An aerial shot of homes in Rancho Mirage, California provides evidence about the effects of untrammelled growth and excessive water consumption
Our Picture of the Week illustrates the catastrophic effects man can have on the environment. Accompanying an article in The New York Times this weekend, the image shows the consequences of four years of drought in California’s Coachella Valley.
Last week, Governor Jerry Brown ordered a 25% cut in water consumption across ‘The Golden State’ in the wake of one of the worst droughts since the mid-1970s worsening. At a press conference held on a patch of brown grass, Mr. Brown stated:
“People should realise we are in a new era. The idea of your nice little green lawn getting watered every day, those days are past. We are standing on dry grass, and we should be standing on five feet of snow. We are in an historic drought”.
“This will be somewhat of a burden — it’s going to be very difficult. People will say, ‘What about the farmers?’ Farmers will say, ‘What about the people who water their lawns?’ ”
Of the situation, Heather Cooley, a water program [sic] director for the Pacific Institute, an environmental research group, added:
“The idea, at least until the latter part of the 20th century, was that water would be cheap and plentiful and the focus was on developing new supplies… Folks realise we have now reached the limits of supply, so the focus is on demand”.
Essentially caused by overpopulation and a lack of respect for the natural environment, the picture we share provides just the indication as to why we all need to think before we consume. We must all treat scarce resources more carefully and in particular, especially at this time, Californians – people famed for leading the way in innovation and forward thinking – would do well to show better respect for Mother Nature. It truly is time for an urgent change in attitudes.
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