California Governor Gavin Newsom has come under fire from both sides of the aisle for his handling of the state’s water supply. Critics argue that Newsom’s plan to address the state’s water crisis falls short and fails to address the issue of trillions of gallons of lost water due to atmospheric rivers.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere that can bring large amounts of precipitation when they make landfall. In California, these storms have caused flooding and mudslides, but also brought much needed rainfall to areas suffering from drought. Unfortunately, much of this rain is lost due to outdated infrastructure and inadequate storage capacity.
Critics argue that Newsom’s plan does not go far enough in addressing this issue. They point out that while the plan calls for increased recycling and desalination efforts, it does not include any measures to increase storage capacity or improve infrastructure. This means that even if more water is available, it will be wasted if there is no way to capture and store it for future use.
In addition, some critics argue that Newsom’s plan fails to adequately address climate change, which is exacerbating California’s water crisis by increasing the frequency and intensity of atmospheric rivers. They point out that without a comprehensive strategy for dealing with climate change, California will continue to suffer from extreme weather events such as droughts and floods.
Despite these criticisms, Newsom has defended his plan as a necessary step in addressing California’s water crisis. He argues that while more needs to be done in terms of infrastructure improvements and climate change mitigation strategies, his plan is an important first step in ensuring a secure water supply for future generations.
Ultimately, only time will tell if Newsom’s plan succeeds in addressing California’s water crisis or if further action needs to be taken. In the meantime, it is clear that both sides agree that something must be done about California's dwindling water supply before it's too late.