| California Is Running Out of Water Fast
Sign the Petition: Don't Let Big Ag, Big Oil and Nestlé Suck California Dry! Dear Indiana,
California is in a state of emergency — NASA scientists say that California has only about one year of water left in reserves.1 But California Governor Brown's recent water restrictions are woefully inadequate.
Governor Brown MUST take immediate action to rein in water-hogging industries like Big Ag, Big Oil and Nestlé.
The new water restrictions apply mostly to residential and urban water use that accounts for less than 15% of the state's total water budget.2
Restaurants will only serve drinking water upon request, but corporate interests like Big Ag, Big Oil and water bottling giant Nestlé continue with business as usual and deplete and pollute California's precious groundwater resources. - Big Ag - Big agribusiness is over-pumping California's precious groundwater, especially the water-guzzling almond empire that has doubled in size in the driest part of the state over the last five years. Yet Brown’s mandate places little burden — and no new restrictions — on agriculture.3
- Big Oil - Not only does fracking and drilling use tens of millions of gallons of water a year, but the oil and gas industry has been dumping toxic waste water into California's aquifers.4 This toxic practice needs to end today.
- Bottled Water Companies - While restaurants will only serve drinking water upon request, water bottling giants like Nestlé continue to suck the state dry and grow their profits.5
Don't let Governor Brown let corporate water hogs off the hook.
California's water crisis is a dire warning of what will happen in more states and around the world if we continue with the status quo.
California has long promised more water than it can actually deliver. Here at Food & Water Watch, we've been working for years in California to curb the over-consumption of water by big industries. We've been working to stop construction of massive tunnels that would divert precious water resources to the driest parts of the state for Big Ag, we've been working to ban water-polluting fracking and we've been fighting efforts by private companies to buy up public drinking water facilities. We need a water budget that addresses the realities of the drought, and doesn't let anyone off the hook for conserving this precious resource.
California’s severe drought is a crucial opportunity for Gov. Jerry Brown to re-prioritize our water usage and rein in corporate water hogs. In order to honestly address our continued water crisis, Brown needs to take bold action to curtail unreasonable corporate water use.
This situation demands a dramatic response. That's why I'm asking you to join me in calling on California Governor Brown to stand up to corporate water hogs and polluters.
Thanks for taking action,
Adam Scow
California Director
Food & Water Watch
act(at)fwwatch(dot)org
1. California has about one year of water left. Will you ration now? Los Angeles Times, March 12, 2015.
2. Drought shows need to realign California's agricultural water supply, Sacramento Bee, April 4, 2015.
3. Beneath California Crops, Groundwater Crisis Grows, New York Times, April 5, 2015.
4. Agencies admit failing to protect water sources from fuel pollution, Los Angeles Times, March 10, 2015.
5. Nestlé called out for bottling, selling California water during drought, Reuters, April 2, 2015.
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