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California lawmakers approve sustainable water legislation
California's senate and assembly passed legislation that will integrate environmental safeguards into the state's water plan.
The legislation, which will now be sent to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be signed into law, aims to make the environmental and human uses of water equally important.
Environmental considerations featured in the bill include the preservation of water that is home to wildlife, reduced exportation of water from the Sacramento San Joaquin Bay Delta, greater ecosystem conservation efforts and the development of a scientific system to use and monitor the state's underground water reserves.
The bill also contains provisions for an $11 billion bond, which may be used to fund a dam or environmental restoration efforts.
Such legislation may create "an important standard for other states and the nation" as it brings the state closer to "providing a reliable water supply," said Elgie Holstein, vice president of land, water and wildlife programs for the Environmental Defense Fund.
The fund was one of many organizations that pushed for environmental standards in the bill.
As lawmakers continue to take the environment into consideration when passing new legislation, opportunities for environmental scientists and specialists with training from associates, bachelors or masters programs in sustainable management or environmental science are expected to increase.
The demand for such professionals, whose median annual earnings were $56,100 in May 2006, is expected to grow by 25 percent over the next seven years.
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