California Has About 1 Year of Water Left – Will You Ration Now?

California is the most populated US state, and it leads other US states in farm income, responsible for 16 percent of the nation’s cash receipts for crops and 7 percent for livestock. Despite high levels of education and monitoring technology, citizens in advanced and wealthy areas refuse to acknowledge or plan for changes in climate. The state has limited water, about a year’s supply. “As difficult as it may be to face, the simple fact is that California is running out of water – and the problem started before our current drought,” explains Jay Famiglietti, a senior water scientist for NASA. “NASA data reveal that total water storage in California has been in steady decline since at least 2002, when satellite-based monitoring began, although groundwater depletion has been going on since the early 20th century.” Famiglietti urges immediate water rationing, long-term planning and strong citizen input. Days later, the California State Water Resources Control Board imposed restrictions. The US central government may show little inclination to bail out areas of the country that refuse to enact known needed reforms. – YaleGlobal