Cultural Analysis of "It's not just a 'California drought'"

I've chosen my article that I will be focusing my next project on.  In this post, I explore the cultural connections in "It's not just a 'California drought'" by Cynthia Barnett.

Castenelle, Aimee. "Lower Missouri River." 6/22/09 via Wikimedia Commons.
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.

The keywords I chose were "shortage" "misconception"and "reduction".  These words all relate to Barnett's main argument, which is that all of the US needs to start treating water consumption and shortages as a serious issue.  Barnett believes that currently Americans don't view water shortage issues across the nation as the crises they really are.

It is a scientific fact that water tables are dropping.  The only reason this is happening is because humans are extracting water at a faster than the rate the earth can naturally replenish its water supplies.  This is not really a disputed fact.  What is disputed however, is the main point this article is getting at: how big of an issue overextraction is, and what needs to be done to fix it.

The idea of a "shortage" comes up immediately in the article as Barnett explains it in the context of the current California drought, which is attracting the most attention than any other water issue in the US currently.  Barnett begins her article by explaining how water is scare all throughout the western United States.  Her audience first needs to understand the topic: Barnett frames the issue in a way that will make her readers sympathetic since she emphasizes how many states are facing this issue, not just California.

Barnett then goes on to talk about how drought is perceived as less dangerous than other natural disasters or events, such as hurricanes or massive snowstorms.  Drought comes slowly, and without the same initial jarring impact as a hurricane or flood.  I had never realized this until she pointed it out.  Barnett draws attention to how drought is just as dangerous as other natural disasters, which shows her readers how relevant her issue is.  Drought is even arguably more dangerous, because it isn't recognized as the threat it really is, and therefore less is done to solve the issue.

Drought has major consequences many people don't understand.  Barnett explains that, "Americans, accustomed to a seemingly endless supply of relatively cheap water, have been slow to reckon with drier, harsher realities."  She recognizes the current popular belief in America is that we have enough water to sustain our current lifestyles.  This is a misconception, however, as she explains how water tables are dropping, and our supply of fresh water is shrinking at worrisome rates.

Following her clarification of this common misconception and attitude towards water, Barnett advocates change, and not just in California, but all over the United States.  She explains the consequences of water shortages, linking agricultural consumption with municipal consumption, which shows the readers how the issue is relevant to them directly.  Barnett stresses everyone must reduce their water usage to ensure we can live sustainably.