Are We At Risk For Another Dust Bowl?
(http://news.discovery.com/earth/drought-dust-bowl-120719.html)
As climate change keep getting more severe, new technology and experiences from the past may guide us away from Dust Bowl.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Are We At Risk For Another Dust Bowl?
As climate change keep getting more severe, new technology and experiences from the past may guide us away from Dust Bowl.
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Although this article seems to imply that it is unlikely we will actually see a 'dust bowl' like the one in the '30s, just because of the change in landscape since then, it does bring up issues in regards to the great amounts of drought. First of all, is this rise in droughts throughout the nation an aberration or the norm to be from now on? And if so is this more related to global warming, or the decrease in freshwater, as suggested in the documentary 'Flow'?"
ReplyDeleteWhat most stands out to me about the dust bowl is not only the detriment it caused the enviornment, but also the economic suffering and hardship that went along with it. If the droughts continue what does that mean not only for the land, our water sources, but also for our economy? Much of the United States is made of farmers and people whose livelihood depends on being able to grow and harvest crops. The drought would not only alter the way people interact with the land, but also the profit to be yieled from such an interaction.
ReplyDeleteWhile it sure feels like hell out here and the drought definitely puts a strain on plains farmers, I don't think we'll face another Dust Bowl anytime soon as the article purports. As long as the farmers and local government safely monitors their techniques and the overall situation, things should be manangable. The article mentioned that a big factor in the dust bowl of the 30s was not just dryness, but human interaction. Hopefully the farmers will be kind and gentle with the land and next year will bring moisture!
ReplyDeleteAda White
But – despite the recent rains in some areas, which reduced by 1% the area covered by drought – the farm states remain parched, and the area covered by severe drought is still growing. As far as the dust bowl theory is concerned, I feel that it is too early to tell. One thing that is certain though is that if this pattern persists, food prices will go up and there will be a significant impact on the natural foods market.
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