The Drought Of The Western United States - 1448 Words

WP 4 The drought in the western United States is a nationwide concern that directly affects every person in California. It is every person’s responsibility to use water sustainably and no college, including the University of Southern California, is an exception. Rather than lagging behind sustainable water usage, USC should be at the forefront of it. On the surface of USC’s environmental sustainability campaign, it seems as if they are making sweeping changes; however directly under the first layer of facts there are holes in their plan. If USC made small changes to both their resident hall and landscaping water use, they could not only save money but also better USC’s environmentally friendly status. Regardless of whether or not California is in a drought, USC should still strive to be a model for water sustainability because it would not only better the school’s reputation of being a green university, but it would also save money. From a wider scope of thing s, water usage is important for more reasons than solely the drought in California. As the world’s population nears 7.4 billion people, more people are born each day compared to how many pass away. Looking at the world’s total volume of water, only 2.5% of it is drinkable fresh water. Furthermore, 70% of that freshwater is frozen. With an every increase population like the one we have today, it is likely that water will become the most important resource to mankind. The problem lies in the way the fresh water isShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Drought On Human Consumption1591 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the past century many areas of the Western United States have faced agricultural concerns, many environmental hazards, and economical stressors stemming from severe drought. According to livescience.com, a drought can be described as a period of unusually dry weather that persists long enough to cause environmental or economic problems. (Oskin, 2014) Droughts are nat ural occurrences that have been happening for hundreds of years, and although their effects haven’t been documented thatRead MoreThe Use Of Water From Aquifers And Reservoirs Without Strict Regulations923 Words   |  4 PagesThe drought in the western United States has been going on for nearly five years and while there are countless ways to lessen the effects, there isn’t much action being taken. If nothing is done, the supply of groundwater in the United States along with the quality of it will greatly diminish within the next few decades. In many Western states such as California, the residents haven’t been taking much notice to the situation due to their use of the use of water from aquifers and reservoirs withoutRead MoreThe Distillation Dream Team Co993 Words   |  4 PagesDistillation Dream-Team Co.â„ ¢ BREAKING NEWS: METEOROLOGIST FEAR DEVASTATING DROUGHT TO SPREAD WEST IN THE UNITED STATES! CALIFORNIA ALREADY HARD HIT! Currently in the Western United States, the country is going through a major drought crisis. California reaches worst level; as it spreads to the Western states. More than 58 percent of the state was in an â€Å"exceptional drought† stage, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map. The drought that began almost three years ago has also â€Å"nearly depleted† theRead MoreImpact Of The Agricultural Industry On The United States Essay1676 Words   |  7 Pagesmeteorological society and Stanford University, says that the 2013 and 2014 drought in California was an exceptional climate event in the western coast of the United States( Swain) The drought that has impacted the state of California has been a national phenomena for a few years now and how it affects the climate and economic aspects of the United States economy has helped increase awareness to the general public of the United States. California has a majority of all farming in the U.S., includingRead Mo reThe Legal Foundation For Humanitarian Intervention Essay1219 Words   |  5 PagesThe legal foundation for humanitarian intervention was established in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Lecture 11/15/16). Genocide, as decided by the, Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they (contracted members) undertake to prevent and to punishRead MoreEl Nino And Its Effects852 Words   |  4 PagesEl Nià ±o and its Effects Recently, the weather has varied greatly from traditional for many areas within the United States; the East Coast has had next to zero snow, while Midwest states have been hit by several heavy snowstorms. Although this change in weather patterns, compared to the average year, may appear unordinary and confusing, it can be attributed to the fact that a very strong El Nià ±o is currently underway. El Nià ±o occurs when trade winds in the Pacific Ocean decrease in magnitude, whichRead MoreWildfires And Its Effects On Our Environment977 Words   |  4 PagesAll too often in the Western U.S., we hear things like, Fire danger is extremely high or, We are in a tinder box right now. By mid-summer, our surroundings dry-out and it seems conditions become perfect as we segue into a fifth season. Wildfire Season. Wildfires can wreak havoc! Millions of dollars are spent annually, preparing for Wildfires. Money is allocated for education, training, and preparing to fight Wildfires. Money is spent fighting them and protecting structures that might be inRead MoreEssay about History of the Colorado River1413 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION According to tree ring scientists from the University of Arizona in Tuscon, the Colorado River went through a six decade long drought during the mid-1100s. This drought was longer than any other drought know to the region. The Colorado River is essential to the American Southwest, draining into about 242,000 square miles of land to include seven U.S. states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. â€Å"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted inRead MoreThe State Of Emergency And Urban Californians1679 Words   |  7 PagesSouthern Oregon border declared a drought in April, after a string of fortunate years of heavy rain and snow. In 2014, a drought emergency was declared in February, two months earlier than in 2013, and in 2015 drought was again declared for the county in April( United State Geological Survey 2015). These successive drought declarations are not surprising to anyone who was following the Western water crisis during those years, where the governor of California declared a state of emergency and urban CaliforniansRead MoreEssay On The Fire705 Words   |  3 Pagesfire. For a young boy, it was intimidating and made the prayer that surrounded the light switch to my bedroom all the more significant: â€Å"Bless this house oh Lord I pray, make it safe through night and day.† At some point every summer, the western United States burns and no one who doesn’t live there seems to take notice. This year, however, the burning was nothing less than catastrophic, and the reaction was the same – barely a notice. In fact, this year was one of those generational burns that