Americans' Attitude To Their Water Changes With The Weather

Weather plays an important role in how Americans think about water. And I don’t mean when it’s raining, we decide to grab a raincoat.

Take the attitude of Californians about their water as a perfect illustration. In May 2015, in the midst of a catastrophic drought that saw a spate of celebrity water shamings and deep concerns about depleting aquifers, The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found that 39 percent of residents believed water to be the most critical issue facing the state. For the first time since the PPIC started polling in 1998, concerns over water overshadowed other issues such as jobs and the economy as the State’s top issue.