TEMPERATURES RISING IN CALIFORNIA

Temperature is climbing here in Southern California in more ways than one as we near the June 7th 2016 presidential primary voting day.

Daily News reports some citizens have already cast their ballots in selected early voting -- "a relative tsunami" -- almost five times the number in 2012 -- as the Los Angeles Country Registrar's Office announces a total of 57 people voting on the first day of early voting.   11 Kiosks are expected to be scattered about the county for early voters.   Ballots for voting-by-mail continue to be distributed, completed and mailed-in. 
This is just my county (population estimate July 2015 --10,170,292) and there are 58 counties in California.


Still no rain in our area.   We're greatly relieved though ... news accounts on Huff Post Green report The Donald has acquired a full grasp of our drought situation and is quoted as saying, "There is no drought!"   Climate change likely doesn't exist either.   Now my dilemma -- what do I believe?    My lying senses, perceptions and real life experience, science, or what my wanna-be esteemed leader tells me?  His outlined energy policy plan depends heavily on reducing environmental regulations and expanding U.S. fossil fuel exploration.  All of that does little to increase the amount of rain falling from the sky, but what do I know -- I hear his voice now:  "Let there be water!"   His followers echo:  "Amen!"

"Hillary Clinton says she has been following California's water issues from "afar" and as president would be open to having the federal government involved in long term solutions to benefit cities and agriculture."  She "... declined to specifically address ... water deliveries to the southern part of the state"...."I  am going to support, as strongly as I can, a process of Californians to reach the kind of conclusions and there is a role for the federal government to expedite that, to support that, I certainly will be open to it," Clinton said.  There is little doubt she recognizes climate change.  This was an interview by  Conan Nolan, NBC News.

Bernie Sanders is quoted in The Tribune as saying, "...the federal government could help Californians manage the drought by pushing for “sensible water conservation practices” and helping in any way possible. Drought is a byproduct of global warming, Sanders said, so the most important way the federal government can address the problem is by being “aggressive” in phasing out fossil fuels and pushing for alternative energy sources.

"We have got to acknowledge that climate change is already doing devastating problems in this country and around the world,” he said. “You’re already on the cutting edge of that. Some parts of this country don’t perceive that.”

This is just one issue of special interest to Californians and other states affected by drought.  Of course, the whole nation is affected by our drought as described in this Climate Progress article "California's Drought Could Upend America's Entire Food System" by Natasha Geiling.

There are no easy answers.   I want my next President to be a person who understands that and is best able to facilitate a sane, sensible, environmentally sound resolution.