Over the years there are many environmental issues that we have taken for granted. Issues included would be something like gas prices. Gas has jumped in price ever since its use was needed. The question is why? By increasing the amount of road for vehicles to travel on, by increasing the amount of vehicles, and the demand for them are high due to rising population. Therefore, gas demand increases as do gas prices.
Water, also something we consider a plentiful resource is one of the most abundant resources we have on Earth is something that we never really thought about in the past. We have always had it, and while in portions in the north and Midwestern areas don’t consider what others go through, the ever rising population in areas such as Southern California is causing a problem. This is where introducing 200,000 extra Californians each year seems to be peachy; yet figuring out how to provide them water is now becoming much of a troubling interest when it had not been much of a problem before.
As California reaches its third consecutive year in drought conditions, many look at where the water travels from and where it heads to. While folks in the Northern region find it hard to understand the concept of conservation, those in the South know no other word. The Southern region of California currently receives its water from the Delta. The delta provides irrigation for a little over 3 million acres, along with giving drinking water for over 25 million California residents. Along w/ the water issue, the Delta also holds a large amount of endangered species, one of which is the Delta smelt.
While the Delta smelt holds its own specific purpose, those in agriculture find the need for water to be more important. The delta in Southern California provides for about 45 percent of the fruits and vegetables in the entire nation. Seeing these water prices rise and rise will definitely have an impact as far as the East Coast on grocery prices.
While the battle between the two stays prolonged as the fisherman drop their hooks for an answer while the farmers dig for theirs, it’s only a matter of time for those in California to discover an answer that works well for both parties.
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