California drought grips tourist magnet Yosemite | ||
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Los Angeles (AFP) - It is one of America's most popular natural wonders. But even Yosemite National Park cannot escape the drought ravaging California, now in its fourth year and fueling growing concern. At first glance, the spectacular beauty of the park with its soaring cliffs and picture-postcard valley floor remains unblemished, still enchanting the millions of tourists who flock the landmark every year. But on closer inspection, the drought's effects are clearly visible. The towering 8,840-foot (2,695-meter) Half Dome rock monolith, photographed by millions every year, is normally reflected in the surface of Mirror Lake below. But the water is now well below its normal level, exposing sandbanks on which tourists lounge around sunbathing, while children splash about in large puddles. Yosemite Falls, the easiest to access of the various waterfalls at the park, is more of a dribble than a gush -- reflecting the minimal winter snowfall that has left a seriously diminished snowpack on the nearby Sierra Nevada. "There has been less snowmelt," park spokesman Scott Gediman told AFP. The Merced River, one of California's biggest water courses running through the park, is currently barely three feet deep, compared to easily seven feet this time of year. "This is the true indicator for me," said Gediman, pointing at a gauge that shows the depth. "Seeing that the water level... is just over three feet and here we are it's not even summer yet, and we're looking at warmer temperatures, a record-low snowpack, just tells me how much of a drought we are really in."
- Exceptional situation -
Facing the growing threat of climate change, negotiators are gathered in Bonn, Germany this week trying to reach a global pre-agreement before this fall's Paris conference on global warming. In California, the situation is particularly critical. The western US state's governor, Jerry Brown, announced sweeping statewide water restrictions for the first time in history in April to cut water consumption by 25 percent. Yosemite is not subject to the cuts because it is managed by the federal government. But the park is nonetheless appealing to visitors not to waste any of the precious resource. The drought has not dented Yosemite's popularity: since it started in 2011, the park has registered an average of four million visitors. "You're just mindful of your water use like when you are doing dishes and everything," said Teri Smail, a camper from Northern California in the park having breakfast with her family. "Everybody is very conservative. If we have leftover water bottles, we are not throwing them away, we are using them for coffee in the morning. These are just little things that you can do to conserve. You just have to be very conscious." Water-dependent tourist activities are also affected. "Rafting usually opens Memorial day weekend, which is the last weekend of May, and we usually go until early August, sometimes September, depending on the weather," said Robert Crane of rafting rental company Delaware North. "This year, we started a little bit early and we will be closing early as well." He added: "When the water gets down to about 1.5 feet, that's when there is just not enough flow... and the rocks are starting to protrude out, you have to get out and pull the raft a couple of times."
- Fire alert -
The lack of rain and high temperatures in the last few years have left the park vulnerable to wildfires. In 2013, the Rim Fire became California's third-biggest blaze ever, burning more than 400 square miles (1,040 square km) of land despite the efforts of 5,000 firefighters with 20 helicopters. Last year, another fire ravaged nearly six square miles, threatening some of the giant Sequoia trees for which the park is also known. With little moisture, trees are vulnerable, particularly to beetles that feast on their roots and can kill them eventually. But despite the drought, the park remains one of the most spectacular destinations in America. "People come to Yosemite from all over the world," said Gediman. "Even in the fall, the driest time of the year, with the huge granite formations and the beautiful meadows, it's beautiful year-round."
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The government just sold a £750 million chunk of Royal Mail — here's why | ||
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The government sold half its shareholding in Royal Mail overnight and says it plans to sell off the rest soon. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills overnight found buyers for around 150 million shares, equivalent to 15% of Royal Mail. The sale will raise £750 million ($1.16 billion) for the Treasury. The sell-off is all to do with Chancellor George Osborne's ambitions to balance the government's books. During the election campaign the Tory party promised to run at a surplus — i.e. not spending as much as they collect in taxes — by 2017-18, a target many people see as unrealistic. Osborne has had a spending deficit since he took office in 2010. The government is now in the midst of a massive public sector sell-off as Osborne looks for extra cash to meet this promise. The government is already speeding up the sale of its stakes in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds, and has plans to raise a total of £23 billion ($35.6 billion) through sell-offs. Royal Mail shares were sold at 500p ($7.74) each, a discount to yesterday's closing price of 516.5p ($8) but well above the 330p ($5.11) level shares were offered at in Royal Mail's stock market listing two years ago. The price of the float was criticised at the time as undervaluing Royal Mail, which operates a universal postal system across the UK. Business Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement: "This sale has raised £750 million and represents good value for taxpayers. That money can be used to reduce public debt, which is how we will deliver lasting economic security for working people." The government said it plans to sell off a further 14% stake in Royal Mail and will gift its final 1% of shares to Royal Mail employees. 10% 0f shares were given to employees when the postal operator was floated in 2013. Javid said: "Royal Mail has demonstrated that it can thrive in the private sector. It now has the ability to access the funds it needs to ensure that it has a sustainable future and can adapt to the changes in the postal market." Despite the Business Secretary's claim Royal Mail is thriving, the company is having a tough time, repeatedly warning of competition from rivals like Amazon and Yodel. Royal Mail enjoyed a boost recently when rival delivery business Whistl abandoned plans for door-to-door letter posting. In light of this, JPMorgan today upgraded its rating of Royal Mail to 'overweight'. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: This 1998 supercar could auction for $15 million  | ||
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