First, forced birth. Now, Goodbye California.
NOTE: Server update this morning is playing hell with posting on time.
California grows 13 percent of U.S. food, right? Nah, says SCOTUS.
Civilization-killing drought?
Unprecedented dryness across the western United States is meeting with increasingly warm temperatures to create climate conditions so extreme that the landscape of California could permanently and profoundly change, a growing number of scientists say.
The Golden State’s great drying has already begun to reduce snowpack, worsen wildfires and dry out soils, and researchers say that trend will likely continue, along with the widespread loss of trees and other significant shifts.
Some say what’s in store for the state could be akin to the conditions that drove people thousands of years ago to abandon thriving cities in the Southwest and other arid parts of the world as severe drought contributed to crop failures and the crumbling of social norms.
But unlike in those ancient civilizations, California’s current transformation is being accelerated by carbon emissions and human-caused climate change, which is creating not only longer and more severe droughts, but also hotter ones. It’s a process known as aridification, and many say it’s here to stay.
Also, Italy’s Po River supplies water to 40% of Italy’s crops. It’s drying up:
The drought — the worst since 1952 — is having unprecedented effects: drinking water is being rationed in 125 municipalities across the region and crop irrigation threatened in the most densely populated and intensively farmed area of the country. Lake Maggiore is close to its lowest level since 1946.
The Po River, Italy’s longest, stretches from the Alps in the northwest to the Adriatic Sea in the east. It’s not only the lack of rainfall that is a problem. ESA says high temperatures and a lack of snow in the mountains that feed the river are also worsening the situation.
The Po Valley is a key agricultural area in Italy, producing around 40% of the country’s food, including wheat, rice and tomatoes.
Farmers are struggling to keep crops irrigated, according to the ESA, and many towns in the valley have been asked to ration water.
Metastatic capitalism is killing the planet. Whatevs, says SCOTUS.
UPDATE: Just dropping this here.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Request a copy of For The Win, 4th Edition, my free, countywide get-out-the-vote planning guide for county committees at ForTheWin.us.
If in a position to Play to win in 2022 (see post first), contact tpostsully at gmail dot com