Hey, Californians, time to stop watering the sidewalk!!

Calif. to cut water deliveries to cities, farms
By SAMANTHA YOUNG, Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California said Thursday that it plans to cut water deliveries to their second-lowest level ever next year, raising the prospect of rationing for cities and less planting by farmers.

The Department of Water Resources projects that it will deliver just 15 percent of the amount that local water agencies throughout California request every year.

Since the first State Water Project deliveries were made in 1962, the only time less water was promised was in 1993, but heavy precipitation that year ultimately allowed agencies to receive their full requests.

The reservoirs that are most crucial to the state's water delivery system are at their lowest levels since 1977, after two years of dry weather and court-ordered restrictions on water pumping out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This year, water agencies received just 35 percent of the water they requested.

It's facts like these that make me angry whenever I see a sprinkler head spouting water all over the sidewalk or on the street instead of on the grass. Californians waste more water than they can afford.

Here are some tips on how you can make a difference by being more water conscious. Access to clean water may not be limited in your state now, so let's keep it that way!! These tips are EASY to follow and make a BIG difference.

HOW YOU CAN HELP SAVE WATER:
1. Turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth.
2. Take shorter showers.
3. Don't use the hose to "sweep" your patio... that's what a broom is for.
4. Fix all leaky faucets or fixtures.
5. Soap up your dishes without the water running then rinse them.
6. Put a brick or large stone in the water chamber of your toilet. It'll reduce the amount of water your toilet uses.
7. If you absolutely HAVE to water your grass, do so at night so the water won't evaporate during the day.
8. Collect rain water to water plants.
9. Take showers instead of baths.
10. Educate others on how they can also conserve water. It's simple. The more people who are more water conscious, the more water we save!!

YAY, LA... NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS IN 2010!!!!

LOS ANGLES (AFP) - The city of Los Angeles announced it will ban all plastic bags from retail stores as of July 1, 2010, following similar anti-pollution regulations already enforced in San Francisco.

The second-largest US city behind New York, Los Angeles, with its four million population, will ban plastic bagging in all supermarkets, grocery and retail stores, the Los Angeles City Council said in its new regulation.

After July 1, 2010, all store customers must provide their own bags or purchase bags made of paper or other biodegradable material from the store for 25 cents (0.25 dollar), it added.

The goal is to rid the city of some 2.3 billion non-biodegradable plastic bags that are distributed each year and end up polluting waste dumps for a long time.

San Francisco, 600 kilometers (373 miles) north of here, also in California, in 2007 became the first US city to ban plastic bags from its stores.

Both city regulations are intended to pressure state lawmakers who are considering a bill to eliminate plastic bags across the state by 2012.

Several countries around the world have already adopted laws banning plastic bags, which often end up killing animals that swallow or get caught up in them.

HECK YES. :)