No rain for decades: Stand by for the ‘megadroughts’

[cronus]

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 32483.html

No rain for decades: Stand by for the ‘megadroughts’, scientists warn

Climate change is set to unleash a series of decades-long “megadroughts” this century, according to research to be published this week.

Experts warn the droughts could be even more severe than the prolonged water shortage currently afflicting California, where residents have resorted to stealing from fire hydrants amid mass crop failures and regular wildfires.

Megadroughts – which are generally defined as lasting 35 years or more – will become considerably more frequent as global warming increases temperatures and reduces rainfall in regions already susceptible, warns Cornell University’s Dr Toby Ault, the author of the new report.

Megadroughts are also likely to be hotter and last longer than in the past, he claimed. His peer-reviewed research – to be published in the American Meterological Society’s Journal of Climate – is the first to scientifically establish that climate change exacerbates the threat.

“We can now explicitly add megadroughts to the list of risks that are being intensified by climate change. Without climate change there would be a 5 to 15 per cent risk of a megadrought in the south-west of the US this century. With it, the probability jumps to between 20 per cent and 50 per cent, with the southernmost part of the country particularly at risk,” Dr Ault told The Independent.

The threat megadroughts pose is so great they could decimate the world’s economy and food supply, inflicting a humanitarian crisis, experts warned.

“Global warming will make droughts evermore severe and devastating in the future. The south-west of the US, southern Europe, much of Africa, India, Australia and much of Central and South America could all have a drought that lasts decades,” said Jonathan T Overpeck, an environmental scientist at the University of Arizona.

(continued)

[Strontium Dog]

Always love hearing about water shortages on a planet that is mostly water.

[cronus]

Always love hearing about water shortages on a planet that is mostly water.

Shift them mega-iceburgs, even if it takes ten years there'd still be enough fresh water remaining to make moving the big ones a good idea. War, sport and entertainment are too important for intelligent folk to save themselves.

[klr]

Always love hearing about water shortages on a planet that is mostly water.

Getting seawater from point to A to consumers at point B as lovely purified freshwater is a non-trivial problem.

For once, Scrumple isn't completely scaremongering. There will be longer and longer droughts. Just not in this neck of the global woods.

[JimC]

I blame the economic drys...

[cronus]

UK will be the last part of global civilization standing. Explains why everyone out there is piling in.

[mistermack]

It rained last night.

Start the drought clock again.

[pErvinalia]

Always love hearing about water shortages on a planet that is mostly water.

You really are a simpleton, aren't you?

[mistermack]

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 32483.html

No rain for decades: Stand by for the ‘megadroughts’, scientists warn

Climate change is set to unleash a series of decades-long “megadroughts” this century, according to research to be published this week.

Experts warn the droughts could be even more severe than the prolonged water shortage currently afflicting California, where residents have resorted to stealing from fire hydrants amid mass crop failures and regular wildfires.

Megadroughts – which are generally defined as lasting 35 years or more – will become considerably more frequent as global warming increases temperatures and reduces rainfall in regions already susceptible, warns Cornell University’s Dr Toby Ault, the author of the new report.

Megadroughts are also likely to be hotter and last longer than in the past, he claimed. His peer-reviewed research – to be published in the American Meterological Society’s Journal of Climate – is the first to scientifically establish that climate change exacerbates the threat.

“We can now explicitly add megadroughts to the list of risks that are being intensified by climate change. Without climate change there would be a 5 to 15 per cent risk of a megadrought in the south-west of the US this century. With it, the probability jumps to between 20 per cent and 50 per cent, with the southernmost part of the country particularly at risk,” Dr Ault told The Independent.

The threat megadroughts pose is so great they could decimate the world’s economy and food supply, inflicting a humanitarian crisis, experts warned.

“Global warming will make droughts evermore severe and devastating in the future. The south-west of the US, southern Europe, much of Africa, India, Australia and much of Central and South America could all have a drought that lasts decades,” said Jonathan T Overpeck, an environmental scientist at the University of Arizona.

(continued)

He forgot to mention that none of that COULD also happen, and that the climate COULD be much the same this century as the last.
Which included terrible American dustbowls and severe African famines.
Yes that COULD all happen again. Because it already did.

[cronus]

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 32483.html

No rain for decades: Stand by for the ‘megadroughts’, scientists warn

Climate change is set to unleash a series of decades-long “megadroughts” this century, according to research to be published this week.

Experts warn the droughts could be even more severe than the prolonged water shortage currently afflicting California, where residents have resorted to stealing from fire hydrants amid mass crop failures and regular wildfires.

Megadroughts – which are generally defined as lasting 35 years or more – will become considerably more frequent as global warming increases temperatures and reduces rainfall in regions already susceptible, warns Cornell University’s Dr Toby Ault, the author of the new report.

Megadroughts are also likely to be hotter and last longer than in the past, he claimed. His peer-reviewed research – to be published in the American Meterological Society’s Journal of Climate – is the first to scientifically establish that climate change exacerbates the threat.

“We can now explicitly add megadroughts to the list of risks that are being intensified by climate change. Without climate change there would be a 5 to 15 per cent risk of a megadrought in the south-west of the US this century. With it, the probability jumps to between 20 per cent and 50 per cent, with the southernmost part of the country particularly at risk,” Dr Ault told The Independent.

The threat megadroughts pose is so great they could decimate the world’s economy and food supply, inflicting a humanitarian crisis, experts warned.

“Global warming will make droughts evermore severe and devastating in the future. The south-west of the US, southern Europe, much of Africa, India, Australia and much of Central and South America could all have a drought that lasts decades,” said Jonathan T Overpeck, an environmental scientist at the University of Arizona.

(continued)

He forgot to mention that none of that COULD also happen, and that the climate COULD be much the same this century as the last.
Which included terrible American dustbowls and severe African famines.
Yes that COULD all happen again. Because it already did.

A small nuclear winter from a localised regional nuclear conflict might be exactly what the doctor ordered to put things on the right track, in case they aren't that is?

[laklak]

Unless you're standing at Ground Zero, then it's a very hot nuclear summer. For a millisecond, anyway.