Somehow I suspect this Beverly Hills home will be fine.

Here’s a fact any person who has lived in poverty can tell you: the poor pay more.

The proof? Look no further than the current 4-year drought plaguing my home state of California.

After an expert from NASA warned that California has a year left of water supply in its reservoirs, Governor Brown ordered a 25% statewide reduction in water usage in an effort to conserve what little water the state has left.

“It’s requiring action and changes in behavior from the Oregon border all the way to the Mexican border,” Brown said of his executive order. “It affects lawns. It affects people – how long they stay in the shower, how businesses use water.”

Those who don’t comply could face fines of up to $500 a day.

Just prior to the Governor’s order, I visited Montecito, a fairly well-to-do town in Southern California. Montecito had already put new restrictions and penalties in place to encourage residents to limit their water usage. For example, residents were asked to reduce their use of water for landscape irrigation or pay a fine.

A lot of people seemed to choose the latter. Driving around town, I could easily spot the homes that were in compliance with the new restrictions. I could spot them, because they stuck out in comparison to the others. Unlike the green, freshly mowed lawns of their neighbors, these lawns had turned brown and patchy. Clearly, when faced with choice of ugly lawn vs. penalty fee, many residents opted for the penalty fee.

Yeah. Conservation is tough.

In stark contrast, residents in poorer towns like Compton are faced with different choices. Adam Nagourney and Jack Healy of the NYT offer some examples, citing Compton residents Alysia Thomas and Lillian Barrera.

Faced with expensive water bills, Alysia Thomas asks her children to skip baths on days when they don’t play outside. Lillian Barrera is equally thrifty, serving dinner to her family on paper plates to limit her family’s water usage.

That thriftiness will come in handy, as it’s very possible water will grow increasingly expensive in response to the drought. Charles Passy of MarketWatch notes that “some water agencies in Northern California have already gotten a jump on things, boosting prices by as much as 27% — a figure that translates into a $200 annual hike for the average household.”

California contributes 15% of total US agricultural exports (and as you’re probably aware, agriculture gobbles up a lot of water). However, Governor Brown has opted not to impose water restrictions on farmers, explaining, “They’re not watering their lawn or taking long showers. They’re providing most of the fruits and vegetables of America to a significant part of the world.”

That seems fair, in my opinion. But just imagine if that were to change- food prices could skyrocket. The wealthy would be fine, but the poor? Not so much.

As is always the case with severe climate events, the world’s poor are disproportionately affected. While the wealthy are usually able to bounce back, consequences like water shortages and rising food costs can make it virtually impossible for people living in poverty to support their families and improve their economic standing.

I asked my sister, a real estate agent in some of the more affluent neighborhoods of Los Angeles, if she’s seen evidence of the drought around town. I was curious- are home owners finding it difficult to showcase their properties while limiting their water usage?

“Not really,” she said. “It’s pretty much business as usual for us.” Then she reconsidered, and laughed. “Although, we’re now promoting homes that we call ‘drought chic’, you know, homes that incoroprate drought-resistant plants and minimal lawn.’”

Gotta love a little creativity when it comes to conservation!

Editorial

Defend the Planet

The California drought is affecting some a lot more than others

By Christina Nuñez