Summary: This article talked about the International Irrigation Conference. The first speaker started in an awful way. When John Wesley Powell stood up and said that there is not enough water to supply this region [California], the crowd booed and went into panic. The main issue that Powell pointed out was that there was plenty of water, but it is concentrated in areas where it is not fully accessible. This caused the whole conference to change paths, and instead of sticking to the agenda, they worked on ways to reform certain laws in the western regions. This actually turned out to be a positive turn of events for the conference and it led to a lot of great ideas.
Reaction: These are stories that change the world and change lives. Things going off course is not always a curse, and in this case it was a blessing. There are now a couple of plans in the works for reforming water rights in California and how to access this large concentration of water. This conference is held annually to talk about the issues surrounding water rights in specific areas, and the main focus this year was California and the western region. It is important to notice the issues involving water around the globe, but being from California it is more important to look at what is going on around us.
I agree with this article and your reaction to it. It put me in awe to see that people booed him and didn’t care much about the environment. It all starts with us and what we notice around us.
I think it’s constructive that the conference worked on ways to reform certain laws instead of sticking to the agenda, that’s the only way to bring about change.
Would you say that reforming the water in california would be helpful for the residents and for the farmers that use the water more? what would you change about the article and how does it affect you? overall i like the article because it was short and directed to its point.
I do indeed think reform is needed. There is too much water going to big corporations and they continue to misuse this water. By reforming legislation, there will be less water going to poor uses and more independent farmers who are able to continue to produce crops.
At first, I was disgusted at how the audience booed Powell, but I agree—the article took a turn for the better and I’m glad that people are coming together to solve issues regarding water.