The drought this summer has caused a shortage of water supply. Larry Kolvoord expresses the importance of water conservation in a stern, but hopeful manner. He states that droughts endanger lives, destroys crops and forces ranchers to sell livestock. It also kills lawns and landscaping which harm property values. Kolvoord believes that the fines the city is instating will enforce the water restrictions. This forceful way of getting the attention of the community either turns away readers or will inform and promote conserving water. However, he is directing his argument towards those who need to think about their water usage. He strongly suggests that replacing lawns with St. Augustine grass with more drought-tolerant grass, fewer flushes and shorter showers will significantly lessen the amount of water used. The Austin community has always been concerned about their water usage and Kolvoord argues that just because Austinites aggressively conserve doesn't mean we won't need structure for all other areas in Texas. He also targets the government, by sharing his thoughts of how citizens will be more likely to follow the water restrictions if government has any power in the matter. The fine that the government has created has caused neighbors to report each other when they don’t follow the guidelines. The city received 675 water waste complaints during just the first week alone. According to Kolvoord, sometimes the fear of a fine can reinforce good habits. He hopes that more rain will come to Texas and the drought will soon be over. One can tell that he is very passionate about the waste of water and how it is our responsibility as an individual to make sure we manage our own water usage. His writing techniques might be off-putting to some, but could also get others to start conserving, because “conservation works.”
Water Conservation a habit we must keep
Water Conservation a habit we must keep
