Tag Archive for: Climate Change

At Lake Powell, a ‘Front-Row Seat’ to a Drying Colorado River and an Uncertain Future

/in , , /by /Arizona Republicby Brandon Loomis

At his office whiteboard on this dam town’s desert edge, the water utility manager recited the federal government’s latest measures of the colossal reservoir that lay 4 miles down the road, then scrawled an ominous sketch showing how far it has shrunk.

In his stylized drawing of Lake Powell, the surface lapped just above where he marked his town’s drinking water pipe, bringing the Colorado River drought crisis uncomfortably close to home.

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15-Day Watering Ban Begins for Parts of L.A. County

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Summer Lin

A 15-day outdoor watering ban took effect for 4 million Los Angeles County residents on Tuesday as crews make emergency repairs to a pipeline that delivers water to Southern Californians, according to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

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When It Comes to Fighting Climate Change, California Says Consider the Beaver

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Nathan Solis

As California grapples with drought, a record heat wave and persistent wildfires, one state agency is turning to the beaver in its battle against climate change.

The large rodents, according to researchers, are resourceful engineers capable of increasing water storage and creating natural firebreaks with their dams.

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Carlsbad Desal Plant Water Output Cut 20% to Conserve Power Amid Heat Wave

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

Water production at the Carlsbad desalination plan has been temporarily reduced to conserve power while the heat wave stresses California’s electric grid.

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, which can produce up to 50 million gallons per day, typically accounts for about 1% of peak electricity demand in San Diego Gas & Electric’s service area.

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Parched: California’s Climate Crisis

/in , , /by /CBS Stations in San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Parched: California’s Climate Crisis

A special report on California’s changing climate and the ongoing drought by CBS stations across the Golden State: https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/video/parched-californias-climate-crisis/

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Napa County’s Famed Wine Country Prepares for Climate Change

/in , , /by /CBS Bay Areaby Elizabeth Cook

Drought, heat, and wildfires all threaten Wine Country grape harvests, but growers are getting creative to defend their crops.

Climate change is endangering California’s wine industry. Just ask some of the industry’s titans.

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California is Throwing Some Shade at Its Water Crisis

/in , , /by /AXIOSby Alex Fitzpatrick

An innovative plan to conserve water by covering aqueducts with solar panels is about to undergo testing in drought-stricken California.

Why it matters: Water is becoming more precious by the day in the Golden State and the Western U.S. more broadly, in part due to climate change.

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‘Weather Whiplash’ Withers, then Drowns Areas Worldwide

/in , /by /Scientific Americanby Chelsea Harvey

The Dallas area is still reeling from record-breaking downpours that triggered flash floods across northeastern Texas last week. The event swamped houses, submerged vehicles and prompted hundreds of emergency rescues. At least one death has been reported so far.

The sheer volume of rain was stunning, with some locations receiving more than a foot. But the deluge was all the more surprising because Dallas has been choked by severe drought for months.

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Opinion: The Colorado River is in crisis. There are no painless solutions.

/in , , /by /Washington Postby Editorial Board

After 22 straight years of drought, the Colorado River is no stranger to crisis. But even by its standards, the outlook this summer is bleak. The nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are nearly three-quarters empty. Satellite images show the river’s topography has changed dramatically since 2017, and scenes on the ground are no less shocking: stranded houseboats, dead plants and cracked lake beds.

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Dangerous Heat Predicted to Hit 3 Times More Often in Future

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Seth Borenstein

What’s considered officially “dangerous heat” in coming decades will probably hit much of the world at least three times more often as climate change worsens, according to a new study.

In much of Earth’s wealthy mid-latitudes, spiking temperatures and humidity that feel like 103 degrees or higher — now an occasional summer shock — statistically should happen 20 to 50 times a year by mid-century, said a study Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.

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