Barbra Streisand`s California home Kind of synonymous with ironic that the mouthiest Hollywood and music glitterati in the poppycocky finger-shaking-at-others mode are oblivious of the water crisis in their literal own backyards in California, judging by current flyover pics.
Famously private Barbra Streisand, Babs herself, a huge blabber-lip when it comes to backing (religiously Democrat) candidates attacking us for climate infractions and the improper use of our resources, flora and fauna, keeps her huge grounds lemonade fresh.
People, people who dislike people — are the selfish-est people . .
Just as Kim (Selfie) Kardashian and Kanye West and their glitterati ilk have lawn and acreage sparkling emerald to the overhead drone and camera eye.
Songstress Cher — as her PR bio styles her: singer, songwriter, actress, model, fashion designer, television host, comedian, dancer, businesswoman, philanthropist, author, film producer, director, and record producer — doesn’t “Turn Back Time” or manage to ‘stop her babble shooting her down’ to halt wasting oceans on that infinity lawn.
Shoop, shoop.
Storied Jennifer Lopez (not so much “Jenny on the block” as she wants people to think) has acres of not-brown unshriveled sward around her mansion. It’s acres of minty-fresh loden for Jenny.
California authorities claim that these celebs use up 70% of the allotted water earmarked for the drought-plagued rest of California’s populace. Let ’em eat dust, their monied mantra. We know they’ve invested heavily in their palaces of ostentation and insulation, but their state is a month away from severe new strictures to monitor and restrict that water dropping onto their gilded greens.
Agri use has first claim on this scarcer-than-scarce commodity. Drinking water, cleaning water, cooking water all lay claims more demanding and worthy than… a lawn. Drenching one’s front yard comes in at a far-distant last.
Happily, some Hollywooders (Jennifer Aniston, for one) have torn out water-guzzlers like vineyards (did you know a glass of wine has consumed 30 gallons of the wet stuff to get to your table?) in favor of smart palms and abstemious trees instead of thirsty floral gardens. Or opted for stone gardens and entryways to save on extravagant gardening and sprinklers.
Another hallowed water-waster is the ubiquitous pool that siphons hundreds of gallons in each of the isolated spreads of the big stars on this walk of shame.
Problem is, so far, ignoring stringent usage water rights and limitations rules in recent councils sets abusers back a trifling $100.
Wouldn’t cover even a late-night take-out snack.
If the fines had sharper teeth for those well-heeled-enough to heed them, water would not be so gratuitously expended on vanity frontage, giraffe-high hedges, topiaries and vast, rolling grassy expanses. The Israelis have ‘solved’ their problem of sparse rain — winters only, falling mostly in the north — by engineering tunnels; ingenious pipes to and from key cities; desalinization of waste water, “grey” water and sea water; careful use of groundwater, and a much-admired needle-prick irrigation system that waters agricultural crops and orchards using the tiniest of sprays from strategically punctured hoses.
Fines should be exponentially higher to make an impact. Public shaming, perhaps, might play a role, especially in light of the blinkered hypocrisy evident in the distance between what these preening poodles blare on TV, media and Tweet-land. Their plush private extravagance in H2O consumption is not theirs to [Marie] Antoinette.
