drought

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Battered Australia a Preview of Climate Devastation

Country grapples with drought, wildfires, and heat

(Newser) - Pummeled by drought, wildfires, and heat, Australia may be offering the world a preview of what’s to come as the planet warms, experts say. “Australia is the harbinger of change,” says a paleontologist. Many say climate change has already taken a human toll in the 173 killed...

After Record US Drought, Bleak Summer Looms

Texas farmers fear poor crops, Calif. preps for increased wildfires

(Newser) - The first two months of this year have been the driest on record in the US, foreshadowing a summer of poor crops and brutal wildfires. Texas farmers have delayed planting corn and cotton, while cattle ranchers have sold off cows they can no longer feed. “It might take me...

1 in 10 Jobless in California
 1 in 10 Jobless in California 
Feb 28, 2009 10:43 AM CST

1 in 10 Jobless in California

(Newser) - California’s jobless rate soared to 10.1% in January, the highest in more than 26 years, the Los Angeles Times reports. Some 1,863,000 are unemployed in the state after 79,300 lost their jobs last month. On top of the usual culprits such as manufacturing and retail,...

Rains Hit California, but Drought Fears Remain

Weekend brings annual rainfall level closer to normal

(Newser) - California saw steady rain this weekend, but it’s still too early to know if the state’s water woes are over, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The recent rains brought the state’s total rainfall up to 90% of normal levels for the year; 2 weeks ago only 60%...

LA Moves to Ration Water
 LA Moves to Ration Water 
Feb 18, 2009 2:11 AM CST

LA Moves to Ration Water

Statewide water shortage means LA may impose first water limits since 1991

(Newser) - Los Angeles is taking steps toward rationing water for the first time since 1991, reports Reuters. The LA Department of Water and Power has approved a plan to charge a penalty rate for water use over a set monthly limit that will take effect in May unless it is vetoed...

China Battles Worst Drought in 60 Years

Beijing introduces emergency measures as country dries out

(Newser) - The Chinese government has released $44 million in emergency funds to battle a worsening drought that has left parts of the country drier than at any time since 1951. The drought has threatened wheat crops and livestock and portends rising food prices—at a moment when China is already facing...

Calif. Town to Cut H2O to Water Hogs

Customers limited to 150-gallon-a-day ration

(Newser) - A California town is threatening to cut off water to any customer who fails to stick to a mandated 150-gallon-a-day ration, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. "People don't understand how bad this is going to get," said an official from the oceanside town of Bolinas, who fears the...

Calif. Faces Worst Drought Ever
 Calif. Faces Worst Drought Ever 
Jan 30, 2009 3:45 PM CST

Calif. Faces Worst Drought Ever

With snowpack well below normal, state likely to face water rationing, higher food prices

(Newser) - With winter precipitation lagging well below normal, California officials say residents should prepare for the state’s worst drought on record, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada—the state’s main water supply—is at just 61% of normal after an unusually sunny and dry...

Battle Rages Over Culling Mustang Herd

Proposed euthanasia of growing wild horse population sparks debate

(Newser) - In the debate over how to deal with America's wild mustang herds, both sides claim to have the animals' best interests at heart. Federal agency officials tasked with protecting the horses say the most humane—and economical—course is to euthanize some so the rest don't starve. But activists see...

Quest on for Chocolate Genome
 Quest on for Chocolate Genome 
Jun 26, 2008 6:44 AM CDT

Quest on for Chocolate Genome

Mars aims to unlock genetic code to develop hardier cacao trees

(Newser) - Candy giant Mars is investing $10 million in a 5-year research project to unlock the secrets of chocolate's genetic code—the cocoa genome—as the first stage in developing cacao trees that can produce more, survive droughts, and combat disease. Mars intends to make the results public to stop key...

US Weather Hell: You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Global warming will deliver decades of hurricanes, floods and heat waves

(Newser) - The US will suffer a wide range of increasingly extreme weather events in the coming decades as a result of global warming—from drought and excessive heat to wildly destructive hurricanes and record floods triggered by intense rains, reports the Washington Post. The grim prognosis was revealed in the latest...

Poor Crops Threaten to Worsen Food Crisis

Bad weather in US, Australia threatens harvests amid shortages

(Newser) - Amid fears of looming food shortages around the world, this year’s crops aren’t providing much hope, the New York Times reports. While farmers in America have been hit with too much rain, Australian farmers are battling the effects of drought. US farmers planted 4 million more acres this...

'Big Dry' Killing Aussie Farms
 'Big Dry' Killing Aussie Farms 
May 2, 2008 8:33 AM CDT

'Big Dry' Killing Aussie Farms

Wheat exports critically low as farmers flee parched land

(Newser) - The worst drought in a century has forced a tenth of Australian farmers off the land, reports the BBC. The "Big Dry" has led to parched farmland across the nation over the last seven years, accelerating the exodus from rural areas. The number of farming families in Australia has...

Crisis Looms as Rice Prices Soar
 Crisis Looms as Rice Prices Soar
Apr 6, 2008 2:21 PM CDT

Crisis Looms as Rice Prices Soar

Countries ban exports, chastise hoarders

(Newser) - Rice feeds half the world's population, but this year there isn't enough to go around and prices have risen by 50% over the last two weeks alone. Population growth is outpacing production, and stocks are at a 30-year low after droughts decimated harvests in China and Australia. Countries are banning...

Gene Discovery Holds Hope for Drought-Safe Crops

Scientists make botanical breakthrough

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered a gene that controls how plants absorb carbon dioxide and release moisture in a breakthrough discovery that could help develop drought-resistant crops, reports the BBC. The gene that regulates the work of stomata, or pores on plant leaves, has been sought by biologists for decades. The gene...

Old Town Resurfaces as Drought Dries Ga. Lake

Cars, boats, and building scraps found under evaporating Lake Lenier

(Newser) - The brutal drought hitting Georgia is drying up an artificial lake and exposing the long-dead town that lies beneath—along with mountains of trash. "It's horrendous, it's unbelievable," said one local resident. Lake Lanier's receding shores have exposed debris of all shapes and sizes, including an old dirt...

Ga. Governor Prays for Rain
Ga. Governor Prays for Rain
Nov 13, 2007 4:25 PM CST

Ga. Governor Prays for Rain

Perdue seeks divine intervention in drought

(Newser) - Georgia's governor called a prayer meeting in front of the Capitol today and asked residents of his parched state to "reverently and respectfully pray up a storm." About 250 Georgians joined Sonny Perdue in his unconventional bid for drought relief, reports the Journal-Constititution. A block away, protesters held...

Water Runs Out In Tenn. Town
Water Runs Out In Tenn. Town
Nov 2, 2007 7:07 PM CDT

Water Runs Out In Tenn. Town

Drought forces Orme to borrow from nearby town's hydrant

(Newser) - If the Southeast drought’s effects on Orme, Tenn., are a sign of things to come, folks in Atlanta should start scheduling their showers. The rural home to 145 people has run completely dry, and what water gets trucked in can be used only between 6 and 9 pm. This...

West's Water Woes May Be Permanent
West's Water Woes May Be Permanent
Oct 21, 2007 3:22 PM CDT

West's Water Woes May Be Permanent

Diminishing snowcap, shrinking reservoirs could 'wipe out' states

(Newser) - Officials out West are worried about water, the New York Times reports, and not just for the short-term. In what the Times calls the "other water problem" caused by global warming, snowcaps that feed the the Colorado River—which quenches the thirst of 30 million people in seven states—...

Drought-weary Georgia Wants Help From Feds

Reservoirs nearly dry; governor asks Bush to declare disaster area

(Newser) - With water supplies dwindling because of a severe drought, Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency today and asked President Bush to declare the northern part of the state a disaster area, the AP reports. The state wants permission to skirt EPA rules governing reservoir levels to deal with the...

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