Drought: California Water Agencies Face Bond Defaults
The prices of California’s water and sewer bonds are beginning to take a nose-dive after Governor Jerry Brown issued the first-ever mandatory statewide cut-backs to water use.
Tag: Drought
Jerry Brown Considers Mandatory Fake Grass Law
Historic mandatory water use reductions in California are spawning a new campaign from the nation’s largest faux lawn distributor.
Drought: Another Small California Town Runs Out of Water
The community of Outingdale in El Dorado County, California is in the middle of a Stage 4 water emergency, as the state enters an expectedly dry summer amidst the devastating four-year drought. Despite sitting on the banks of the Cosumnes
‘Beware of Polarizers,’ Jerry Brown Warns at Climate Change Event
BEVERLY HILLS, California — Governor Jerry Brown and Sen. President Pro Tempore Kevin De Leon participated in a lunch time panel discussion at the Milken Global Conference on Wednesday where climate change and the drought took center stage. Thousands were
Hollywood Adopts ‘If It’s Yellow, Let it Mellow’ to Fight CA Drought
California’s drought has hit the Hollywood enclave of Beverly Hills particularly hard.
CA Democrats Shut Down GOP’s Water Storage Bills
California Democrats in the State Assembly’s Natural Resources and Transportation committees voted down a trio of bills on Monday designed to prioritize water storage and recycling projects amidst the state’s devastating four-year drought.
Drought: CA Central Valley Sinking Fast as Farmers Dig Deeper Water Wells
California’s Central Valley has long been disproportionately affected by the state’s severe drought.
Left wants to Hijack Cal Drought ‘Crisis’ to Cancel Water Rights
The liberal California Legislature, having worsened the drought crisis by refusing to build water infrastructure, now is demanding the “opportunity” to expropriate historic water rights.
Obama: Climate Change Will Cause ‘More Frequent and More Severe Droughts’
In an interview with National Geographic, President Obama stressed the importance of California’s conservation efforts amid a fourth year of drought, laid out his expectations for this year’s climate conference in Paris, and reiterated America’s commitment to a “low-carbon future.”
SCOTUSblog: Cal Raisin Farmers Had a Good Day at the U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments on April 22 regarding the constitutionality of a federal law that requires raisin farmers to transfer a portion of any raisin crop surplus to the federal government at a severe discount, or pay a fine. The law was passed during the Great Depression as a “New Deal” for agriculture to keep prices up. But the farmers call the law an “illegal taking” under the Fifth Amendment–and they appeared to have a very good day in Court, according to the SCOTUSblog.
William Shatner Wants to Build $30 Billion Drought-Busting Pipeline from Seattle to CA
Star Trek actor William Shatner wants to boldly go where no man has gone before: To the rain-soaked city of Seattle for a potential solution to California’s devastating drought.
Happy 4/20: California Celebrates Marijuana Day–Sort of
For some in California, April 20th marks the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, a day to celebrate the environment and raise ecological awareness. For others. 4/20 is simply a day to get high on pot. The date–which is said to originate from a tradition among high school students in San Rafael of smoking marijuana at 4:20 in the afternoon– marks an unofficial day of appreciation for all things marijuana- and hemp-related–and a day of activism for legalization of the drug.
California Lays Out Second Draft of Statewide Water Cutback Plan
California’s State Water Resources Control Board on Saturday unveiled the latest outline for the implementation of water cutbacks across the Golden State. The Board said the new rules would better take into account factors that the previous outline had not addressed.
Desalinization Debate Forces Environmentalists to Face Reality
Desalinization has emerged as an answer to the state’s chronic water shortages. As the Orange County Register notes, desalinization would provide a near-infinite supply of water at only twice the price. The main objection of environmentalists is that desalinization uses up to 50% more electricity, meaning more fossil fuels might be burned to make water, setting back efforts to fight climate change. It is an objection that is looking less and less serious.
Report: Drought Will Have Little Impact on California Economy
There has been lots of hubbub in the last two weeks about California’s economy drying up and blowing away like sagebrush after four years of drought. But the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which provides budget advice to state lawmakers, announced that “We currently do not expect the drought to have a significant effect” on the state’s budget or overall economy. The reason: agriculture is only a small piece of the economy.
Southern California Already Feeling Burden of Jerry Brown’s Water Mandate
Southern Californians on notice of Governor Brown’s unprecedented 25% water reduction mandate now face 15% water delivery cutbacks. Rate hikes have been suggested as a possible, although heavy handed, measure.
San Diego Farmers Want Same Treatment as Farmers in Central Valley
San Diego farmers are calling a foul on Governor Jerry Brown’s new and unprecedented 25% mandatory water regulations, accusing the governor of favoring Central Valley farmers with exemptions and pressing for similar allowances for other California farming regions, including those in San Diego County.
Would Going Vegetarian Help Curb the Drought?
It’s only getting worse. As a fifth year of crippling droughts dries California up, leaders at local and state levels have been seeking a host of ways to combat the absence of water, the most basic necessity. While desalinization and using recycled waste water are drawing more interest, liberal media outlets have suggested that going vegetarian could be a viable, long-term option.
California City Plans Water Park in Mid-drought
Despite the severe drought plaguing the state of California, the city of Manteca, roughly 75 miles east of San Francisco in the state’s parched Central Valley, has plans to build a giant water park.
Jerry Brown Courts Farmers as WSJ Backs His Water Stance
California Governor Jerry Brown has received support from an unusual source as he defends the state’s farmers from the charge that they overuse water. The Wall Street Journal editorial page defended California’s farmers in a weekend editorial that takes both liberals and conservatives to task for using agriculture as a “scapegoat.” Brown, meanwhile, visited with farmers north of Sacramento this weekend in a show of solidarity with farmers against accusations of water-wasting.
NOAA Warning: Strong El Niño Could Turn Drought into Mass Flooding
On April 9, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officially declared a strong El Niño advisory reflecting substantially above-average surface sea temperatures forming across the equatorial Pacific. This means that there is a 60 to 70 percent probability that America could experience a monster winter like the El Niño that hit in 1997-1998, causing torrential rains in the Southeast, ice storms in the Northeast, tornadoes in Florida, and mass flooding in California.
Brown’s Drought Mandates Drip Into San Diego Under “Series of Actions”
San Diego residents will feel the squeeze to comply with government mandated water restrictions under new declarations from the city’s Mayor Kevin Faulconer and councilmembers who joined California Governor Jerry Brown’s unprecedented decree to reduce water usage 25% statewide.
Jerry Brown Showers California with More Government
As I listened to California Governor, Jerry Brown on a Sunday morning talk show this past weekend, he confirmed that the ongoing water “crisis” has nothing to do with water, and everything to do with control. Brown, who took unprecedented
Blue State Blues: The Obama Dust Bowl in California
The left has a convenient explanation for California’s severe drought: climate change. Though scientists have yet to make a direct connection, and have suggested instead that the drought is the result of a wind anomaly not related to overall global warming, that has not prevented politicians from putting on their lab coats and declaring their conclusions, demanding not only (sensible) water restrictions but also (irrational) controls on the use of fossil fuels, as if less coal equals more rain.
Beverly Hills Ordered to Reduce Water Use by 35%
Under the plan, 135 of the state’s biggest water-using communities–including Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Palos Verdes–will be forced to cut use by 35 percent to comply with Gov. Jerry Brown’s executive order to cut statewide use by 25 percent this year, according to the New York Times.
