Contextual Analysis on the IMPACTS of Gov. Brown's Executive Order

Last year I was visiting a friend in California.  During my stay, I ran into a gentleman that worked for the State of California in the Agriculture department.  We had a lengthy discussion on California's water conservancy crisis.  He talked about the actions the State was taking to address the challenge, we then talked about Las Vegas and their similar progression to the same situation.  After this discussion I did some more digging on what was happening in California and the paradigm shift among the residents of the state.  Was it just hype? Or is there some validity?  What kind of actions are going to be taken to prove the importance of the problem?  Then I cam across this...

Earlier this month Governor Brown of California passed an Executive Order mandating urban areas to reduce their water usage by 25%. Gov. Brown's Executive Order on Water Usage was a major media event that catapulted the snowball effect of water conservancy throughout many residents in the state of California.  The argument with this was the push back from residents who didn't feel they should HAVE to cut back.  In announcing those measures, Brown had defended the water board’s restrictions from criticism that they did not go far enough, saying he wanted to do more but that such efforts take time.  The next worry is, What will they do next?

Another event that may have sparked this whole problem might have spawned from this media event. Those Dam Removals.... But I digress.

The take home point of argument is that of the Executive Order established recently and how the media event effected the audiences view on the draught.  Did I fall for the media event? The psychology behind the media framing?? I sure did.  Then I took my biasness and turned it to what the effects of living in the desert had.  Wait, I live in the desert! What does that mean for St. George, or even Vegas?  Am I pushing back just like the Californians are to this executive order? Though I may be one of the ones to question it, don't we all have our own brains to critically think of the ramifications involved with not doing research?? Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean we should believe it.

The use of major media sources to heighten awareness or to scare us, has been used far longer by stakeholders throughout history.  My plan was to take what IS happening already in California and apply it to the issues that could effect me directly.

I further looked into the similarities of what was happening physically and socially in Vegas, and why it wasn't as well known as California's problem.  Lastly, looked at the potentiality of St. George's ability to get to that same point.

If someone was to look up "California Water Crisis" in a popular search engine like Google, they would find articles posted as recent as yesterday or even hours ago.  The situation has grown substantially since the discussion I had with the gentleman from the California State Agricultural department.  Though I went in with a biased opinion of, "this is a real problem" since I heard from a first hand source that the situation was REALLY that, a situation.  It was easy to find sources that backed my opinion, but there were also other sources that said there wasn't much of a problem, and others that overdid it. That's the beauty of being a human, we question things.  This is where social media is... excuse my smirk, BENEFICIAL! Yes, I said beneficial.  Social media aids in getting the information out there to the world. The use of social media and social networking to increase knowledge of the topic is largely due to the amount of agriculture that comes from the state.  At first I was skeptical to the topic thinking that it might be overly dramatized due to the fact that it's California.  Along with the fact that some sources framed a "woe is me" type of connection for the audience.  Later on came to realize that the problem has been increasing over time.  The reason the situation in Vegas isn't as well-known is due to the fact that it's not at the same severe level that California's is. 

 

That's when the paradigm shift comes in.  Unlike California, Vegas, and even St. George has the ability to get ahead of the situation.  Understanding that the problem in California can potentially be a problem within our very own community people can take the actions necessary to reverse the current track we are on.  Since the problem in California is so great as to effect the economy of the state, people are starting to notice.  I'm willing to bet that there are still people living within the state who are oblivious to the fact of what is going on right in front of their noses.  California has lost over 500,000 acres of agriculture which has resulted in a loss of jobs, as well as loss of economic income due to the fact that 80% of California's Agriculture doesn't stay within California.  They rely highly on outside sources who buy from them. Cut backs in landscape also directly effects the residents which creates a paradigm shift of the problem.  Similar actions like water cut backs on landscape have been invoked in Vegas.

California Water Crisis   <

 

Las Vegas has set water restrictions on all landscaping throughout the city, as well as potentially charging residents for use of water. Mind you this is a suggestion.  First thing that came to my mind was charging the hotels and major cash revenue cows on the strip more for water.  One way can be by taxing businesses that bring in a substantial income with a water tax.  The use of social media in this city alone can flip a 180 and help aid in the cities ability to make a drastic change in how people conserve water, or realize they have an ability to aid in keeping this 'beloved' city from turning to dust.

 

 

 

The media's role here is to frame the importance of the problem to further enlighten and persuade society of the issue at hand.  People best respond to things when they can connect to it.  Though many feel that hitting people on the emotional level, that approach is a HIGHLY persuasive way to get a point across.  When people start to realize that THEY contribute to the problem, they'll begin to understand that THEY are also a part of the solution. 

What does that mean for US?? Little and quasi innocent St. George Utah?? Well, let me tell you!  I know we are all some form of communication or business majors, but let us do some math.  St. George has recently been ranked in the top 5 of the fastest growing cities in the United States. St. George's population is 73,421 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 45.29 percent.  It is projected that St. George's population will double in the next 15 years, thus resulting in more water usage.  The problem is that we live in a desert.   Like we have discussed in class of St. George being an island, we are therefore unsustainable, at this current time.  With the use of social networking, I firmly believe that St. George can become a front runner of sustainable desert communities.  This is not saying we can't out source, this just means we wouldn't have to be economically reliable on other sources.  Maybe this is the answer---> Lake Powell Pipeline
 Or maybe it isn't---> Lake Powell Pipeline to Southern Utah