In fact, beach closures were up by 30% last year across California, with Los Angeles County beaches ranking the worst with more than 2,200 closures in 2005.
Water quality is not only a problem for our beaches. Drinking water contamination seems to be getting worse before it gets better. In Glendale, the chromium 6 groundwater contamination left from the defense and aviation industries since the 1940s is placing our drinking water supply in peril. If we are forced to import more drinking water, we will see a major rise in water rates.
Our beautiful state park system is threatened by $1 billion in deferred maintenance backlog. In Los Angeles, our local parks are also chronically deficient. Only 10% of land is dedicated to open space in Los Angeles, much of it in remote areas, compared to 19% in New York.
Recent data also indicate an alarming fact; two-thirds of children in Los Angeles don't even have a neighborhood park to play in, compared to 3% of children in Boston and 9% of children in New York. One in three California children is already overweight.
This is the first generation in the history of the country in which children will have a lower life expectancy than their parents if present trends in obesity related to inactivity continue.
Without major improvements in our infrastructure for clean water and beaches, California faces a bleak future.
Imagine the impact on our economy if we can't guarantee an adequate supply of clean drinking water or if our precious coastline is no longer a draw for tourists.
