As of August 14, 82 percent of the state of California was in extreme drought. As California entered its fourth year of record-breaking drought, it was met with extremely parched landscapes. CBS News reports reveal that, “According to an aerial survey conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in April, about 12 million trees have died in California forestlands in the past year because of extreme drought.” Dead trees along with plant life in severe condition are seen throughout the Los Padres National Forest. These dead trees add another element to the hazards of the drought by threatening the dry landscape with the possibility of intense wildfires. On January 17, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency for the state of California. This …show more content…
In Matt Richtel’s article, “A Culture of Nagging Helps California Save Water,” he states that even though the state has issued the water cutback, “the most effective enforcers may be closer to home: the domestic water police.” Parents, children, co-workers, and neighbors are taking the initiative to point out when water is being wasted. According to Richtel’s article, more than 70,000 warnings for overuse of water, and more than 20,000 penalties have been issued ever since family and friends have started pointing out the problem. For people that are uncomfortable with shaming their friends and family, there are still ways to make sure the wasting of water does not go unnoticed. Technology is now helping people take a stance against water wasting offenders. Smartphone apps are making it easier to conserve water while also pointing out over consumption. Apps such as Vizsafe, and H2O Tracker allow users to upload picture evidence of water being wasted, in hopes that the problem will soon be addressed. Author of the article, “As California Thirsts, These Apps Help Save Water,” Kit Eaton explains that these apps, “encourage responsible water usage through the age-old mechanism of peer pressure.” Hopefully this method of what some may consider snitching, will alert and encourage offenders to become better informed about the …show more content…
Californians were able to cut down their water use by 13.5 percent this past April. This percentage gives a good first indication of the reaction from the state concerning Governor Brown’s mandatory water cutback, which was issued to deal with the ongoing drought (Nagourney). Even though the 13.5 percent reduction still falls short of the 25 percent mandatory cutback outlined in Governor Brown’s order, it shows that the citizens of California are actually trying to make a difference instead of leaving everything up to the state government officials to handle. People are finding new and inventive ways to help reach Governor Brown’s goal of a 25 percent reduction of water consumption. Citizens have turned to technology as discussed in Kit Eaton’s article, “As California Thirsts, These Apps Help Save Water,” to figure out ways to detect if they or other citizens are wasting water, and also to discover how to stop the irresponsible water consumption. The more outspoken citizens described in the article, “A Culture of Nagging Helps California Save Water,” written by Matt Richtel, have decided not to hid behind technology, but rather go straight to the source of the water over consumption. These citizens use a sense of shaming to encourage their fellow citizens to not violate the warnings and penalties set by state officials in accordance with water