Essay On California Drought

Growing up in Orange County, California, I would have never imagined that my Golden State was turning brown. I always think of California as being typified by lush greenery and beautiful beaches, yet in reality, it is facing one of the most severe droughts on record. It is so severe that the Governor Edmund Brown had recently declared a drought State of Emergency this January. In response, directed state officials have recently planned to take action to prepare for these “water shortages” by imposing restrictions on the amount of water used by California residents. Because the people who live in wealthy and affluent neighborhoods use about five times as much water per capita as the average Californian, those who reside in more affluent areas

This water crisis should not only raise consciousness among California residents, but should also be regarded by everyone as an example of how corporations, privatized industries, and the capitalist system directly affect various communities in cities and suburbs all across the world. In this paper, I will examine how the California drought is affecting the ways different communities experience privileges and disadvantages based on their social identity and geographical location. Ultimately, I argue that because of stark wealth and social inequality among California residents, the water crisis will unequally affect people along class and racial lines; this will overlap with geographical locations in complex ways. First, I will explicate how the forces of capitalism are generating the water crisis and the commodification of water. Second, I will detail the policies, technology, and culture surrounding the crisis. Third, I will explain how mass grassroot movements are needed in order to implement long-term effects in a system that socially reproduces inequality and environmental

In the article “The Commodification of the Public Service of Water: A Normative Perspective,” commodification refers to the “transformation of an object or practice into a market good (or a commodity)” (Walsh 92). According to Adrian Walsh, water is a fundamental human good that should be often provided to everyone “free of charge.” He goes on to explain that this provision of clean, running water should be the basic function of the government. It is clear in this day and age, there are resources and capital being poured into corporations that prioritize profit over people. As corporations grow stronger and stronger, the power of the nation state or the public sector grows weaker. This market-based approach to water conveniences people with money while those with little money are