Dear Blick and WeatherCat concerned citizens of planet Earth,
Thanks for sharing. Our governor (Utah) has just declared a sate-wide emergency for drought, which kicks in some conservation measures and ramps up awareness.
My sympathies. Not exactly a surprise, but indeed nothing hopeful in the weather pipeline.
Like most states in the west, the largest water user is the agricultural sector, but when you are in a drought, every drop matters. So we are doing our part here too.
I understand, but it does concern me that politicians treat situations like drought with the same sort of public appeals that occurred during World War II. The two situation simply aren't comparable and as citizens we should be concerned about it. The hope was that World War II would be won and then we would be free to "go back to normal." The problem of drought isn't ever really going to go away and human populations are growing everywhere. It simply isn't fair to ask long time residents to reduce their standards of living so that new people can take what once was their ration of water. Moreover the "battle" between agriculture and residents is a fool's errand that too many people are tricked into. Agriculture isn't simply a business - it grows the food everybody needs. When agriculture is forced to cut back that means less food for everyone and those worst affected are the most vulnerable - the poor.
I'll be the first to admit I don't know what the answers are, but belt tightening most definitely isn't an answer. Government leaders are supposed to be just that - leaders in solving problems like how to provide for sufficient water for all the needs. Alas at a time when leadership is desperately needed - it is an extremely rare thing indeed.
Oh well, . . . . . Edouard