4 - Sunday, June 23, 1991 - North Shore Mews L.A2s drought: the browning of La-La Land LOS ANGELES - A former desert rapidly returning (6 desert, this may seem a strange place to come to do a documentary about dolphins. But, then again, not so strange. La-La Land, eh? The Great California Drought, with its implications for the Wet Coast, continues apace, human folly standing in the way of any- thing serious being done to allevi- ate the situation. California's problem is that for more than half a decade, the rain and snow has failed to arrive in anything like the quantities re- quired to keep the state's groundwater levels from falling. People have been stuffing bricks in their coilets, water inspectors have been trundling about slapp- ing fines on people who let water leak from pipes, and restaurants have gotten out of the habit of automatically placing a glass of water on the table with meals — allto no avail. The major water users, the farmers, are so well-organized as a lobbying force in the state that they have successfully blocked every effort to slash their water subsidies, without which they would quickly go into receivership en masse. (Some free trade bureaucrat should take a close look at the ag- ricultural system in California, with an eye to uncovering a vast subsidy program which surely amounts to unfair trade practices vis a vis British Columbia’s farm- ers. Might make a neat bargaining chip when it comes to stumpage fees.) Even close observers have lost track of the number of reports that have been turned into the state government concerning the danger of slurping up the aquifiers upon which the state’s agricultural base depends. None of them has resulted in any significant action. The farm lobby nips any such efforts in the legislative bud. lt may well be that, thanks to the Greenhouse Effect, there is ultimately little that can be done. Be that as it may, future genera- tions of Californians are not going to look back admiringly on the men and women who guaranteed the return of the desert in order to maintain their opulent lifestyles in the short haul. A reporter driving 700 miles in five days to interview dolphin freaks in the Los Angeles area picks up tidbits about the drought from the papers and talking to people, but on the whole it would be easy to zip through without catching any hint that a disaster is unfolding. Immense lawns sparkle in the false rain of sprinklers. Tiny rain- bows flare above the flower beds outside municipal offices. In Beverley Hills, the swimming pools glint invitingly, although there is seldom anybody to be seen swimming in them. (The social purpose of having a pool is to have one, not necessari- ly to use it.) The attitude of the farmers is not so easy to scorn once you re- alize that it’s not just them living in a dreamworld. Los Angeles is famous for its palm trees, but they were all orig- inally imported, just like the water that sustains the state’s lawns and pools and farmlands alike. The whole place is a Bob Hunter STRICTLY PERSONAL Hoilywood-style prop, an illusion thrown up so that each individual drama may be played out upon a stage with incredibly high produc- tion values. Nobody wants to think about the desert waiting patiently on the other side of the Sierra Nevada range, needing only closed pipelines or silted irrigation dit- ches to complete its conquest of the lands Jeading right up ta the edge of the Pacific. As you drive, you cross gigantic concrete bridges spanning bone- dry cement troughs intended to control flooding that never hap- pens any more. How ironic, then, to arrive at San Diego’s world-famous Seaworld, and discover that the place manufactures its own special blend of water, millions of gallons per day, to keep its dolphins, or- cas, sea turtles, exotic fish and sharks alive, so that people can pay $22 a head to ogle aquatic forms of life, envying the ap- parent freedom of the creatures to defy gravity. It is another illusion, of course. The dolphins et al are prisoners in their tanks, utterly dependent on pumps and pipelines and filters and chemicals to survive. In this regard, they are no different from the Californians peering through the glass. {t is not surprisingly that in La-La Land, reality is a taboo topic. Most of the people I talked to assumed that sooner or later the with over 8 years experience! LESLIE LaFLECHE 984-9711 (24 hrs.) Barristers & Solicitors IMPAIRED DRIVING 300-1401 LONSDALE, NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. AFTER HOURS water problem would be solved by a mussive infusion of cool liquid from the Wet Coast to the north. ‘The question a Canadian hears repeatedly is: “Aren't they build- ing a big pipeline or something?”* In fact, Californians find it dif- ficult to imagine water not coming eventually from Canada. Why not? It's a perfect resource to sell. Don't you have any entrepreneurs up there? The history of corruption that lies behind the creation of California's gigantic irrigation fe 922-5751 Including 26-point RESTAURANT]: 2422 Marine Dr.,, West Vancouver system is seldom mentioned. It's a given. After all, everyone saw China- town, didn’t they? That the same level of corruption might apply come the day Californians finally wake up to the harsh, solar reality of returning desert is likewise never mentioned. Most British Columbians would undoubtedly be happy to trade their rainfall for a trip to Disneyland, but the water that has already landed is more ecological- ly problematic. Maintenance Inspection Mes? Vehicles For all 4 wheels Regular value $28.00 ASSOCIATE STORE Regular Value $27.95 Finest Cooking of the Greek Islands Piatter for Two *18.95 Served with Greek Salad, Kalamari, Meat Balis, Dolmades, Spanakopita, Mousaka, Souvlaki, Rice, Homus, Satziki, Pita Take out — Catering & Parties EAT IN ONLY = Expires Aug. 31, 1991 Special valid with this coupon The solution? Well, maybe we should ask the dolphins. There are pleaty of Californians who would listen to the dolphins more readily than they would listen to their own legislators. The dolphins, after all, are widely viewed as Californians who moved into the ocean millions of years ago. Maybe they knew something that the current inhab- itants are missing. Stay tuned for more reports from darkest La-La Land. TIRE TRUST CANADIAN UGICE RVICE" LOWER MAINLAND LOCATIONS ONLY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT JUNE 23 TO 29, 1991 Bo eee cee ere ee eee ee ree ee ees eee ee ne and