The western states of the U.S. are now the driest that they have been in centuries. According to scientists, the drought in 2021 was "exceptional" and 2022 is likely to follow the same pattern -- leading to the label "megadrought."
Researchers say the western drought is 72% worse due to climate change. And it's now so bad, apparently it would be nearly impossible for even a very wet year to solve the problem.
In the face of all this, one West coast city has thought up a creative way to retain and recycle water -- and its system must be implemented elsewhere, too. Sign the petition to urge Las Vegas, San Diego, Sacramento, and other major West coast cities to follow Los Angeles's lead!As scientists have been warning us for decades, climate change means exactly that -- change. And, in particular, it means unpredictable changes and wild swings in weather patterns. That includes epic storms sweeping through the west, providing a few bursts of rainfall in an otherwise parched environment.
So while, overall, the data is clear that dry spells are getting drier and lasting longer, according to researchers it's also not strange that these "longer, drier periods are punctured by very intense storm events." And it's expected that these chaotic fluctuations will only get worse. That, in turn, increases the chances of major flooding. When the ground gets so hard and crisp from dehydration, it cannot absorb water when it finally falls from the sky.
That's why Los Angeles is planning to implement a new plan to reclaim and recycle 100% of wastewater. Think of it as the
Dune solution to the desertification of western states. As water becomes a more rare and precious resource, our cities need to develop something similar to a municipality-wide "stillsuit." Traci Minamide, the chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment, explains that the extensive process involved in cleaning up this water will ultimately lead to it being of a much higher purity level than even distilled water, so it's a win all around.
Additionally, teams working for the county have also already dug up multiple large pits in the ground to act as basins that will hold rainwater in the event of large storms. Together with the wastewater recycling, these efforts combined will ensure that Los Angeles can become more water-independent, no longer relying so heavily on rerouting water from other locations to provide its residents with the life-giving liquid. Locally sourced water would help reduce LA's ecological footprint, which is critically important as climate change advances.
As states, as nations, as an international community,
we must address and tackle climate change head-on. It is imperative that we do everything in our power to reverse this horrific crisis before it escalates beyond the point of redemption.
But in the meantime, we also need to get smart about our increasingly precious water resources. Los Angeles is leading the way with their bold new water recycling program. Other major West coast cities must do the same! Sign the petition if you agree.