To: The California State House and The California State Senate
Stop California urban sprawl
The state of California should adapt a statewide law requiring the approval of the majority of voters in any county in an election for any changes to Open Space, Agricultural and Rural Areas land use policies and designations in unincorporated areas governed by that county's current General Plan.
Why is this important?
Runaway development and urban sprawl is creating a serious environmental problem here in California. The attacks by developers on our remaining open space and rural areas is constant. California, by all studies, is already, population wise, in environmental overshoot. This exacerbates all of our other ecological problems.
California is now a scene of water wars. Every new development, whether an expensive new housing development or another winery, is making things worse. California has already had 91% of its wetlands drained. It is predicted that the Colorado River could be functionally dry in about a decade. Much of California’s groundwater is in an overdraft state. The drought has caused the snow pack in California to be only 52% of normal as of April 1, 2013. The expansion of fracking, which uses a tremendous amount of water, is the newest threat to our water supply.
The water that remains for each individual in the state is becoming increasingly polluted. According to the EPA, the number of rivers in California that are polluted increased by 170% from 2006 to 2010. Of its 3 million acres of lakes, wetlands and estuaries, 1.6 million acres are not meeting water quality standards.
Our air is also being affected. The fact that our state is the 12th largest emitter of carbon in the world is behind our state being in the 90th percentile in air pollution in the country. California has 5 of the top 10 most air polluted urban areas in the country.
Not only air and water, but much of our state’s resources are being depleted at an unsustainable level. If left unchecked, California will commit slow but steady suicide. Steps need to be taken, and the first should be to create a check on urban sprawl. If there is a genuinely good reason for us to lose even more of our rural land to development and sprawl, it should now be put up to a vote of the people in the area most affected. It should no longer just be left to the politicians and their developer allies. That is the inspiration behind this petition signed by California voters.
California is now a scene of water wars. Every new development, whether an expensive new housing development or another winery, is making things worse. California has already had 91% of its wetlands drained. It is predicted that the Colorado River could be functionally dry in about a decade. Much of California’s groundwater is in an overdraft state. The drought has caused the snow pack in California to be only 52% of normal as of April 1, 2013. The expansion of fracking, which uses a tremendous amount of water, is the newest threat to our water supply.
The water that remains for each individual in the state is becoming increasingly polluted. According to the EPA, the number of rivers in California that are polluted increased by 170% from 2006 to 2010. Of its 3 million acres of lakes, wetlands and estuaries, 1.6 million acres are not meeting water quality standards.
Our air is also being affected. The fact that our state is the 12th largest emitter of carbon in the world is behind our state being in the 90th percentile in air pollution in the country. California has 5 of the top 10 most air polluted urban areas in the country.
Not only air and water, but much of our state’s resources are being depleted at an unsustainable level. If left unchecked, California will commit slow but steady suicide. Steps need to be taken, and the first should be to create a check on urban sprawl. If there is a genuinely good reason for us to lose even more of our rural land to development and sprawl, it should now be put up to a vote of the people in the area most affected. It should no longer just be left to the politicians and their developer allies. That is the inspiration behind this petition signed by California voters.