Increasing evaporative demand is escalating summertime drought severity in California and the West, according to climate researchers. Evaporative demand is essentially the atmosphere’s “thirst.” It is calculated based on temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. It’s the sum of evaporation and transpiration from plants, and it’s driven by warmer global temperatures, which can be […]
Importing muddy water from the Mississippi River to save Arizona from drought could be as simple as landing a man on the moon. As droughts force local communities to find alternative solutions to water shortages, Arizonans could turn to importing flood water in the future.
An unlikely energy sector is emerging as a winner from the West’s megadrought: fossil fuels, whose heavy use has been blamed for creating the conditions causing the drought in the first place. The drought has slashed the electricity-generating capacity of major hydroelectric dams, forcing buyers to spend millions of dollars to buy extra power from […]
Nestled below rocky outcroppings dotted with junipers on the eastern shore of old Tule Lake, John Prosser’s 97-acre homestead at Bloody Point is a haven amidst the chaos of the Klamath Basin water crisis. Prosser, a history buff, purchased the property last fall, its fields having sat largely fallow for years despite the presence of […]
As California trudges into another autumn marred by toxic wildfire smoke and drought-parched reservoirs, state lawmakers have cast climate change as a growing public health threat for the state’s 40 million residents. But they were willing to push the argument only so far.
Colorado saw its worst fire season last year, with the three largest fires in state history and more than 600,000 acres burned. But some of the effects didn’t appear until this July, when heavy rain pushed sediment from damaged forests down mountainsides, causing mudslides that shut down sections of Interstate 70 for almost two weeks.
A ‘Thirsty’ Atmosphere is Propelling Northern California’s Drought Into the Record Books
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Los Angeles Timesby Paul DuginskiIncreasing evaporative demand is escalating summertime drought severity in California and the West, according to climate researchers. Evaporative demand is essentially the atmosphere’s “thirst.” It is calculated based on temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. It’s the sum of evaporation and transpiration from plants, and it’s driven by warmer global temperatures, which can be […]
Importing Water for Drought Fix Huge Project
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Arizona Capitol Timesby Obren ManjencichImporting muddy water from the Mississippi River to save Arizona from drought could be as simple as landing a man on the moon. As droughts force local communities to find alternative solutions to water shortages, Arizonans could turn to importing flood water in the future.
Drought Forces West to Turn to Fossil Fuels That Helped Cause It
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Bloomberg Lawby Tripp BaltzAn unlikely energy sector is emerging as a winner from the West’s megadrought: fossil fuels, whose heavy use has been blamed for creating the conditions causing the drought in the first place. The drought has slashed the electricity-generating capacity of major hydroelectric dams, forcing buyers to spend millions of dollars to buy extra power from […]
Banking on Water That Never Came
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Herald and Newsby Alex Schwartz HeraldNestled below rocky outcroppings dotted with junipers on the eastern shore of old Tule Lake, John Prosser’s 97-acre homestead at Bloody Point is a haven amidst the chaos of the Klamath Basin water crisis. Prosser, a history buff, purchased the property last fall, its fields having sat largely fallow for years despite the presence of […]
California Moves on Climate Change, but Rejects Aggressive Cuts to Greenhouse Emissions
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /San Francisco Chronicleby Samantha YoungAs California trudges into another autumn marred by toxic wildfire smoke and drought-parched reservoirs, state lawmakers have cast climate change as a growing public health threat for the state’s 40 million residents. But they were willing to push the argument only so far.
‘Burn Scars’ of Wildfires Threaten Drinking Water in Much of California and the West
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Times'/Kaiser Health Newsby Sara ReardonColorado saw its worst fire season last year, with the three largest fires in state history and more than 600,000 acres burned. But some of the effects didn’t appear until this July, when heavy rain pushed sediment from damaged forests down mountainsides, causing mudslides that shut down sections of Interstate 70 for almost two weeks.