Driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco, I shit you not, a tumbleweed blew across the 5 freeway. Unlike cartoons, it wasn't happening in a desolate ghost town, but the middle of a busy freeway, cars swerving.
Regardless of our urban hubs, California is an agricultural state. Our fertile Central Valley is integral to many crops that feed our country and others. The coastal mist mixed with our temperate sunny weather make for perfect farming. But we've got a nasty dustbouwl situation, and no one's talking about it. Frustrated farmers put out signs on the edge of their farms by the freeway, reading "Congress Created Dustbowl." They are hoping to create awareness, but all the "environmentalists" driving by are too busy fiddling with their ipods in their Priuses to notice. In fact, they condone dying crops because they were told that we are in a water shortage...and fell for it.
Ironic how they think "green" means to avoid green at any cost. Israel and other desert regions use desalinization plants to take salt and minerals out of sea water, and irrigate it for crops, drinking, you name it. Barren land becomes lush, and human and animal life may continue to thrive. But environmentalists rally against these plants because they may hurt a few fish. States don't push it too much because it's expensive and officials tend to stray from long-term infrastructure improvements. While it's necessary to upgrade, the myopic leaders wish to remain popular for the short time they are in office and shy from pricey, long-term goals. Save a dozen crabs for the sake of a supporting million human lives?
My regards to the farmer.
