by Jamie Lee
Tabublog.com
Throughout the 2015 winter season, all the nations major news sources are reporting exclusively about another record year of brutal cold and snow in the Eastern half of the United States. This has also been the sole meme covered on the Weather Channel, the countries most major public/private source for weather news.
The Weather Channel, majority bought, owned, and controlled by Rothschild LLC in 2011, even hosts regular hours long reports of storms as they pass through. They have also begun the strange practice of naming the winter storms. The last one I think I saw was named “Pandora” after the mythological character, who released from the jar all of the evils onto the world, save Hope. (Source)
But what about the other half of the country? You know, California and those “other” states West of Missouri? Weather Channel, et. al remain a stone-cold silence. In fact, nearly all state and local newspapers are in a “drought-out” reporting on California’s long term plight.
In direct opposition and contrast to the East, the record shattering warm weather and no rain in California in January, now February, with zero rain in the forecast for the Golden State, is the state’s unfortunate real-time reality with coming real time, long term consequences.
Due to the prolonged absence of rain and way above normal temperatures, we are seeing fruit trees budding and flowering one to one-and-one half months early. Spring planting schedules moved way up as farmers puzzle what can/will grow where.
Pine, oak and other trees are blowing up, literally, around our county here in Mendocino and beyond from the inside out. Pest manifestation and infestation, due to lack of root moisture, is toppling formerly healthy, strong, decades old beautiful trees everywhere throughout the state.
California is the largest populated state in the country. One out of eight Americans reside in sunny, warming, no rain, CA. Our economy is recognized as the 8th largest in the world with Central Valley farmers producing some 42% of the nations food supplies for decades.
Last year, many Central Valley farmers had to fallow their fields when their water allotments were cut to 5% of normal, by Fed and State water agencies. The only exception are for those with grandfathered water rights, who can take as much as they like and are making millions and millions selling to those without these exclusive water right privileges.
Many meat ranchers last spring culled half their herds of beef, lamb and sheep due to the doubling of grain prices and lack of grazing lands for their animals. This has kept a temporary lid on beef prices due to excess inventory but that excess is now over.
The ski industry, and supporting tourist business around Lake Tahoe, is in chaos. Many resorts closed early again this year. Worse, the Sierra Nevada snow pack is again more than 75% below baseline normal for this time of year. (However, the bountiful and blessed rains that showered the state in December were warm and created little snow pack.)
The Federal Water Agency controls the spring and former summer runoff from the CA mountains and is charged with allocating water to some 3300 state water agencies they are in contract with. Last year, for the first time ever, the Fed’s broke a 54-year contract with these state water agencies, allocating them zero water initially. (Two months later they bumped up allocation to 5% of normal). (Source)
With no water again to allocate from California’s “ice chest” reserves of the Sierra Mountains, it will be another zero allocation year to be announced next week by the Fed’s in their initial annual water allocation report. (Water runoff from the CA mountains had supplied 43% of the states annual water supply while releasing water downstream over the spring into summer as the snow pack melted.)
Meanwhile, in Colorado, they have been consistently shattering record warm temperatures by some 5-15 degrees. Eastern Colorado had record high temperatures of 82 degrees in early February.
Alaska, once again, is recording record warm temperatures, up to some 20 degrees above normal, and frequently now reports warmer temps than the state of Texas.
“Oh Auntie ’em, Auntie ’em!.” cries Dorothy.
But barely a passing commentary by our national old school, corporate owned, government subsidized, news and weather services about the Western States critical water shortages.
“We have to learn to manage wisely water, energy, land and our investments,” said Gov. Brown this morning. “That’s why this is important.”
So what is Governor Brown doing to preserve and conserve what precious water the state has in its reserves as we have now entered our 5th straight record year of prolonged drought?
So far nunca, nada and nothing, not a damn thing. Golf courses are still being watered with only voluntary cut backs “requested”. Non-reclaimed water car washes still going business as usual. Restaurants serving water without request. Frackers, being satisfied with thousands and millions of gallons of potable drinking water per well site.
Building permits are still being issued for new wineries in Sonoma and Napa Counties. New housing and other constructions projects the same. Business as usual. Business must grow. Wall Street applauds the pro business inaction’s with continual record highs of related private shareholder stock prices.