Climate change is rapidly accelerating in California, state report says
By David Amick
Updated 10:31 pm, Wednesday, February 19, 2017
The state’s drought is making wildfires more destructive and is pushing other ecosystems to the brink, leading to rapid sea level rise, a new report concludes.
California needs better water management — starting with a more efficient water supply — but, the report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, says, the water crisis we face is far greater than what we have now.
The drought is driving wildfires that are burning up forests and grasslands, eating away at wildlife habitat, and accelerating the pace of sea level rise. The rate of sea level rise has already passed its projected maximum, the report says, while the drought is raising the temperature of water around the world and raising the global sea level by 1.8 inches (47.9 millimeters) in just 30 years.
The report says, “Climate change presents an increasing risk of major and irreversible loss of ecosystems and species.”
It says the state faces an unprecedented risk that impacts every single Californian, whether or not you live in an extremely water-stressed environment, and the report says in a state where it was easy for homeowners to turn off their toilets, now homeowners and renters face the possibility of having to buy water service for the first time in more than 25 years.
The report, “Drought’s Hidden Toll,” says water is the most widely used resource in California, and the state’s water supply is already under significant pressure — it needs to be expanded.
It says water “remains a luxury in a time of extreme scarcity.”
In fact, it says the state has been growing more water-thirsty with each new rainfall.
“We can’t keep adding water to our reservoirs and then complaining about the water shortages that will inevitably result,” the report
