Jerry Brown seeks $1-billion emergency drought relief plan for California

[n2doc]

Source: LA Times

As California braces for a fourth consecutive year of drought, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Thursday will unveil a $1-billion relief plan, two sources told The Times late Wednesday.

This will mark the second consecutive year in which the Legislature has had to act on emergency drought relief. In 2014, Brown signed a $687.4-million drought package, which offered aid to communities facing acute water shortages and food and housing assistance to those harmed by the drought.

Brown, along with Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De León (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), will introduce emergency drought legislation, Brown's office said Wednesday evening. The office did not elaborate on details of the plan.

The Legislature also crafted a $7.5-billion water bond that was approved by voters last November; most of those funds would go to longer-term projects to bolster the state's water infrastructure.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-emergency-drought-20150318-story.html

[SoapBox]

1. So will $1-billon make it rain?

Just say'n.

[hughee99]

6. I guess it depends on where you are. I know one place you can "make it rain"

with a billion dollars.

[Shadowflash]

2. Maybe they can start

with making it illegal for churches to install sprinkler systems for no other purpose but to waste water to drive the homeless away.

[musiclawyer]

11. 90% of stored surface water goes to AG. Big and small

If you decide that Ca is no longer a world bread basket then most Ca residences can survive climate change with the new low water benchmarks. But that same calculation means most of the Ca Central Valley dries up to desert. The economy goes to pot, and millions leave the state. Which is pretty much the future unless the state gets serious about non fossil fuel powered desalinization.

[Stryst]

3. So, it turns out

that maybe it WAS a bad idea to cover a desert with golf courses and almond farms? I wish California the best, and I'm hoping we can come up with a solution. Maybe we can actually get some infrastructure spending out of congress and build desalinization plants, or more treatment plants to recycle water from waste sources.

[Trillo]

4. Fog catchers.

Deesalination requires lots of human-made energy. Fog catchers, little.

[Politicalboi]

12. But where's the fog?

We've had a little fog in Central Ca, but not much. I don't recall any real amount if any fog last year. Years ago in SoCal we had a lot of fog in the winter months.

[Trillo]

13. Air does have humidity even when visible fog is absent.

That second link mentions mountain ridges as being especially good places, as well as some kind of sensor which is used to study locations for their suitability. There's another design I've seen which uses a compressor to chill a portion of a billboard, though that design would presumably be more energy intensive.

If you're in the San Diego area, on this Sunday there will be a demonstration of some kind of water-from-air harvester.

World Water Day
A day to celebrate, a day to change, a day to prepare.

Historically Centro Cultural de la Raza and WorldBeat Center were designed and served as water towers during WWII. To celebrate their mutual water history and Balboa Park’s Centennial both centers are presenting World Water Day and featuring the Watair installations.

On March 22nd, World Water Day, join us with Unify, UPLIFT, and The Shift Network for #LoveWater on World Water Day, March 22 for a global synchronized water blessing, meditation, and showcase of water luminaries. At 6pm PST millions will be uniting in a moment of intention for the waters of our world and the creatures that inhabit them. It’ll be a day for people across the world to raise awareness about the sacred nature of water, our most precious resource.

Indoors Activites 12pm-7pm Featuring
Afro- Cuban Percussion and Dance
African Dance
Local Water Activist Speakers
Tibetan Bell Meditation
Webcast viewing of #LoveWater global ceremonies
Education on Water Conservation
Free Alkaline Water
Atmospheric Water Generators demonstration sponsored by Wattair and EcoloBlue

[marlakay]

5. We're from northern CA

Husband and I were just talking about that today, what a mistake it was to build all those big housing developments in such a dry area outside of Los Angeles and all the desert towns.

All the pools, fountains, etc. all the golf courses....

They have been watching this for years and just hoping for what? That things would get better?

We live in the mountains in WA now and this year only got 20% of normal snow pack...it's all over west coast.

[olddad56]

14. I live in Sacramento, I don't see any development being held up because of the drought.

I just see restrictions on residents.

[HereSince1628]

7. The world's 7th greatest economy without depth to maneuver

Wishing Californians the best, take heart, you at least you have SMART people in government.

In Wisconsin the solution to such a water crisis would be to build highways.

Why?

Because Walkers biggest supporters build highways, silly!

[n2doc]

8. And if this were Florida they would ban the word "Drought" n/t

[HereSince1628]

9. Good point... as in "don't diss our sun filled days"

Image control is more important than reality for the r's.

[olddad56]

15. It isn't much better here. Residents are asked to conserve while development projects gone forward.

[rladdi]

10. All The Republicans law makers and Governor should have to make a tour of CA and

see what climate change has done. I know they are ignorant on any facts given to them. But seeing may be believing.

[yurbud]

16. Dumb question: does anyone reclaim water from AC condensation?

I never realized how much water those things suck out of the air until I hooked one wrong in my apartment and collected 10-20 gallons a day before I figured out how to hook it up correctly.

I imagine high rises, schools, and the like produce exponentially more.

It's not a solution for ag, but it could free up more water for that.