One of the major accusations against the environmentalists is to be too much repetitive about a thesis so to become extremely boring. Therefore, let the photo speaks. From the image we can clearly see a desert landscape, like a Far West scenario. It’s California. This image depicts a devastating calamity, California’s drought. It’s a tragic consequence of the weather, “we can’t control it” said the Govern of California Jerry Brown.

All we can do is face its consequences.

38 millions of people live in California and they need water and also agriculture do need it. The Metropolitan Water District, the Los Angeles-based utility for 19 million people in Southern California, asked customers to voluntarily reduce water use by 20 percent.

California isn’t the only state in this situation, eleven states are involved but we know that empathy doesn’t create water.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about two-thirds of California was hit by “severe” or “exceptional” drought. Some restrictions concerning the use of water have been implemented but of course there have been many violations.

Water shortage wasn’t and isn’t the only problem: food prices may rise at least 10% and lost revenue in 2014 from farming sector could reach $5 billion and the number of wildfires last years had increased of 50% from 2012.

The last year was the driest on record.

Don’t worry. Soon all of this will be over. At least so they say… there’s a complicate plan of $15 billion of tunnels that should ship water from Sierra Nevada to the entire California. Obviously there are environmental controversies but this should be the strategy. Unfortunately this won’t be the last drought in California.

The Golden State needs long-term measures to prevent these droughts. The first and most important measure should be conservation. There are dozens of ways to save gallons of water. Spending $15 billion is a little useless when saving could be the perfect, economic and long-term solution.

References: Time, Bloomberg.

Photo from Bloomberg.