this. even more than the as yet unknowable local impacts due to different weather patterns, the regional climatological effects of shifts in rainfall are _very_ worry-some. looking at those maps, and factoring in such things as the likely exhaustion of the ogalla aquifer, leads me to agree with those that argue that not only is the "grain-basket" of noram going to move substantially north, but also that the depopulation of the us portion of the great plains is going to progress even more dramatically than it already has. it wasn't referred to as the "great american desert" for nothing.
the effects upon the south-east sun-belt cities also bears contemplation
There's a couple of reports out by NOAA scientists re:response of the Great Lakes to climate change. I talk about it and everyone around here thinks I'm crazy. They think the idea of the lakes changing that dramatically is ridiculous. This year, we've a cool summer via the La Niña, and everyone is so pleased that we don't need to worry about that global warming stuff anymore...
The estimate is that the lakes will fall hundreds of feet, but that's crazy talk, eh?
The precipitation change is a, no, the big deal.
ReplyDeletethis. even more than the as yet unknowable local impacts due to different weather patterns, the regional climatological effects of shifts in rainfall are _very_ worry-some. looking at those maps, and factoring in such things as the likely exhaustion of the ogalla aquifer, leads me to agree with those that argue that not only is the "grain-basket" of noram going to move substantially north, but also that the depopulation of the us portion of the great plains is going to progress even more dramatically than it already has. it wasn't referred to as the "great american desert" for nothing.
the effects upon the south-east sun-belt cities also bears contemplation
nice maps.
Here via James Nicoll.
ReplyDeleteThere's a couple of reports out by NOAA scientists re:response of the Great Lakes to climate change. I talk about it and everyone around here thinks I'm crazy. They think the idea of the lakes changing that dramatically is ridiculous. This year, we've a cool summer via the La Niña, and everyone is so pleased that we don't need to worry about that global warming stuff anymore...
The estimate is that the lakes will fall hundreds of feet, but that's crazy talk, eh?