While this classic phrase still rings true in most places in the Western Hemisphere, California hasn't been able to say it without being somewhat sarcastic for quite some time. For FOUR years now the state has been in a state of emergency due to the worst drought on record, which has plagued the Sunshine State with wildfires that have caused billions of dollars in damages and forced many from there homes. However, it's not the fire that's California's greatest cause for concern. It's water. Or the lack thereof.
The above photo perfectly illustrates the scale of California's water crisis. A naturally rather arid state, most Californians' water comes from vast reservoirs formed by dams on some of the state's most iconic rivers (which are also responsible for California having some of the most endangered rivers in the US). With nary a drop of rain for such a long time, even some of the largest of these reservoirs have begun to dry up. California's state government has even resorted to shipping water by train from wetter states just to meet the bare minimum needs of its thirsty citizens.
California's lack of preparedness in dealing with this crisis points to the fact that the vast majority of Americans can't imagine the idea of turning on their tap and having just a few drips come out. We are so accustomed, from birth, to the comforts of clean, drinkable water instantly at our fingertips, a luxury much of the world would quite literally kill to have.
It is my hope that we will actually learn something from this crisis. The population of the west is growing at an unprecedented rate, and there simply isn't enough water to cater to the average American's consumption of it. We will have to institute water conservation plans into our new developments out West, or we may see environmental disasters on the scale of the Aral Sea at our doorstep.
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