How About We Try This?

As of recent, I'm sure everyone has heard of President Obama's new thing. He pretty much turned off the water for the San Joaquin Valley area in order to save an endangered fish known as the Delta Smelt (1). I'm all for saving animals as the next person but this action should have gone through some thinking processes before the government put it up for a vote.

California produces close to 12.8% of the United States agriculture. The majority is held within the San Joaquin Valley (2). Shutting off the water will kill off most of our crops. This will cause our nation to have to rely more on other countries imported crops. The San Joaquin Valley River Delta has recently become a major port connecting to the both ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Shutting off the water cuts off this path for oceangoing cargo ships. This can cause a bombardment between the ports and possibly causing some ships to think of rerouting. Doing so could take more time before our fruits and vegetables get to our nation.

Our country has high health standards and there hasn't been much need of an alarm on getting salmonella from our crops. Other countries, however, do not have such standards. Since we will require more of our crops to be imported there will be a heightened risk of becoming ill. With ships possibly needing to reroute their paths this can make the fruits and vegetables we get even worse. Also, doing so will mean that other countries will need more oil for the fuel in their ships increasing the prices businesses will need to pay in order to sell the crops. With the crops becoming dried out and dead, the prices will automatically go up. The businesses will just add more to it for the fuel so they can make a good amount of profit.

The majority of our nations people do not own fancy cars and big houses. In order for people to eat in a healthy manner you need to have a great paying job. With unemployment rates increasing, it becomes hard to imagine that many people have such a thing. Shutting off the water will only increase the unemployment rates. Farmers are now jobless and will soon lose their homes and hope that some fast food place is hiring so they can live with a minimum amount of food and a roof over their head. If crop prices increase as much as they might, this minimum amount of food will become boxes of Twinkies. A box of Twinkies that will add to the fat that people will need in order to have energy is close to the same price as a head of lettuce, which won't add that energetic fat. Since junk food will become even more easier to buy our nations obesity rate will obviously increase. America is already thought of the fattest nation, imagine how it will be when we're only eating Twinkies for each meal everyday.

Becoming overly obese isn't the only thing there is to worry about. If some people aren't even able to afford an occasional orange there is certain to be a type of scurvy coming across the nation. Scurvy isn't just some illness that occurs only in pirate stories, it can actually happen. It can cause a loss of teeth along with open and suppurating wounds. This of course is in advanced scurvy as a not so advanced diagnosis of scurvy can cause formation of spots that are usually on the thighs. It can also cause spongy gums and bleeding from the mucous membranes. Though it is easily treated by getting vitamin c, the feeling of immobilization and depression may get to some more than others (3).

The lack of water in the San Joaquin Valley is also causing a drought. All over the news is reports about wild fires in California. Most of them are caused by droughts from mother nature herself. When humans are creating a drought in a place that is known for so many wildfires there should be a click in a persons mind that it may not be such a good idea. Does California really need more wildfires to report on the news? Most would hopefully say no. There are commercials promoting California as a beautiful place that everyone should go to. In reality though, there seems to be an abundance of wildfires. There should be no reason why people should add to it.

This all sounds a bit crappy. So how about we as a nation try to fix this? Since the Delta Smelt is endangered according to the IUCN Red List, why don't we make a zoo exhibit for it. Doing so will give them a chance to repopulate and keep them self from predators. This also may help others recognize this type of fish and become aware of the danger that it is in.

A reason the Delta Smelt is so endangered is because of fishermen using them as bait fish. Bass love to eat them up and if one is fishing for Bass, using a Delta Smelt as bait makes sense. Only problem with that is in 1993 it became illegal to do such a thing (4). Since this is still happening, the act that was passed in order to protect these fish apparently wasn't clear on the consequences. Actions should be taken against those who putting these fish in danger. Doing this may prevent others from continuing to use the fish as bait for larger fish and making their population increase and decreasing their endangered state.

Doing this would reopen the river and letting water back to these now unemployed farmers. Since these farmers will again become employed, the unemployment rate will decrease. Along with this means that taxes can get paid and could ultimately lead to the national debt decreasing to some degree.

The only problem with this plan is the money it may cost to get an exhibit going. People may be more willing to donate to such a cause and see jobs start to increase instead of seeing many farmers lose their jobs and crop prices increase to the point that they are only living off of Twinkies. So as a nation America, how about we try this? Let's become a real nation and look out for each other and try to become a place where people know that there is freedom and happiness amongst the majority.






References:
1. IUCN Red List - Delta Smelt
2. 2007 Overview - Agricultural Statistical Review
3. Scurvy Overvew
4. Federal Register 58:12863 - March 5, 1993