Rivers and lakes are drying up, forest fires are raging, the asphalt is dangerously hot and thieves are stealing water. So, celebrities like Harrison Ford and Neil Young are moving up to the mountains. What I am trying to say is, Due to climate change in California, it is in the midst of a historic drought disaster.
Large parts of the southwestern United States in general and the state of California, in particular, have been hit by a historic drought. This is because the region has received far less precipitation than usual for several years, especially during the winter months. But how is climate change pushing the city into a crisis?
Combustion Is Alarmingly High
In California, the pursuit of water has become an obsession. You look everywhere, you see signs like “Save on California Water,” “Think of the Neighbor – Shower Less.”
Besides, you also see warnings about sidewalks where the asphalt is so hot. And it can give people third-degree burns. In this situation, outside is getting life-threatening for a homeless person. The weather condition can simply become fatal that can cause your life.
The Water Level is Consistently Dropping
Because of the climate change in California, the water reservoirs became tragic sights. The famous reservoir, the United States’ largest and most important, Lake Mead is drying up. The water level in the artificial lake drops by two meters annually and is today an incredible 42 meters lower than it was in 2000.
In the lake, the several meters of white-bleached rock along the shore gives a stark picture of what has happened. It gets denser and denser between all the houseboats on the water.
Hoover Dam is Under Threat
When the US built the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, it created the lake 90 years ago. And has been supplying water and electricity for more than 25 million people across several major cities in the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. As much as 90 per cent of all the water infamous Las Vegas, for example, comes from Lake Mead.
In addition, the water flowing through Hoover Dam and out into Lake Mead creates power to large parts of the southwestern United States. With less water, there will be a power shortage. And the Electricity production has already been reduced by 25 per cent. The Lake Oroville water reservoir in California is also under drought due to climate change.
The artificial lake also supplies thousands of acres of farmland. On the other hand, it is the only way for Hoover Dam to create hydropower. But now, the water level is so low that the hydropower plant is very close to the situation of shouting down. On the other hand, due to the low water level, the state government removed 130 houseboats recently.
Water Theft is An Unstoppable Threat
You would think you are in the middle of a science fiction movie. But sometimes reality is crazier than imagination. Water is such a scarce commodity in California that thieves steal billions of gallons from vital water reservoirs through fire hydrants, farmland water supplies, and even from pipelines that carry water to neighbourhoods and family homes. Moreover, the thieves are also stealing water from rivers and, of course, public drinking water sources.
Although police are continuously hunting down water thieves, judges are punishing them with huge fines, but it is unstoppable. In the previous years, there was never such massive water theft in California as during the drought in 2021. Authorities say much of the stolen water goes to illegal marijuana cultivation.
The problem of water theft is getting so serious in the drought-stricken state that authority is sealing, locking or simply removing fire hydrants. Only the most important ones remain.
California Must Get Used to With Water Shortages
The drought crisis is so widespread today that it is all over the United States. You can see some kind of water situation in almost all the municipalities mostly in the most populous states.
The lack of water in California due to drought is here to stay. People here just have to make it a fashion to live with water shortages.
There is so little water in California that the authorities feel compelled to cut back on the water supply. Something that especially goes beyond the agricultural industry. Farmers have to dig deeper and deeper wells to get down to the groundwater, which in turn means that water reservoirs underground also start to run empty.
Climate Change in California is Getting Extremely Dangerous
But the peasants have no choice. Without sufficient water and high temperatures of over 40 degrees week after week, crops are drying. Fruits and vegetables dry in, the surviving fruit is not as big and juicy as it used to be. Some farmers simply have to tear up their fruit trees and vegetables because the trees have dried up.
There is not much comfort that we can gain from science either. According to the researchers, climate change in the middle of the world will result in more frequent and more extreme droughts. Which will affect food production, especially in the vulnerable state of California, but also in large parts of the rest of the United States plus many other places around the world.
So, in this situation, we should listen to those young climate warriors because old politicians are getting useless day by day. Moreover, the common people should listen to nature and stop causing damage to mother earth. Climate change is real and we should face this together.
