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Your Call

One Planet: CA Democrats Fail To Pass Climate Legislation As Wells Dry Up

On this edition of Your Call's One Planet series, we're discussing California's ongoing drought and decline of groundwater. About 2,700 wells across the state are projected to go dry this year. If the drought continues, 1,000 more will go dry next year.

In 2014, the California Legislature enacted a package of new laws that aimed to stop groundwater over-pumping, but as CalMatters' Rachel Becker reports seven years later, little has changed for Californians relying on drinking water wells. Depletion of their groundwater continues. Pumping is largely unrestricted, and there are few, if any, protections in place.

As California faces multiple climate crises, California Democrats have failed to pass climate legislation.

Guest:

Rachel Becker, environment reporter at CalMatters

Web Resources:

CalMatters: California enacted a groundwater law 7 years ago. But wells are still drying up — and the threat is spreading

Malihe Razazan is the senior producer of KALW's daily call-in program, Your Call.
Rose Aguilar has been the host of Your Call since 2006. She became a regular media roundtable guest in 2001. In 2019, the San Francisco Press Club named Your Call the best public affairs program. In 2017, The Nation named it the most valuable local radio show.