Scientists predict Southwest mega-drought

MSNBC by Associated Press | Apr. 5, 2007 (Special Report)

Climate models indicate region will be as dry as Dust Bowl for decades

Changing climate will mean increasing drought in the American Southwest — a region where water already is in tight supply — according to a new study.

“The bottom line message for the average person and also for the states and federal government is that they’d better start planning for a Southwest region in which the water resources are increasingly stretched,” said Richard Seager of Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Earth ... Full Story »

Posted by Marsha Iverson

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4.2

by Marsha Iverson - Nov. 29, 2008

Excellent brief summary of research on climate change in the desert southwest, published in the journal Science. This story predicting nearly a century of drought has vital meaning for us all. At stake are the population and agriculture of the entire desert southwest, and those who depend on this resource.

The bleak future predicted for the southwest is not unfamiliar to the territory. Ancient civilizations of surprising sophistication flourished between AD 850 and 1250, and then disbursed when the land could no longer sustain large populations. Today, agricultural products grown in Arizona and California with Colorado River water provide food far beyond the region's boundaries. As we pave prime agricultural land and turn fields into business parks around the nation, we should remember ... More »

Currently, the majority of water in the Southwest is used in agriculture, but the urban population of the region is growing and so the water needs of people are growing as ... More »

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Visible Earth: Colorado River Delta

Salt Lake Tribune | Nov. 29, 2008 (News Report)

() The commission that created the 1922 Colorado River Compact knew that Mexico, the Navajo and other tribes had rights to the river, but when it divvied up the presumed 15 ...

Posted by Glenn LaBauve

3.7

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Australia Faces Collapse as Climate Change Kicks in: Are the Southwest and California Next?

AlterNet, Climate Progress by Joseph Romm | Feb. 2, 2009 (Special Report)

() Australia has been suffering its worst heatwave on record, the first time temperatures exceeded 110 F for 3 days running. It’s been so hot that on Thursday, the low at ...

Posted by Marsha Iverson

4.3

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