Proposal_Mintae Kim

Mintae Kim

 

Some people feel that limitations are needed for preserving water sources in Texas; it is still an issue whether restrictions are necessary or not. Texas has been in danger of drought for several years. Besides, nowadays the aquifer beneath Lubbock has been drying up in Texas. However, due to Texas tradition and law, it is hard to control or prevent the abuse of water. Even though there are regulations to avoid overusing the groundwater, checking and managing the use of water is not easy. However, we do not even know whether people recognize the water problem or how much they know about its information. Therefore, it is necessary to research how people feel about this problem and what they know about the water problem in Texas.

According to numerous reports and articles about Lubbock water, there are many interesting arguments. Most media report that the drought condition of Lubbock has been at the worst level since 2011, and other cities in Texas are also drying up (Blackburn, 2013). In addition, negative effects such as crop losses, low reservoir level, water shortage, etc. are reported due to drought (Sauter and Hess, 2013). Thus, the City of Lubbock will start other water restrictions soon (Young, 2013). Moreover, the City of Lubbock is trying to find new water sources to avoid such negative effects (Reed, 2013). Moreover, some people assert that strict regulations and restrictions are necessary in Texas. And then, they pointed out very detailed proposals for conserving water resources in Texas. On the other hand, others point out that Lubbock’s water is still sufficient, even with drought. They also provided some evidence about their claim. In addition, according to the City of Lubbock Water Department, water consumption has been reduced since last few years; therefore, they do not want this water problem to relate with water usage. Moreover, because of water usage restrictions in west Texas, farmers and landowners protested strongly against restrictions (Pelt, 2012). Restrictions make some other negative problems. In this way, both opposite claims contrast strongly because it is difficult to predict future water consumption (Chow, 2013). So, it is hard to determine which opinion is right.

Last but not least, nowadays, many people worry about environmental problems, so I think many people in Texas are also going to consider water shortage due to the fact that the problem of water shortage is not only a problem in Texas. This is a worldwide problem. Thus, many people who live in Texas, including non-American citizens, will also agree with conserving water resources; however, they may not know much about Texas regulations because it seems a little different from other places, especially for non-Americans and American from other states. In addition, men may know more information about water problems than women, but women may worry more about environmental issues. And then non-student participants may  know more than student participants. Moreover, most participants may also consent to restrictions or regulations to avoid overusing water. Last, people may be very interested in environmental issues but they may not know about more detailed information. Among several environmental issues, the most interesting issue may be global warming, because it causes several other environmental problems.

Reference

Blackburn, E. (2013, June 8). Many eyes on Lubbock’s water. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://lubbockonline.com/stories/060808/loc_287908754.shtml

Chow, D. (2013, August 26). Huge aquifer that runs through 8 states quickly being tapped out. LiveScience. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://www.nbcnews.com/science/huge-aquifer-runs-through-8-states-quickly-being-tapped-out-8C11009320

Kaiser, R. A. (2005, July). Who Owns the Water?. Texas Parks and Wildlife magazines. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://texaswater.tamu.edu/water-law

KCBD Staff (2013, August 16). City of Lubbock disputes water shortage claims. City of Lubbock. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://www.kcbd.com/story/23156106/city-of-lubbock-disputes-water-shortage-claims

Lake Alan Henry and Other Water Supply Projects (n.d.), Water Conservation and Education Department. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://mylubbock.us/docs/default-source/storm-water-management/developing-water-supply-alternatives-for-lubbock.pdf?sfvrsn=0

Pelt, T. (2012, February). Farmers, landowners protest new water restrictions, KCBD. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://www.kcbd.com/story/16983979/farmers-landowners-protest-proposed-water-conservations-rules

Reed, A. (2013, February 9). Lubbock’s water crisis, how did we get here?. KCBD News Channel. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://www.kcbd.com/story/16903788/lubbocks-water-crisis-how-did-we-get-here

Sauter, M.B. and Hess, A.E.M. (2013, August 1). Nine cities running out of water. Yahoo, Finance. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nines-cities-running-water-192757786.html

Water Consumption Down for City of Lubbock in July (n.d.). everythinglubbock.com. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://www.everythinglubbock.com/story/water-consumption-down-for-city-of -lubbock-in-july/d/story/Z6n1RusK2UaG8G5PCqkfig

Young, A.D. (2013, March 29). Water conservation rules to begin Monday include reduced watering hours. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved on Sep. 26, 2013 from http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2013-03-29/water-conservation-rules-begin-manday-include-reduced-wateing-hours#.Uh9k5TakopU