Thom Hartmann program Daily Take: Doomsday Trigger for Megadrought?

[marmar]

Doomsday Trigger for Megadrought?

Thursday, 31 July 2014 15:56
By The Daily Take Team, The Thom Hartmann Program | Op-Ed


One of the worst North American droughts in history could be getting a whole lot worse.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map released on Tuesday, more than 58 percent of California is in an "exceptional drought" stage. That's up a staggering 22 percent from last week's report.

And, in its latest drought report released earlier today, the National Drought Mitigation Center warned that "bone-dry" conditions are overtaking much of the Golden State, and noted that, overall, California is "short more than one year's worth of reservoir water, or 11.6 million acre-feet, for this time of year."

All across California, streams are drying up, crops are dying off, and local communities are struggling to maintain access to water, thanks to three years of persistent drought conditions. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/25314-doomsday-trigger-for-megadrought

[jakeXT]

1. 50 year drought the last time...

Historical records from 900 to 1300 A.D. in Europe indicate that this was a time of changes in atmospheric circulation known as the Medieval Warm Period. In high-latitude regions this was largely beneficial: grapes were grown in England and the Norse founded colonies first in Iceland and then in southern Greenland. But in arid regions a warmer climate, especially when accompanied by drought, can cause significant difficulties for farmers. A fifty-year drought occurred between 1130 and 1180 A.D. It was during this period that soil and water conservation features such as grid borders, terraces and check dams began to be built in the Four Corners area.[5]

http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/anasazi.htm

[ladyVet]

2. I feel for the folks in California.

Going to be hard to grow anything without water, not to mention the animals and people that need it.

Meanwhile, here in North Carolina, we tend to have rain three to five days in a row, with one to two dry days on average between. Every once in a while we get a dry spell that lasts a little longer. I joke with people that if I liked rain that much, I'd move to the Pacific Northwest.

[IDemo]

3. "ancient Pueblo people in the southwest were forced to migrate after decades of continuous drought"

This is the scenario I see unfolding, and sooner rather than later. I think the Northwest and Mountain state region in particular should prepare itself.

And no, piping water from the Snake and Columbia are not options, sorry.