Environment & Energy
Related: About this forum'Megadrought' threatens U.S. Southwest, Plains in decades to come, says study
The U.S. Southwest and Central Plains regions are likely to be scorched by a decades-long "megadrought" in the second half of this century if climate change continues unabated, scientists from NASA and Cornell and Columbia universities have warned.
In a study published by the journal Science Advances this week, the researchers forecast that future drought risk in the area is likely to exceed even the driest conditions experienced during extensive Medieval-era periods that have been dubbed "megadroughts."
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There is an 80 per cent chance of an extended drought between 2050 and 2099 unless aggressive steps are taken to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the article predicted.
"Ultimately, the consistency of our results suggests an exceptionally high risk of a multidecadal megadrought ... (and) a level of aridity exceeding even the persistent megadroughts that characterized the Medieval era," the scientists wrote.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/megadrought-threatens-u-s-southwest-plains-in-decades-to-come-says-study-1.2957793
GreatGazoo
(3,937 posts)farming will always migrate to the lowest cost -- so areas that have available water will pick up production from those that don't. De-sal is too pricey so the mega-farms will migrate to the areas that are never mentioned in these gloom and doom articles.
OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)DreamGypsy
(2,252 posts)... a classic from Pete Seeger, and a warning to those looking for bargain properties in the drought areas.
nationalize the fed
(2,169 posts)Estimates vary widely between 15,000-20,000 desalination plants producing more than 20,000 m3/day of clean pure drinkable water.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination#Existing_facilities_and_facilities_under_construction
There doesn't need to be a drought. But since the US is spending >$10 MILLION DOLLARS PER HOUR ON WARS AND "HOMELAND SECURITY" there is no money for anything else.
Very very sad.
NickB79
(19,258 posts)Or North Texas.
Or New Mexico.
Or Kansas.
Or Arizona.
Or Nevada.
Desalination plants are for municipal water needs. Anyone who thinks we could build enough desal. capacity to irrigate farmland enough to offset a megadrought has no clue how much water a normal farm requires.
Bigmack
(8,020 posts)NickB79
(19,258 posts)It's pretty stunning, actually: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/food-water-footprint_n_5952862.html
If we TRULY wanted to prepare for a coming megadrought, the PROPER course of action isn't to try to keep farming the Southwest and South-central Plains. It would be to return those lands to native grasses that have adaptations to dealing with such droughts, and MAYBE use the land for light grazing.
Industrial agriculture on the Great Plains has been one huge mistake since we took plows to the prairie a century ago.