California Then and Now Mini-Documentary

california is changing and not always for the better water is becoming scarce open spaces are filling in traffic pollution and overcrowding are all common concerns that affect daily life in california and the biggest factor contributing to california's decline is simple too many people over development much of la county in earlier days was characterized by ranches and agricultural land including numerous citrus groves and open space but little by little it has given way to vast residential and commercial development i grew up in los angeles when it was paradise few people fewer cars and no crowding anywhere my grandfather lived in the san fernando valley and we drove past miles of orange grove to get to his house as a child i visited my grandmother and uncles and aunts here we milked cows by hand climbed trees rode horseback and jumped into the monkey green water reservoir to swim construction of the 101 freeway took up a large part of the ranch and the rest became the warner center complete with high-rise buildings of glass and steel in 1940 more than 53 thousand people called the seaside community of santa monica home today the population is more than ninety thousand as the city continues to cater to more and denser development with relentless growth hundreds of miles of california coastline have been developed once vast open space the pacific palisades and santa monica now are highly built up as is hollywood and beverly hills this is the corner of hollywood and highland then and now and this is the intersection of wilshire boulevard and san vicente then and now in earlier days beverly hills was home to a lima bean farm today the beverly center a mega shopping destination sits on land that had previously been enjoyed as an amusement park my best memory was of the pony rides and the very wide open spaces post world war ii exuberance and pent up demand spawned suburban tract home building that has continued for decades with today's larger single-family homes adding significantly more square footage here the los angeles basin is seen from 3 000 feet with bellflower and lakewood part of the landscape of crowded subdivisions that make up the greater la area the 605 freeway cuts southwest to long beach and there's haze over the pacific ocean san francisco 2 once the gem of northern california has fallen victim to overcrowding and urban sprawl one of san francisco's greatest treasures golden gate park is now entirely surrounded by dense urban life the last remaining wilderness area in san francisco san bruno mountain is also encircled by development the bay area with its sprawling subdivisions even inspired a popular 1960s song with the lyrics they're all made out of tiki tacky and they all look the same overcrowding crowds have become commonplace in california the 1950s and 60s were known as the golden age of air travel closed in 1959 the glendale grand central terminal was the first airport to offer service between southern california and new york today san francisco international airport and lax are among the top 10 busiest airports in the united states california schools once among the best in the nation now two suffer from overcrowding traffic in 1946 there were 2.3 million registered vehicles today there are more than 31 million more traffic and ever-expanding freeways have become the norm in many california cities today commuting to work in los angeles down the 405 freeway i often experience the feeling of being overwhelmed in a sea of cars a trip that years ago took 15 minutes can now take two hours hours i'll never get back besides producing untold driving angst the relentless traffic and congestion in california cost lives and billions of dollars in increased public health expenses according to the harvard center for risk analysis even in non-urban areas traffic can be a problem in california for example the traffic on i-80 from sacramento to lake tahoe in both summer and winter can be horrendous urbanization of california farmland as the population continues to rise california historically one of america's bread baskets continues to lose more and more farmland california's central valley includes the san joaquin valley the sacramento valley and the sacramento san joaquin delta this area produces about 25 percent of the nation's food on about one percent of all u.s farmland at the current rate of farmland loss in the san joaquin valley an estimated 500 000 acres will be lost to development by 2050 increased population has also changed the way we farm and raise animals for food some of these changes have led to environmental problems and health concerns for example large industrial operations and overcrowded feedlots have led to nitrate pollution and more than 100 000 square miles of polluted groundwater in california growth where there shouldn't be increasingly developments are built in areas with steep mountainous terrains opening up the potential for devastation in the event of natural disasters rapid population growth into fire prone areas has led to loss of lives livestock resources and property and is often the cause of the devastation also devastating are the floods erosion and landslides following a fire development in coastal and low-lying areas common in california is also prone to natural disaster for example a magnitude 9.2 earthquake in alaska generated a 20-foot tsunami wave which flooded low-lying areas and river valleys in northern california killing 11 people water shortage california has spent billions of dollars to bring water to what was previously desert increasing human demand has been at the root of water shortages and is the motive behind the need to seek out new resources known for its natural beauty and lauded by naturalist john muir hedgehedge valley in yosemite national park was flooded for a dam to provide water to san francisco and surrounding areas today there is a movement to remove the dam built in the early 1900s and restore the earlier pristine environment how this proposal will play out with ever increasing water demands is unknown drought conditions common in california further exacerbate california's water shortages according to the nasa earth observatory in 2010 lake mead reached its lowest level since 1956 need for energy in california electricity consumption alone is projected to increase by 15 percent by 2024 primarily due to population growth water pollution surfing is synonymous with california but pristine beaches were from an earlier time today surfers have to be cautious according to heal the bay's 23rd annual beach report card 14 california beaches got d or f grades due to high bacteria counts commonly linked to urban runoff which can cause stomach flu ear infections and skin rashes air pollution shipping at the port of los angeles has grown from 633 000 units in 1980 to 7.9 million units in 2013 while many think of smokestacks and their accompanying air pollution as a thing of the past they're still with us but today air pollution assaults our environment and lungs in insidious new ways the ports of los angeles and long beach are the single largest source of air pollution in southern california with asthma rates for children living in poor adjacent communities almost twice as high as the rest of the u.s california has eight of the ten most polluted cities in the country in an earlier california school children didn't have to contend with the chemicals that some students are exposed to today air outside california schools in berkeley beverly hills coachella fresno la quinta long beach san mateo visalia and wilmington registered high levels of benzene chloroform or carbon tetrachloride concentrations high enough to cause serious illness or increase cancer risk with long-term exposure smog hasn't gone away even with advances in clean energy technology because of the rapid level of population growth in the state waste as the population continues to rise so does our waste this california waste site east of l.a took in 130 million tons of garbage in 50 years of california's 29.3 million tons of waste generated in 2012 99 percent went into california landfills with approximately one percent exported to landfills in other states although the state has a goal of 75 recycling the average californian still generates about 4.3 pounds of trash daily and more than half of that trash ends up in landfills despite recycling efforts and good intentions with a large population a significant amount of trash also ends up on beaches and in the pacific ocean these photos post rainfall show what storm drains left on a california beach the tijuana river passes through tijuana mexico and then into california discarded cans clothes garbage bags plastics and tires along with sewage wash into the state what doesn't end up in the pacific ocean comes to rest on imperial beach san diego the uncrowded swimming holes in the los padres national forest were magical fresh clean emerald water full of trout surrounded by spectacular rock formations each year we could escape from the coastal june gloom by heading to our favorite swimming hole recently i've seen these gems now littered with disposable diapers and other trash there's little way around the fact that nearly 40 million people all consumers will generate a lot of waste of all kinds and it is discouraging to learn that according to the london school of economics study if each of us living in a highly developed country reduced our carbon footprint by 40 over 40 years all of that would be cancelled by our present population growth rates alone habitat loss california is the most populous state in the nation and the human population continues to increase increasing population means more demands on resources such as land and water which are needed by native plants and animals too according to the california department of fish and wildlife habitat loss due to human population growth presents the single greatest problem facing native plants and animals in california california has an estimated 6500 plant varieties native to the state many found nowhere else in the world these plants are essential to healthy ecosystems and natural processes providing valuable renewable materials and other benefits loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation are contributing to the decline of many native plant populations some 26 species of california plants may now be extinct in the state and some plants have been so severely reduced that they are at risk of extinction thousands of acres of wild plant life are paved over every year in california i was stationed in san francisco in 1946 with the navy back then people always picked up hitchhikers especially in uniform the hills were covered with wildflowers i didn't know one plant from another at the time which i now regret and i took the scene for granted just like i've taken hundreds of things for granted until i found they can all be taken from me some of california's iconic redwood trees are more than 2 000 years old but today more than 95 percent of the old-growth redwood forests are gone the giant sequoias are the largest trees on earth and among the oldest living things in california found only in the sierra nevada air pollution from the neighboring central valley threatens them today california has 300 endangered or threatened animal and plant species with habitat destruction due to overpopulation a major cause by 1987 the entire surviving population of condors in the wild had plummeted to a mere 22 through tremendous efforts today numbers are higher but the condor remains one of the rarest birds in the world human development continues to impact california's mountain lion habitat freeways cut off the mountain lions range and can prove lethal when the big cats try to cross them residential development further fragments their habitat and pesticides and other chemicals people use can poison them all these factors contribute to the decline of these apex predators the california grizzly also known as golden bear dominates the state flag but is nowhere to be found in the 31st state to join the union it was hunted to extinction by earlier california residents this is one more cautionary tale for us are we going to continue down an unsustainable path of growth and development or can we take the necessary steps to solve the overpopulation problem we face what can we as individuals do to help save some america and some california for tomorrow individuals can make a difference in terms of personal choices we make as parents and consumers and in how we work to affect broader political and economic policies we can be advocates and educators on behalf of california u.s and world population stabilization personal decisions to limit our own demographic impact by limiting our families to a sustainable size or using resources more judiciously will make no difference unless people in large enough numbers think it is important enough to behave similarly take a stand speak out forcefully to news media politicians and environmental groups tell the media that the environment is important to you and that overpopulation especially in california threatens to overwhelm it make politicians and environmental groups accountable tell them that they will get neither your donations nor your votes or membership unless they acknowledge the connections between immigration overpopulation and the natural environment support caps which advocates reducing immigration driven overpopulation and promotes family planning to stabilize population in california and the us at a sustainable level that maintains our natural resources scenic beauty and quality of life california is still one of the best and most beautiful places in the world join caps and help us preserve all that we can for the future the california we are losing views of our golden state from the pristine to the imperiled is an ongoing project visit capsweb.org and share your memories stories and images of california then and now you

Channel: Crowdifornia

Views: 584,597

Rating: 4.5016227 out of 5

Keywords: CAPS, Crowdifornia, Then and Now, overpopulation, California (US State), Environmentalism (Political Ideology)

Id: AsvSIScf1Ww

Length: 19min 40sec (1180 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 25 2014

Reddit Comments

[u/RedditUser91805]

Anti-density people love to complain about the problems induced by sprawl and anti-density legislation and then attribute it to densification.

[u/CaptainObvious]

Anyone who watches this video is dumber for having seen it.

[u/and_it_came_to_sass]

So clearly the solution is to stop building and keep everything low density. It worked for San Francisco, surely it will keep people from moving here to this very desirable region and keep it affordable! /s

[u/AffordableGrousing]

I'm honestly confused by this sentiment, though maybe I shouldn't be. The video talks a lot about the loss of green space, farmland, "livestock resources," etc... so, the solution is stop building up cities? How is it not obvious that when tons of people want to move somewhere, and you don't allow vertical building, they end up sprawled across the countryside? Shouldn't those behind this video want people to move to dense cities instead of encroaching on their beloved greenfields?

Of course, the base sentiment is that California as a whole is "too crowded." So, they want people to just stop moving there? By what mechanism?

[u/Lacoste_Rafael]

Do they not know that other cities are much denser and still great places to live? In fact, they’re probably even better for being dense

[u/Vectoor]

It's almost like a parody of NIMBYism.

"The golden gate park is now completely surrounded by dense urban life" - and this is supposed to be a bad thing?

[u/mytwocents22]

Wow that comment section....apparently all of California's problems are because of illegals and Democrats?

[u/Badlands32]

Lol this is awesome....I love the second lady...this used to be the family ranch...now its home to the Warner Center....

Ohhh so youre saying your family is now rich AF and probably own a huge ranch in Montana...you poooor lady

[u/Funktapus]

Horrible video