Portside

In the midst of a historic drought, Californians have no way of knowing who is guzzling the most water. That’s not an accident. It’s by design, thanks to an obscure 1997 measure that weakened one of the state’s chief open government laws, the California Public Records Act. For the source of this legislation, look no further than Silicon Valley, where the city of Palo Alto decided it needed to do more to protect the privacy of the tech elite.

With drought causing havoc worldwide, water-based technology offers hope. Oliver Balch looks at prize-winning innovations.

"The chaos created by extreme weather has been compounded by the chaos of deregulated energy markets and profit-driven corporations who care little about workers and the interests of the public." - D. Michael Langford, president of the Utility Workers Union of America

Driest conditions in 100 years could hit the nation’s food basket hard, affecting half of US fruits and vegetables.