California says goodbye to green lawns

"The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day — that's going to be a thing of the past," said Gov. Jerry Brown.

California has been struggling with its water problem for many years now. It takes enormous amounts of water to maintain a green lawn. However pretty the sight of a green, manicured lawn, it was set to disappear from Southern California.

Under the emergency drought order, the Greater Los Angeles area was expected to tear out the equivalent of more than 2,100 football fields of grass — more than twice the turf-removal goal Brown had set for the entire state. Garden makeovers were underway, and cactus gardens were about to become a common sight.

California's water crisis had worsened over four years. The force of water from taps in homes had been greatly reduced. Most residents had resorted to collecting the dishwater in the sink and reusing it for their plants. Sprinklers, of course, had become a thing of yesterday.

The water problem of California should be a wake-up call for the rest of us too. Water wastage is a serious issue. If we want safe drinking water tomorrow, we should be careful not to waste water today.

While every individual can help, the real solution will come when large agricultural companies change the way they do business. And since California is home to some of the best technology minds in the world, the coming years will bring real advances in water conservation.

This summer, be aware of the water crisis — every drop matters.