drought, round 3

California is expected to have its third consecutive year of drought in 2009. And when it happens, authorities will be forced to impose water rationing on farmers, homes, and businesses.

A portion of water that California uses is stored in the Sierra Nevada snowpack. Current indications are that it is at higher levels than this time last year, but well below the normal average. The deficit could be made up during the “rainy” season from January-March. However, this week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that La Nina has returned for a second year.

This year, under La Nina conditions, the reason season ended in February. In normal weather patterns, the rain ends in April. The loss of two months of rain, depletes our reserves. In 2008, runoff from the Sierras was down 57% from normal flows.

The demand for water is perpetually high in this fast-growing state, which is expected to add half a million people annually for the next decade. Its $30-billion-a-year agricultural industry produces more than half of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Among those clamoring for supplies of fresh water are wildlife biologists. Endangered species like the delta smelt have been disappearing from rivers whose flows are well below average. A year ago, a federal judge ordered water authorities to curtail the use of large pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta water system to help preserve the smelt.

You can help the situation by conserving your usage; shorter showers, watering landscape during non-peak hours, and washing full loads of laundry are some suggestions.

Water is a resource that we take for granted. We assume that when we turn on the faucet, and we have paid our bills, that water will be there. In the coming months, that may not be the case. Which is why it is so important to conserve now, and more importantly, make sure others start conserving. This is one case when your actions will directly affect what will happen in your household and your neighbor’s households, Just something to think about.

Interestingly, the article came from the New York Times, HERE.

warming warning

Some scientists across the pond think next year is going to be warm. And, what is meant by that is that they think it will be the warmest year on record.

The average global temperature for 2009 is expected to be more than 0.4 degrees celsius above the long-term average, despite the continued cooling of huge areas of the Pacific Ocean, a phenomenon known as La Nina.

Currently the warmest year on record is 1998, which saw average temperatures of 14.52 degrees celsius – well above the 1961-1990 long-term average of 14 degrees celsius.

No one knows what triggers weather events like El Nino or La Nina. What they all agree on, however, is that they play an important role in global weather patterns and are affected by climate change, due to the their strong affect on global surface temperature.

In any case, all indications point to the likeliness of storing your coats.

The article is via Reuters and can be found HERE.