Is the coverage getting through? The drought is official; questions of enforcement in a farm workers death

As I move into a new house, I quickly make a disappointing discovery. Either my new neighbors, whose sprinklers were on full blast, have little confidence in the credibility of the government or they haven't heard that there's now officially a drought in California. The governor said so on Wednesday of last week. The reaction, if not action itself, was swift.

"Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water)," the press release said, "expects Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's declaration of a state-wide drought to bring much needed attention to the water challenges facing California."

Well, yeah, but mainly what those who might have heard about the governor's declaration know is that the conservation efforts are voluntary and focused on encouraging conservation. On a personal level, I'm trying to do my part by arguing inside my household that our front and back yards should be turned into cactus and rock gardens. This would also reduce our carbon footprint by not using energy to cut the grass. I'm willing to make that sacrifice. Weekly.

"It's time for the three-minute shower, time to stop letting the tap run when you brush your teeth. We want these to become permanent changes in Southern California," wishfully thought Anthony Fellow, vice chairman of the board of the Southern California Metropolitan Water District in the Los Angeles Times.

Habits tied to water usage are extremely hard to change. It's unclear to me how much coverage is needed before people start to pay attention and believe that the problem is really a problem. The bloggers are not hot on this issue and there actually might be a connection between declining consumption of traditional news media – which still cover really important issues more than new media – and an understanding of the impact of a water shortage.

Apparently, if cutting back means a dusty car or a brown lawn, it's going to take more than the governor relying on news coverage to get people to understand what's at stake, if they even really believe there's a danger. It's going to take more than calls for voluntary reductions in water use. It's going to take government-ordered, required cuts and that will take political courage and enforcement of conservation. If you're holding your breath for that, please don't do it under water.

*

Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, a 17-year old Mexican woman who was in the US without documentation, died after working in 95 to 100-degree weather pruning grape vines in Farmington, near Stockton. She was pregnant. "State authorities suspect [she] died the afternoon of May 14 because the farm labor contractor [she] worked for denied her proper access to shade and water," the Associated Press reported.

If you haven't heard about this, it might be because your paper or local TV station didn't think it was big news where you live. They would be wrong. Nearly two dozen deaths suspected of being caused by heat-related issues have occurred since 2005, the state says.

Farm workers marched and complained about problems unionizing and enforcement of regulations that cover heat safety in the fields. The governor said that he will "rigorously enforce" California's "heat regulations." Other politicians expressed the appropriate outrage.

The details of this story are disturbing. Forget that Vasquez Jimenez was not here legally. Forget that she and other migrant workers don't consume a whole lot of media. The important message is to remember her and that people like her are doing work that is dangerous for little pay. They deserve more respect and they deserve to live. You should know their stories. They are a bigger part of your life than you would imagine or perhaps care to acknowledge.