Water Woes
By Patti Cary
Originally published on The Alamedan - May 19, 2015
With all the news about water shortages and climate change,
it’s hard not to think maybe Chicken Little was right. Bees disappearing, millions of trees lost,
metallic tasting water – all pieces of a troubling, interconnected puzzle.
Hopefully, most of us understand with four straight years of
water shortages in California come brown lawns, dirty cars and shorter
showers. Still, it’s unthinkable for
most of us to imagine a day when we turn on the tap and nothing comes out.
Some of us are already taking extra steps to capture grey
water, replant gardens with more sustainable landscaping and take good care to
fix any leaky faucets and plumbing. We drive
electric cars and we compost – because it’s not just for hippies anymore!
Some of us briefly consider the role we play in water and
resource conservation, but then figure the crisis will eventually pass or we hold
out hope someone else somewhere will surely come up with a solution soon and so
we go back to our business as usual.
Some suspect all this drought and climate change business is
mostly hype or some kind of scam. We
dismiss it as political posturing or simply tune out when we hear yet another
news story about earthquakes and fracking or California water woes.
Before we get too cozy and settle down with whatever our
perspective might be, consider this:
A comprehensive soil moisture study released in
February by NASA, along with Columbia and Cornell Universities, conclude that,
on our current course, there is a 60 - 80% chance the American South-West is
headed for a mega drought before the end of the century. Naturally occurring droughts last about ten
years (1930s Dust Bowl) but a mega drought could last for several decades,
presenting “a substantial challenge to adaptation.”
You might want to read that last part again.
It has to be said: our natural resources are in serious
distress. It’s time to change the very
culture of how we interact with all our natural resources, not just water. This
is not breaking news to most, but it bears repeating again and again (and
again!) until it is a consideration in everything we buy, sell, consume and
waste.
Be informed and take action. EBMUD has dozens of resources on their website along with a Rebate Incentive Program to get us started and to help make a difference. Talk to friends and neighbors about what’s working for them and attend free local meetings by groups like Alameda Backyard Growers or Greywater Action.
Teach our children well. Adults can lead by example to make sure the future stewards of our families and homes understand the delicate balance and importance of our natural resources. Encourage youngsters to love and appreciate our natural surroundings. Thanks to some very conscientious and dedicated science teachers,
we can all learn from sixth graders over at Lincoln Middle
School who are getting hands-on lessons on ecosystem restoration and at Alameda
Academy where they’re exploring future energy alternatives. Bravo!
Start simple and don’t give up. Work past apathy, the naysayers and the politicianswho
play the blame game. We can all do
better and fix our home if we all work together by taking personal
responsibility. Let’s keep Chicken
Little at bay and keep our eyes on the prize – a safe and sustainable future.
