Wednesday, July 11, 2007

It's a Scorcher? Get Used to It


People around the world are feeling the heat. In the eastern Meditteranean, Australia, both southeast and southwest USA, it's the same story - high heat and drought. Can't wait for the weather to get back to normal? That's too bad because what's happening now may well be the new "normal."

In the US, the Natural Resources Defense Council warns that the droughts besetting the southern states are a taste of what is to come and people and government of the affected areas need to do things a bit differently from now on:

“Global warming will make it harder for farms and cities to find water,” said Barry Nelson, study co-author and co-director of NRDC’s western water project. “The latest global warming science is clear: drought-like conditions are likely to increase. This means that conservation and water use efficiency will become our most important sources of new water supply.”

Nelson said global warming can reduce water supply in several ways. In some regions, altered weather patterns may simply cause less precipitation, but the total amount is only half the story. It also matters whether precipitation falls as rain or snow. In most of the West, mountain snowpack is a natural reservoir that gradually supplies water when it’s needed during spring and summer. Warmer temperatures may cause winter precipitation to fall as rain, instead of snow, reducing this water supply. Finally, hotter summer temperatures will cause more water to evaporate out of watersheds, rivers and reservoirs.

“Whether you’re turning on the tap in Los Angeles, irrigating a crop in Colorado, fishing for salmon on the Columbia River or rafting down the Grand Canyon, there will likely be less water,” said Nelson. “Global warming will affect water supply for everyone in the West.”

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

In South America they are very cold and have had snow , the first time in 90 years..there are 4 countries, I think and the temperature was as low as -22C

The Mound of Sound said...

The South American cold snap, while it certainly falls into the category of bizarre weather events, doesn't seem to be related to climate change. From what I've read, it's more of a once in a century phenomenon.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry everyone once "global warming" kicks in full swing the ice caps will melt, and there will be plenty of water for everyone and even a little to much for some. I crack myself up sometimes