Study: US Faces Mega-Droughts in the Coming Century

"New research published in the journal Science Advances finds that the American Southwest and Great Plains in the 21st century risk the worst drought conditions in more than 1,000 years. By 2050, the U.S. could surpass the “mega-drought” conditions of the 12th and 13th centuries, with severe droughts lasting multiple decades."

What do you think, OT? Another article stated that this was based on current carbon emission trends continuing on their current acceleration path, which I'm not sure will be the case anyway. Slacking trends would reportedly avoid their worst case scenario of an 80% chance of a multi-decade drought, but would still cause droughts with no equivalent in contemporary meteorological history. Of course, there are those who don't think that carbon emissions cause global warming anyway, in which point the case would be moot.

Working for an agribusiness, this could have enormous impacts on our business (as well as the US at large). FWIW, we are actively working on securing agricultural sourcing from other regions in the eventuality that much of our current sources diminish so there is definitely some traction in the industry of needing to adapt to a changing landscape, although I don't think this is quite what they've gad in mind to this point.

Link

Meanwhile outside my house, the 5th blizzard in 3 weeks is making massive snow piles bigger.

We have lots of water to share if anyone's interested.

We take the snow, shovel it into a high velocity snowball railgun machine, shoot it into the American Southwest where another machine catches the snowballs and pumps out water.

everyone's turn comes up sooner or later.

the balance between usable land and arid wasteland is a constantly shifting process that has destroyed civilization after civilization.

It's Obama's fault.

Climate favorable to agriculture shifts, meaning they don't always stay at the same place. That means the other regions in the US have to take up the slack.

Should be fun.

Oh dear that looks bleak indeed.

@Storm_Marine said:

@speedfreak48t5p said:

Meanwhile outside my house, the 5th blizzard in 3 weeks is making massive snow piles bigger.

We have lots of water to share if anyone's interested.

We take the snow, shovel it into a high velocity snowball railgun machine, shoot it into the American Southwest where another machine catches the snowballs and pumps out water.

Patent submitted :-P

It's literally 5°F where I am right now, I could fucking care less about a drought.

Lets hope GMOs can compensate. Any advance that allows a crop to grow with less water is something the world desperately needs.

GMOs help, for certain. Gene evolution/manipulation is a powerful force.

I'm not sure we'll be able to use them alone to compensate for something of this magnitude, but they are likely to be a part of the necessary adaptation.

yet dumb people continue to deny global warming.

Well we've got the scientific illiterate on the right denying climate change, then we've got their left equivalents fighting against GMO food. Would like to get rid of both.

common theme here. if the masses are ignorant, both side benefit

So you'll care less when you're cold and thirsty?

We need to put less C02 out in the atmosphere, and it's looking like we also need our own version of a "great green wall".

Holy cow, I do not understand the anti-GMO movement. At least the climate change deniers can articulate their arguments based on the misinformation they're using. The anti-GMO argument seems to boil down to "I don't understand it, so I'm afraid."

I thought the anti-GMO movement was that some of the foods that are modified have created tumors in animals yet still in the market? I for one know that some GMO's aren't necessarily bad but they definitely should be labeled. Climate change deniers are literally stupid as all hell. They have no arguments and being misinformed is equally as bad as being ignorant.

I've heard all manner of arguments against them, but none of them really make much sense and, probably for that reason, seem to not "stick" and are short lived.

I think you're talking about the argument that their genes can splice with the DNA of those who eat them, but from what I've read the chances of that, while technically possible, are A) astronomical and B) the same chance as with non-GMO foods.

You may also be referring to the concern that some spliced genes may prove to produce toxins that we then ingest. Even if a gene did cause this, I see this more as an argument against a specific gene rather than against GMOs in general.

well...we have record flooding right now where I live, sooo.......yeah~

Not saying that that flood is linked to climate change, but the existence of a flood is not exactly a rebuttal to the study. According to the models, "wet areas will get wetter, and dry areas will get dryer."

Other regions taking up the slack is already ongoing. It already happened in Upstate New York last summer where previously dormant fields were constantly being harvested for forage grass/alfalfa and trucked out west because of the drought.

Well, the right straight up rejects ALL science when it comes to climate change. With the left I see people distrust it more or less because of general ignorance. We're just now seeing meta-statistical studies coming out showing ZERO benefit to non GMO foods. Both sides won't ever be satisfied no matter how much research is done.

The anti GMO crowd has been fed a ton of propaganda at the hands of marketing firms that know people will flock to products claiming to be healthier alternatives despite them being completely false. Its in the same breadth as the organic/herbal/supplement/alternative medicine vein. All pure, stinky, bullshit.

All I know is that those giant bloated strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries from California or wherever (not sure if they're GMO or not) taste disgusting.

Wild fresh berries ftw.

Saw this coming, after the United Nations global climate change study was released. Both are absolutely damning reports of the next 100 years. Really not looking forward to the migration of Americans north to Canada. Who we have here now is fucking this country up enough, we don't need anymore people showing up and doing as they please.

Don't worry. The changes in climate will not be limited by country borders. I'm sure Canada too will have agri problems of its own.

I won't live that long, so meh.