Droughts Impact on low income agricultural communities in California
The drought is disproportionately affecting low income agricultural communities across California, more specifically in the San Joaquin Valley. Among many hardships like the drought, these communities face high levels of unemployment, lack of access to clean and affordable water, food insecurity, high utility bills, as well as a lack of education. Since the drought began, the rise of unemployment in the farming community has led to staggering numbers. Wendy Ortiz claims that “ The California drought has led farmers to let 500,000 acres of farmland lay fallow, which has decreased crop production and cost approximately 17,100 farmworkers their jobs.” With these people already facing extreme poverty due to low income jobs, the drought has made them feel even extremer heights of this vicious plague. A professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, by the name of Howitt closely follows the drought. He has predicted “ that an additional 20,000 jobs would be lost in agriculture and food processing over the course of 2015” (Lessons on Climate Change and Poverty From the California Drought). This is significant due to California providing more than 54% of the nation's crops and also many more tax dollars will be spent to aid these people's welfare. As if the wages were already low enough, the drought has caused these wagers to fall even lower. These low wages will make it harder to possess the basic necessities of life such as water, shelter, and food for these families. The only solution right now for these families seems to be to pack up and go, however many can’t afford life outside of the valley. Due to the low level of the valley’s population, it has directly affected the communities tax revenue to fund things such as education and other public services. These enduring effects of the drought have left many parts of the community with crumbling or inadequate housing and water infrastructure. This will inflict new heights of pain and poverty in these communities which have begun to speak of the common motto “ no water, no work, no life.”
Even though California became the first state in the nation to pass legislation affirming that access to water is a fundamental human right.82 A.B. 685, many of the farm workers experience unique barriers to water. For Example; access to their small water systems, competition with surrounding farms for underground water, and contamination from agricultural and oil production operations have been directly affecting these families. It is hard to build alternatives because they are “ geographically isolated from larger water systems and cannot access the technical and financial resources necessary to meet both Environmental Protection Agency regulations and growing customer water expectations” (Ortiz). Many of the local water agencies are extremely understaffed and have a lack of financial resources unlike the larger water systems. These communities are getting hammered with every economic, social, and political hardship, on top of the conflicts that the drought brings.
The publisher is the Center for American Progress which is an organization whose mission is to improve the lives of the American people with progressive ideas, leadership, and concerted action. The author Wendy Ortiz cites many credible sources and uses raw data to support her plea to bring awareness for these families suffering. The article was published in August of 2015, which means this article and the data are very recent. Ortiz’s main argument is that if we don’t raise awareness of the droughts severe effects on these low income families, the drought will only prolong as well as the vicious poverty cycles that plague them. The author uses charts, interviews with citizens in the local community, and agricultural statistics. The intended audience is Californian citizens who have the ability to conserve as much water as possible, scientists to help find a solution, and the local government to provide clean and affordable drinking water for these families. The author is writing through the lense of a concerned Californian as well as a terrified community member. The author doesn’t really contain much of a bias, due to her not presenting evidence favoring only one side. The scholarly article I have chosen differs from my other sources by the source itself published by a government organization as well as being a peer reviewed PDF. This article like my other ones argue that low income families, specifically in California’s farming communities, are getting hit the hardest by the drought. I hope this article will help raise awareness on this state of emergency so one day we can find a solution.
Source:
W.american progress.or, W. W., and Wendy Ortiz. "Lesson on Climate Change and Poverty From the California Drought." Lessons on Climate Change and Poverty From the California Drought (n.d.): n. pag. Center for American Progress. American Progress, Aug. 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015.
Nice entry, very informative.
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