These GIFs are pretty cool.

I was hoping those GIF's were a prediction of what could happen rather than what has really happened. I guess they are for real.

http://www.huffingtonpost...43534.html

That blows my mind. I had no idea it was that bad

There are communities that depend on wells where those wells have run dry. The locals are mostly Latino, who work in the fields that are sucking up the water, and have no recourse. People are literally living without running water.

http://www.amazon.com/Cad...0140178244

Hard to feel sorry for people who keep voting for a State Government that hasn't done anything to upgrade its water infrastructure in 40 years even though the population has more than doubled in the same time frame. Nothing more important than wasting Federal money on 30 miles of "high speed" rail that goes from nowhere to nowhere.

http://www.forbes.com/sit...-citizens/

My particular favorite is the irony of morans in San Francisco wanting to blow the dam at Hetch Hetchy to restore the pristine wilderness of Yosemite. Maybe they will change their minds when Mountain Tunnel collapses and they have to drink lattes in a can.


http://www.sfgate.com/new...684825.php

And the fact that it hasn't rained in YEARS has nothing to do with it. It's all the fault of the LIBERALS that the state has recorded so little rain. Darn LIBERALS. (Even though the state has been under Republican control for the last decade or so.)

I read some farmers ranting it was the governments fault the irrigation ditches were dry, not the lack of actual moisture. Excuse me, but the government, contrary to the ideas of whack job conspiracy theorists, does not control the weather.

Believe it or not, Mother Nature is not interested in politics.

Can we all take up a collection and buy Oddjob some empathy? Geez louise!

Amorette is right the government doesn't control the weather. More dams would mean more dry holes where you'd have to spray the catfish for ticks. I don't understand how you can look at those pictures and deny the process of desertification is going full speed ahead.

I believe, after studying the issue for sometime, is after you take away the upper 1%, the only difference between Republicans and Democrats, is that Republicans despise the less fortunate.

Why Oddjob and his ilk feel that way, I don't know. But I could be misinterpreting Oddjob's post. He may be laughing at the Proposition whatever voters, who wanted to end tax hikes without paying for necessary civil works projects.

But I don't know.

Amorette says:

"(Even though the state has been under Republican control for the last decade or so.)"

I know its difficult to overcome your absolute conviction that anything bad that happens, had to be caused by Republicans, but you better sit down or grab on to something....

Since the true power in any State resides with the Legislature, here's a fun fact..The Democrats have essentially controlled the California State Senate and Assembly since 1970. The Republicans had the Assembly for 2 years in '95-'96. The Democrats are currently enjoying a condition of "super-majority".

They are creating (have created) Detroit-West and the Republicans have had nothing to do with it. California is essentially a Republican-free State.

"empathy"

HAHA!

Coming from you two. What a laugh that is.

Thanks, Gents. Made my day.

The point is, Oddy old boy, POLITICS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DROUGHT. I don't know why that basic fact is so confusing to you but the earth is not flat, evolution happens, and the drought is not political.

Good grief.

[This message has been edited by Amorette Allison (10/5/2014)]

Politics has everything to do with being prepared for something you know is inevitable. It's their GD job.

The problem is people who will vote for a yellow dog because of his label. The same kind of low information people who have no idea who's running what show.

http://thinkprogress.org/...e-science/

Our wonderful candidate Zinke weighs in on climate change!

It appears we have 3 different views on climate change.

1) Those who believe the scientists, and what they say is the reason for what is happening,

2) Those who believe there is climate change, but it's just a normal thing, something other than what the smarty-pants scientists point out (because, after all, when has science ever been reliable?),

3) Those who deny there is any climate change at all, and/or there's some big conspiracy.

#3 is the stupidest opinion of all.

That said, I think the issue in California may be a bit more complex than just climate change. Oddjob is slightly correct, in that there are a lot of people living in places where they shouldn't actually expect to have water, and the water they need is being sucked out/drawn from other places, which has caused a bunch of political issues in regards to water rights.

For generations, California agri-business has been growing crops in deserts. If California had shut down those huge farms, there would be more water available.

So, is that a realistic solution? Would big business be willing to give up a their profits? People give up their jobs? Consumers give up their cheap food?

Like climate itself, the answers are not easy and someone will suffer.

A article that may interest some of you on this issue. I am a commercial salmon fisherman, and one of the biggest salmon runs on the west coast is the Sacramento. So it is easy for me to see the side of leaving some water in the delta.
http://www.mercurynews.c...rs-vote-no

For generations, California agri-business has been growing crops in deserts. If California had shut down those huge farms, there would be more water available.

Umm... there are reasons why they don't grown fruits and veggies in Iowa. Just saying. The operation that I am now on used to be well-know for their apples and cherry's. About 10 years ago, it quit snowing in the winter, and they simply couldn't keep up with just irrigation water in the summer. Until the climate changes to a cooler-wetter pattern, water in the west is going to be an issue.Maybe we can fair better than the Anasazis did.

Odd job is right. Thank you, Oddjob, a sane voice has spoken!! I live in California, in the State Capital, and the politics in this state are the worst in the Nation! The snail darter fish takes presidence over the valley farmers for water. California only gets rain from December until May; the summer and fall months are sunny and warm. The rainfall average is about 20 inches, but in the last few years it has only been around 13 inches. So, yes, that is a drought. And of course the rainfall reflects on the amount of snow pack, the Sierras will have. The snow melt, of course is critical to our water supplies. Northern California supplies Southern California with its water, thru a 400 mile long viaduct, which makes the problem even more serious , especially for the Valley farmers. The pictures you have posted are of Shasta Dam Resivior, north of Redding,

Once again, Ammorette does not know what she is talking about!

Dorothea Dyba Sturges wrote:

"The rainfall average is about 20 inches, but in the last few years it has only been around 13 inches. So, yes, that is a drought."

Curse those politicians in the "State Capitol" for their evil drought. Maybe it is God's punishment for man's California's immoral ways.

I said the lack of rainfall defines a drought and politicians have nothing to do with it. How is that such a complicated issue?

Amorette Allison wrote:

And the fact that it hasn't rained in YEARS has nothing to do with it.

A few of our great nations founding fathers equated Domestic Faction -- Political Parties in today’s vernacular -- with evil. As, God works in mysterious ways, it is possible that God is trying to rid what used to be a veritable garden of Eden of the evil serpents infecting it. A reverse flood so to say; then when the soil is so dry, that it will no longer hold any water, torrential downpours could quickly wipe out all that evil very quickly.