immediately to prevent a possible loss of life from dehydration in the state of California.

Works Cited

Foley K. California’s water crisis. N.D. Web. 13 April 2015.

Olsen-Sawyer. Meat’s large water footprint: why raising livestock and poultry for meat is so resource-intensive. 16 December 2013. Web. 13 April 2015.

USGS. Livestock water use. 2005. Web. 13 April 2015.