Drought-Shamed Celebs Turn To 'Eco-Boasting'

Celebrities in California are fighting back against a campaign of so-called "drought shaming" over their lush mansion laws.

With the Golden State now experiencing its fourth year of extreme drought, activists have taken to posting online images of well-watered gardens around the homes of the rich and famous.

But stars like Cher and Kelly Osbourne are now using social media to highlight what they are doing to help conserve water.

Lady Gaga has also encouraged fans to be water wise.

The fightback has been described as "eco-boasting".

Osbourne, the daughter of rocker Ozzy and television host Sharon, posted a picture of the bath water which she says she now recycles.

In a series of tweets, Cher raged about other wasters of water and posted pictures of water-saving palm trees in her Malibu garden.

The mayor of Malibu, a glittering celebrity enclave which clings to the Pacific coast north of Los Angeles, says drought shaming is a necessary wake-up call for the wealthy.

John Sibert told Sky News: "We have people who probably never see their water bills because they're quite wealthy and they have accountants who handle all of that.

"So trying to get their attention is important. I'm not sure if drought shaming will work. I'm not sure it is the best thing to do, but we're doing that to try to get the message out."

Water restrictions are now in place across California with residents increasingly tearing up grass and installing drought-tolerant plants and fake lawns.

Although some watering is allowed, vigilantes have taken to filming outdoor water use and posting videos online.

But aerials pictures of the homes of stars like Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Barbra Streisand have attracted most interest.

Streisand has since highlighted her attempts to save water.

Debbie Levin, the president of the Environmental Media Association, admits it is embarrassing when a celebrity is highlighted for using too much water.

But she says stars have a great opportunity to act as role models.

She said: "For celebrities this is one of their favourite causes and I think that is a positive thing we can use.

"When you see celebrities speak out about their conservation efforts, I think that is something that is going to be very useful in the future."

Local authorities across California have encouraged people who see water being wasted to contact them, rather than post shaming messages on social media, so they encourage more responsible action.