This perspective and target audience points the conversation to whom should be blamed for the over-use of fresh water in California amidst the drought.

Wildfires like the 2013 Rim Fire caused ash, debris, and sentiment to flow downstream and contaminate the water and land. Mudslides from wildfires cause massive destruction and emit carbon dioxide that poses a risk for all life in California and surrounding areas.

Another effect from drought on both humans and the environment is land sinks. In times of water scarcity, groundwater and aquifer systems compact from over-use, the land underneath sinks, and costly infrastructure damage follows. Those who live in cheaper homes are burdened the most. Over-pumping of groundwater in the Can Joaquin Valley water system, for example, has caused a drastic land-surface elevation drop resulting in serious structural and operation issues. This effects water delivery networks like the Delta-Mendota Canal, forcing many to scramble and pay out-of-pocket for water. Working-class people who cannot afford to amend their lives around climate-change-induced problems should not need to suffer greater consequences.

The trend is growing.

While it is important to pose executive orders to restrict water-use domestically and individually, domestic water-use only accounts for less than a quarter of all California water use, and people may face fines they do not deserve in the midst of a generally degrading economy. State-initiated change for individual water use also distracts people from main the causes of drought.

It is the third largest in the country, and wastes around two million gallons of water daily. Some wasteful practices include fracking, water flooding, and other extreme extraction operations.

It is important to take a stance against drought and undue economic damage by actively organizing in acts of civil disobedience under a planned set of demands and an agenda. Demands to be set should address the immediate needs of working-class people and be an intermediate step towards a socialist transformation of society and provide a bridge in consciousness towards what society needs and how to achieve those ends. Far-fetched demands cannot work when the vast majority of society is not prepared of willing to fight for socialism, so the demands must be moderate. Some demands take longer to achieve and some are “bread-and-butter issues. For example:

• No new fossil fuel projects in California. Say no to fracking, drilling, or opening up public land for exploitation.
• Fight for an end to water privatization and commodification.

• For drought-resistance agriculture, water-saving methods in domestic water systems, and better groundwater storage practices.
• Support and assist workers, small farmers, and climate fighters in their struggle towards water-use efficiency, water renew programs, and protection against the consequences of climate change such as drought and desertification.
• Democratic public ownership of the big energy companies, retooling them for socially necessary green production. A “Just Transition” for all workers in oil, wasting agricultural and water-bottling industries with guaranteed re-training and new living-wage jobs

One tactic useful in advocating for water-use change is Trotsky’s united frontism. This tactic would include any pre-approved organization, group, or individuals fighting under pre-organized resistance strategies to achieve the same demands together. The struggle would be fought under the organizing party’s platform, and any organizations that join should be scrutinized to avoid sabotage and historically-proven incorrect approaches. For example, the Communist party in Germany before WWII used the Stalinist popular frontism tactic and that called for an alliance between the worker’s parties and the bourgeoisie liberal wing against uprising fascist forces and support for Hitler. This tactic failed as a result of allowing the bourgeoisie liberal wing to pacify resistance and allow the right wing and Hitler’s forces to gain enough popular support. Had the Communist Party used Trotskyist united frontism, it is likely that Hitler would never have risen to power. Trotskyist organizations like the Committee for Workers International (CWI) are known to use united frontism to fight liberal and right-wing forces for transitional demands like the 8-hour workday and union victories. Because Socialist Alternative is the most active leftist organization in California now, it would likely be the organizing party calling for a united front with other groups and individuals and for transitional demands. Socialist Alternative can make an alliance with Black Lives Matter, Fight for 15, Union Locals, and environmental organizations in a popular movement demanding regulation n water-use by private industries and green jobs.

So far the on-going California drought has led to severe economic and environmental problems in many places due to extreme dryness, wildfires, land sinks, crop damage, and more. As California watched the California Water Action Plan pass for individual change, it remains waiting for long-term solutions to climate change and drought. Marxist tactics like transitional demands and united frontism would likely point the struggle for drought justice in the right direction if implemented correctly, and hopefully in the coming years millions will start to get involved in and California can see a growth in resistance against private industries contributing the most towards water waste and organize around these tactics to win victories for millions of working-class people.