Water Issues in California - Report Example

Water Issues in California The changes in climate coupled with the growing populations within different regions have continuously put pressure on the natural resources playing a direct or indirect role in the sustainability of life. In most cases, such natural resources reduce over a period and if rectification steps are not taken, they could be exhausted. This is evident in different parts of the world where desertification is rampant due to the increasing need for land; for settlement by the growing populations. Such changes have an impact on the environment and could aggravate the situations within different areas. The issue of water reduction within the US has been widely discussed, invading Southern California, with various concerns that if the necessary steps are not taken, then the water sources could be exhausted and thus lead to adverse effects in other parts of life. Green lawns have been noted to be a major contributory factor to increase use of water and thus any steps to address the need for water conservation should include measures to reduce the green lawns with other less water consumptive forms of landscaping. Xeriscaping provides an effective alternative maintaining a lush and beautiful image desired by the green lawn owners, while minimizing the use of water through utilizing drought resistant plants. Part 1 Since the start of record keeping on the availability of the water resources in Southern California in the late 1800s, the water crisis in the area has worsened over the years. This is attributable to the growing population of the region and the false sense of security that the citizens have concerning the availability of the water resource because of the good job done by the water managers to ensure that the fountains still shoot water and the landscapes appear as healthy as ever. Water symbolizes fertility and purity among people of Southern California where it is believed to be a source of life with different myths suggesting life comes from water. In addition, some people refer to water as a symbolism of birth, circulation, cohesion, and life by associating water with the body fluids such as blood. Interestingly, water is also deemed as a symbol of wisdom as it takes the form of anything in which it is held and maneuvers to find the path with less resistance (Duggan, et al., 46). One of the common faulty arguments made by the people of Southern California is retrospective determinism. In this case, people say that if water shortage is occurring, then it has always been inevitable. As such, individuals believe that even if they fail to use the available water for various uses including their green lawns, the trend in developing scarcity is natural and will not change. Another faulty of arguments involves false generalizations where individuals make a broad-based conclusion concerning the problem of water in the area. For instance, some individuals conclude that the problem of water in the area is political and that some politicians are holding the resource back in order to form a subject for campaigning in their next election. In addition, some of the members of the community argued on grounds of false analogy, claiming that green lawns are a symbol of wealth and as part of their wealth, getting rid of them is embracing poverty. This was common among the residents who originally came from the United Kingdom. One of the residents said, “From where I came from back in Ireland, lawns are a symbol of wealth, and just like I cannot do away with my wealth, the same way I cannot do away with my lawn.” One of the prejudicial stereotypes among the people of Southern California insisting on having green lawns is that man and nature are intimately close, and that doing away with the green vegetation is detaching oneself from nature; hence, from life, a common view among the American Indian residents. The other source of stereotypes was that lawns provide the suburban serenity; hence, peace and getting rid of them would compromise the peace. Another cultural stereotype observed among the people of Southern California was that lawns are an instrument of homogeneity. In this view, one of the women said that, “How will I conform to the societal construct if I do not make a lawn like all my neighbors? I do not want to be different. I do not want to be an outcast!” The last stereotype insisting on lawns was that they are a symbol of wealth. On asking about her attitude towards replacing her lawn with a more water efficient form of landscaping such as xeriscaping, one 50-year-old lady’s outburst, “How will you differentiate me from the poor jobless immigrant next door? With this lawn, I can offer him employment in terms of mowing services; hence, earn my place among the affluent.” Most of the individuals had a negative attitude towards drought tolerant plants with the perception that their gardens would be turned into desert-like settings, based on their limited knowledge about xeriscaping. Various individuals hold different superstitions concerning lawns and gardens, which they believe affect productivity. For instance, some individuals believe that if you thank someone for pass-along plants, then the plants will not yield. As such, when individuals receive pass along plants, they do not show gratitude in order to prevent destruction or poor yields of such plants. In some cases, individuals even return the plants that they have been given after they realize that they have thanked the giver. On the other hand, some of the individuals believe that above-ground plants can only be planted in the course of the moonlight, while below ground crops should be planted during the days of dark, after the full moon. This has led to various people missing the planting seasons while waiting for the full moon to plant the above ground plants. The superstition does not have any scientific evidence and thus is less applicable. Lastly, some people believe that the day one’s plants show the first bloom represents an omen, with each day from Monday to Sunday representing different omens, some good and some bad. As such, some people use the omens represented by the different days to predict the yield or growth of their crops within their lawns or gardens. Part 2 Xeriscaping offers a more effective approach towards minimizing water use on the lawns, which are less important than any other future needs that may not be adequately met due to the deteriorating water levels. Different States in the U.S. have already embraced xeriscaping and are registering good feedback. Landscaping professionals believe that different plants can be used to ensure that the plant coloring offered by the flowers planted on green lawns are met, while still conserving most of the water for other more beneficial uses. It is important to note that most of the arguments insisting on the need for high water use green lawns are based on fallacies without any logical explanation. For instance, the retrospective deterministic claim that water scarcity was inevitable beforehand and thus the magnitude of use is not an influential factor is a highly refutable idea. It is clear that just like any other natural resource, exploitation of water sources leads to a reduction in the resource. The case is severe in the inland areas where there are no alternative sources of water such as the sea or ocean. On the other hand, the faulty generalization that politicians hold back resources from the people to find areas of emphasis in their campaigns is baseless, as studies done by different agencies confirm the scarcity of water in the area. Besides, the politicians are not in charge of water management and thus have no direct influence on the water resource. The false analogy that lawns are like an individual’s wealth does not hold ground as replacing a lawn with a more water-efficient landscape will not reduce one’s wealth. Instead, embracing some of the low water consumption landscapes such as xeriscapes may increase the wealth of an individual as they minimize the bill paid for water usage promoting investments in other income generating activities. It is also important to note that replacement of the green lawns with xeriscaped gardens does not detach one from vegetation but only replaces vegetation that consume more water with those that use less water. In addition, unlike the developed perception of xeriscaping plant materials being hostile, hot, and thorny such as the cactus, various lush and colorful plants have been introduced that tolerate desert conditions; hence, suitable for reducing water usage per household while maintaining the colorful and attractive landscaped look (Ingels 174). Some plants such as the sedges and salvias are great survivors in conditions of low water and increased temperatures yet they exhibit flowering characteristics during most part of the year, unlike most of the flowers in the green gardens that use large amounts of water. Figure 1: Xeriscaped garden with drought resistant plants (Personal Touch Landscape and Gardening) Source: (Personal Touch Landscape and Gardening) Sedges and Salvias are examples of drought tolerant plants that have been widely used in xeriscaping. Sedges occur in both thick and thin straps of bluish green, green, copper, and yellow shades (Duggan and Cohen 67). Salvia species such as Salvia adenophora have flowers throughout all the seasons including the dry seasons, except for the coldest winter days. Both these plants are highly applicable in garden landscaping with their efficiency in water conservation while providing a colorful display that replaces the colorful high water use flowering plants. They remain a symbol of life even in the tough days of harsh climatic conditions. This is evident through the plants sustainable production even during hostile conditions. Figure 2: Salvia Adenophora (Personal Touch Landscape and Gardening) Figure 3: Sedge (Personal Touch Landscape and Gardening) On the other hand, agave plants are efficient drought tolerant plants applicable in xeriscaping (Duggan and Cohen 78). Matched with other plants within a garden, the agave plants provide a distinctive erect look coupled with its toughness, all of which add contrast and a nice texture to the landscape. The agave plant also occurs in different colorings an aspect that further influences the establishment of the desired mix of colors within the environment. With their always erect and firm look, agave plants are a symbol of strength and longevity. The thick tough spongy leaves allow for storage of moisture that sustains the plant through prolonged periods of drought (Duggan and Cohen 78). In the same way, through planning and proper storage, individuals attain the lesson that they would to cope during the long periods of drought, famine, and pressure. Figure 4: Agave Fernandi Regia (Personal Touch Landscape and Gardening) Lastly, dymondia plants form a good replacement for the green grass used on the turf areas as it grows flat on the ground (Duggan and Cohen 78). This flat growth on the ground provides a surface that can be utilized as the green grass; hence, safeguards individuals from the tough nature of the leaves. The sustainability of the dymondia plants even in low water situations makes them a symbol of hardiness. Figure 5: Dymondia Margaretae (Personal Touch Landscape and Gardening) Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that human activities are a key contributory force towards depletion of natural resources, masked with illogical stereotypes. As such, in order to maintain environmental conservation and assure long-term sustainability of vital resources such as water, it is important to overlook these stereotypes. In addition, the arguments insisting on having of green lawns are based on fallacies and poor application of information in supporting ideas that are not related. As such, it is important for the society to be well educated on the various implications of water reduction and for the government to enforce measures that would ensure that individuals comply with water conservation. Xeriscapes form perfect replacements for the green lawns with reduced consumption of water yet meeting of the initial purposes of beauty, life, and serenity. Through proper selection of drought resistant plants such as salvias, sedge, agave, and dymondia, one can be able to come up with a xeriscaped garden that meets their needs while upholding water conservation. Work Cited Duggan, Jim and Becky Cohen. Plants in the Gettys Central Garden. Los Angeles: Getty Publications, 2003. Ingels, Jack. Landscaping Principles and Practices. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2009. Personal Touch Landscape and Gardening. Xeriscaping Makes Sense for Our Colorado Climate. 2015. 22 April 2015. . Read More