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by dohboi » Sat 14 Apr 2012, 18:29:29
Western U.S. prepares for dangerous fire season – ‘Millions of acres could burn’
by dohboi » Mon 16 Apr 2012, 17:24:55
armers are facing financial ruin because of the lack of water, with many forced to change their planned crops for others that require less water. "People are having to stop growing crops that use a lot of water, like potatoes or salad crops. If farmers are in contracts and can't supply the produce they can be hit with financial penalties and there are farmers facing that throughout the country."
Although the public are aware of the drought, they are disconnected from the stark situation facing many farmers who rely heavily on water for their livelihoods, he said. "It's been in the news enough for people to be aware of a hose-pipe ban, but I doubt very much people realise what this means for farmers," he said. "Not being able to wash your car or your patio is a an inconvenience, but when people are paying an extra 50p for their lettuce, or potatoes drop in quality and become more expensive, then it will hit home," he said.
The drought may put farmers – many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet – out of business. Small farmers, those unable to invest in water "harvesting" or changing their crops, are likely to give over the running of their land to bigger farms, he believes. "Farming has been getting more difficult for years," he said. "This will be the straw that broke the camel's back."
by M_B_S » Tue 17 Apr 2012, 02:05:14
by M_B_S » Thu 19 Apr 2012, 01:46:36
by dohboi » Thu 19 Apr 2012, 18:05:46
by M_B_S » Tue 24 Apr 2012, 01:15:24
by AgentR11 » Tue 24 Apr 2012, 09:32:44
mbs wrote:Mum: Darling the milk in our super market is soooo expensiv, you have to drive less with our SUV or our son have no milk for corn flakes!
Dad: Darling we do not need milk, the corn is gone too so i can go on and drive my sweet SUV.
by PeakOiler » Thu 03 May 2012, 18:48:11
by PeakOiler » Thu 03 May 2012, 18:53:58
by dohboi » Mon 07 May 2012, 13:40:42
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presided over a meeting yesterday on water policies to speedily distribute water and launch the rainmaking operations and declared the Mae Wong Dam in Nakhon Sawan was necessary.
Kitti Thupsri, technical specialist at the Phitsanulok rainmaking operation centre, said yesterday that since March the centre - covering seven lower northern provinces - had dispatched 137 rainmaking flights using 150 tonnes of chemicals which induced 32 days of rain and helped many farmers.
by dohboi » Fri 11 May 2012, 21:08:43
by PeakOiler » Sun 13 May 2012, 15:21:26
Drought is not over despite recent rains
May brought the rain back to Central Texas, and not a minute too soon. Lake Travis is expected to rise a couple of feet, but don’t think that we’re out of the drought just yet. There’s still a lot of catching up to do.
Rain showers in the early part of 2012 helped make Central Texas green again, but the drought that depleted the Highland Lakes last year is far from over. With the weather heating up again, LCRA encourages Central Texans to continue to use water as wisely as possible.
The recent storm's winds knocked about a hundred immature peaches off the trees, but hundreds still remain. Nature takes her share. The remaining peaches should get larger in their last 3-4 weeks of maturity after Nature's thinning.by M_B_S » Mon 14 May 2012, 03:45:19
by dohboi » Tue 15 May 2012, 20:18:52
Last year at this time, all eyes were on Texas, where drought conditions were intensifying into what became that state’s worst single year drought on record, causing nearly $8 billion in economic losses. Recently, though, Texas has gone from famine to feast in the precipitation department, and drought concerns for the upcoming summer are focused farther to the west, as drought tightens its grip across a broad swath of the interior West and Southwest...
In addition to the West, drought conditions are also prevalent in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of the Northeast as well, along with a small pocket in the Upper Midwest. In all, 56 percent of the Lower 48 states were experiencing drought conditions as of May 8, almost twice the area compared to last year at this time, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Fortunately, much of the West had such bountiful winter precipitation last year that the risk of water supply disruptions are rather low in most areas, but that could change if the current weather pattern lasts much longer. Water officials in Colorado, for example, have begun urging residents to start conserving water in case the dry spell continues...
by dohboi » Wed 16 May 2012, 15:43:33
Even with the wettest April on record, some areas of England are still facing “exceptional” drought conditions. After two years of dry winters — including the fifth-driest March — the ground hasn’t been able to soak up the heavy rainfall that hit in April.
The situation in the country illustrates the cruel reality of “rollercoaster” extreme weather — a problem that will only be exacerbated by accumulating heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Recent research also finds that the loss of Arctic ice favors extreme, prolonged weather events “such as drought, flooding, cold spells and heat waves.”
by dohboi » Fri 18 May 2012, 08:28:12
he viability of water supplies throughout key regions of China, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the US are under threat from unsustainable domestic, agricultural, and industrial demands, according to a new study that maps water use down to 10km² worldwide.
The growth economies of China and India, and the world’s largest economy USA are identified by risk analysis company Maplecroft, in its newly released Water Stress Index, as having vast geographical regions and sector areas where unsustainable water use is outstripping supply. Maplecroft states that the situation so serious, it has the potential to limit economic growth by constraining business activities, as well as hampering agricultural outputs. Resulting reductions in crop harvests in these countries will also negatively impact local food supplies and global food prices, while the socio-economic impacts of water shortages, especially in India and China, have the potential to create unrest and affect stability, as populations and business compete for dwindling supplies.
by dohboi » Fri 18 May 2012, 20:02:07
Drought could result in a loss of 20 million to 30 million tonnes of sugar-cane output next year if the rainy season is not well underway by July and August, warned the Thailand Society of Sugar Cane Technologists.
If that happens, the global price of sugar could increase next year, as Thailand is one of the world's three largest suppliers of the commodity.
by dohboi » Sun 20 May 2012, 00:44:48
by dohboi » Tue 22 May 2012, 14:14:06
As the press release puts it:
"These models showed that the normal state for much of the continental United States and Mexico in the mid- to late-21st century would be conditions considered severe to extreme drought by today’s standards."
Holy shit.
by dohboi » Sat 26 May 2012, 09:06:05
“flash drought” conditions quickly worsened across the remainder of the Midwest, portions of the central and southeastern Plains, and the Mid-South. The term “flash drought” describes a period of short-term dryness, often accompanied by above-normal temperatures, which has an adverse impact on crops and pastures.
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