AZ must address climate change to protect its water future

The good news is, our governments are waking up to this. Recently, Arizona, California and Nevada made it a goal to save 3.2 million acre-feet from the Colorado River. The states acknowledge that this plan serves only to “provide additional time to develop a longer-term approach involving actions to achieve reductions in use,” meaning solutions that combat the core environmental problems behind the depleting Colorado River are still needed for the long-term security of our water supply.

For example, in April SRP announced they were collaborating with NextEra Energy to take on a large-scale solar power project with the goal of producing 3,000 megawatts of solar power from 2029 to 2034, doubling their current energy storage. This trend is very hopeful for us, and we should continue to support initiatives like this that help us survive and combat the water crisis.

As citizens of Arizona, it is our responsibility to keep our communities safe and prosperous. That means protecting our water supply, which is becoming weakened due to the rising heat. This means becoming more informed about the state of our environment, supporting initiatives in our communities, and urging local representatives and companies to choose sustainable policies that benefit the people of Arizona. The most important thing is remembering that any threat to our water supply is a threat to our livelihood.