U.S. Summer Forecast

US Summer Forecast: Northeast to Endure More 90-Degree Days Than in 2014; Extreme Drought to Expand in West

By Jillian MacMath, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

April 30, 2015; 7:52 AM ET

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This summer, warmth and dryness will build in the West, worsening the historical drought conditions that have plagued California for four straight years. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast will have an abundance of moisture, raising concerns for flooding at times.

In the nation's midsection, severe weather is forecast to continue into summer, with the overall tornado count increasing from last year. In the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, above-normal temperatures will mark a noticeable difference from the cooler-than-average summer of 2014.

JUMP TO: More 90-Degree Days Than Last Year Forecast for Northeast, Mid-Atlantic| Wet, Buggy Season Ahead for Southeast, Central Gulf Coast, Tennessee Valley | Rainy Weather in Store for Southern Plains, Lower to Mid-Mississippi Valley | Severe Risk to Continue for Midwest, Northern and Central Plains | Severe Drought to Worsen in California, Expand Northward at Full Force

More 90-Degree Days Than Last Year Forecast for Northeast, Mid-Atlantic

Warmth from central Canada and the northern Plains will flow into the Northeast this summer, leading to above-normal temperatures and drier conditions for much of the region.

"I'm not expecting extreme heat, but periods of warmer-than-normal temperatures will come and go during the course of the summer," AccuWeather.com Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.

After a cooler-than-normal summer of 2014, the East overall is forecast to be hit by more 90-plus degree days this summer.

In Philadelphia and New York City, there may be as many as 10 more than last summer.

For much of the summer, the central and southern mid-Atlantic will come alive with showers and thunderstorms.

Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia will be in the line of fire.

Wet, Buggy Season Ahead for Southeast, Central Gulf Coast, Tennessee Valley

From the Southeast to the Gulf Coast and Tennessee Valley, the summer of 2015 will bring very wet conditions as result of warm water temperatures in the northern Gulf and a building El Nino. Flash flooding could be a concern at times.

"I would consider stocking up on the bug spray this year down across the Tennessee Valley and the Gulf Coast because it looks very wet," Pastelok said.

Extreme heat should be kept at bay, but high humidity and muggy conditions will plague the region.

As for tropical activity, the northern Gulf states could be affected as early as June.

"Water temperatures are running much warmer than last year," Pastelok said. "It may not take much to spawn a weak tropical system to enhance the rainfall on the Gulf Coast this year."

Amid drought, California's Brown wants big fines for wasting water

Bonds | Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:44pm EDT

Related: Regulatory News, Bonds, Markets

Amid drought, California's Brown wants big fines for wasting water

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28 | By Robin Respaut

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28 (Reuters) - Governor Jerry Brown proposed legislation on Tuesday that would impose steep fines for wasting water in drought-parched California.

In a meeting with California mayors, Brown said the legislation would allow wholesale and retail water agencies, along with city and county governments, to issue fines of up to $10,000 per violation. Currently, there is a $500 per day maximum, established in drought legislation last year.

"These measures will strengthen the ability of local officials to build new water projects and ensure that water is not wasted," Brown said in a statement. "As this drought stretches on, we'll continue to do whatever is necessary to help communities save more water."

The changes would speed up enforcement and allow local public agencies to deputize staff to issue warnings and citations. Fines and other monetary penalties would be used for local conservation efforts.

Earlier this month, Brown ordered the first-ever statewide mandatory water reduction of 25 percent.

That plan should be approved in early May, but officials said more fine-tuning could take place before then to help ease cuts for Los Angeles and San Diego, and bump up targets in the areas that consume the most water.

After four years of serious drought, California officials plan to make the state more resilient by replacing lawns with landscaping that needs less water and swapping old appliances for more efficient models.

The state also wants to cut water use at campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscape locations, and to stop watering ornamental grass on public street medians.

The State Water Resources Control Board announced strict limits over the past year on outdoor irrigation, cutting it to two days a week across much of the state. It also banned hosing down outdoor surfaces, decorative water fountains that do not recirculate water, and car washing without an automatic shut-off nozzle.

Bars and restaurants are now required to serve water only upon request, and hotels must ask guests staying multiple nights whether linens and towels should be washed. (Reporting By Robin Respaut. Editing by Andre Grenon)

Drought migration

By Michael Werz and Max Hoffman
21 April 2015

(Reuters) – The migrant crisis in the Mediterranean is symptomatic of deep dislocation in the Sahel region and sub-Saharan Africa — dislocation exacerbated by climate change.

Climate change is affecting such basic environmental conditions as rainfall patterns and temperatures and is contributing to more frequent natural disasters like floods and droughts. Over the long term, these changing conditions can undermine the rural livelihoods of farming, herding and fishing. The resulting rural dislocation is a factor in people’s decisions to migrate.

Migratory decisions are complex, of course, and nobody would argue that climate change is the only factor driving them. But climate change cannot be ignored. The second-order effects of climate change — undermined agriculture and competition for water and food resources — can contribute to instability and to higher numbers of migrants.

These are the conclusions of our regional report on Northwest Africa, published in 2012, which examined the root causes of tragedies like that of the drowning deaths of up to 700 migrants attempting to reach Europe by boat via the Mediterranean. We found that underlying climate and demographic trends can squeeze the margins of life at the family and community levels, contribute to decisions to migrate, heighten conflicts over basic resources and threaten state structures and regional stability. We also found that climate challenges, longstanding migratory routes and security concerns are linked to the Maghreb, the Sahel region and the Niger Delta in compelling ways

14 years of Drought

By Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Sandra Maler
24 April 2015

(Reuters) – Nevada's Lake Mead, the largest capacity reservoir in the United States, is on track to drop to its lowest water level in recorded history on Sunday as its source, the Colorado River, suffers from 14 years of severe drought, experts said on Friday.

The 79-year-old reservoir, formed by the building of the Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas, was expected to dip below 1,080 feet on Sunday, lower than a previous record of 1,080.19 feet last August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Predictions show that on May 31, the reservoir will have dipped again to 1,075 feet, well below its record high levels of around 1,206 feet in the 1980s, according to Bureau of Reclamation data.

Lake Mead supplies water to agriculture and about 40 million people in Nevada, Arizona, Southern California, and northern Mexico.

The water source and several other man-made reservoirs springing from the 1,450-mile (2,230-km) Colorado River, have dropped to as low as 45 percent of their capacity as the river suffers a 14th straight year of crippling drought.

About 96 percent of the water in Lake Mead is from melted snow that falls in "upper basin" states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming, officials said.

Over the past 14 years, snowfall has dropped in the Rocky Mountains, leading to a drop in snow pack runoff that feeds the river, according to Bureau of Reclamation statistics. In 2013, runoff was at 47 percent of normal.

The lake's levels are nearing a critical trigger where federal officials will have to start rationing water deliveries to Nevada, Arizona, and parts of California. States in the region have enacted action plans to lessen greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. [more]

Nevada's Lake Mead on track to reach record low water level amid drought

Technorati Tags: California,North America,drought,freshwater depletion,global

Permafrost

[Is this what’s causing the explosive craters we’ve seen recently in Siberia? –Des]

By Emily Atkin
8 April 2015

(Climate Progress) – Scientists might have to change their projected timelines for when Greenland’s permafrost will completely melt due to man-made climate change, now that new research from Denmark has shown it could be thawing faster than expected.

Published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, the research shows that tiny microbes trapped in Greenland’s permafrost are becoming active as the climate warms and the permafrost begins to thaw. As those microbes become active, they are feeding on previously-frozen organic matter, producing heat, and threatening to thaw the permafrost even further.

In other words, according to the research, permafrost thaw could be accelerating permafrost thaw to a “potentially critical” level.

“The accompanying heat production from microbial metabolism of organic material has been recognized as a potential positive-feedback mechanism that would enhance permafrost thawing and the release of carbon,” the study, conducted by researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Permafrost, said. “This internal heat production is poorly understood, however, and the strength of this effect remains unclear.”

The big worry climate scientists have about thawing permafrost is that the frozen soil is chock-full of carbon. That carbon is supposed to be strongly trapped inside the soil, precisely because it’s supposed to be permanently frozen — hence, “permafrost.”

However, as temperatures in the Arctic have risen due to human-caused climate change, permafrost is thawing, and therefore releasing some of that trapped carbon into the atmosphere. It’s yet another feedback loop manifesting itself in Arctic permafrost regions — as climate change causes it to thaw, the thawing causes more climate change, which causes more thawing, et cetera, et cetera.

What makes this new research so important is that it adds to the urgency of stemming permafrost thaw. Because even without this new discovery of heat-producing microbes, estimates for carbon releases from thawing permafrost have been alarmingly large. According to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, there are about 1,700 gigatons of carbon currently frozen in permafrost — more than the total amount in the atmosphere now (Earth’s atmosphere contains about 850 gigatons of carbon, according to the Center).

Without considering microbes, the average estimate is that 120 gigatons of carbon will be released from thawing permafrost by 2100, which would raise the average global temperature 0.29 degrees. After 2100, if climate change worsens, total permafrost emissions roughly double. That’s confirmed by National Snow and Ice Data Center research scientist Kevin Schaefer’s research, which took the average of 15 peer-reviewed estimates of future carbon releases from thawing permafrost.

Schaefer, who was also one of the reviewers of the microbe study, told ThinkProgress that this is particularly alarming because emissions from permafrost are “completely irreversible.”

“These are permanent emissions,” he said. “Once you thaw out that material, there’s no way to put that organic matter back into the permafrost … you can’t re-freeze the permafrost.” [more]

Why This New Study On Arctic Permafrost Is So Scary

Technorati Tags: Arctic,permafrost,global warming,climate change,Greenland

Now it’s 35%

By Matt Stevens, Taylor Goldenstein, and Chris Megerian
8 April 2015

SACRAMENTO, California (Los Angeles Times) – In an aggressive push to reduce water usage statewide, California regulators are proposing that the biggest urban water users cut consumption by as much as 35 percent over the next year.

The State Water Resources Control Board's plan, unveiled Tuesday, would place the heaviest conservation burden on cities and towns with the highest rates of per-capita water consumption, which would include small rural communities as well as affluent enclaves like Newport Beach and Beverly Hills.

Cities that have the lowest per-capita water use — including East Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and Seal Beach — would be required to cut just 10 percent.

Agencies that don't comply with the rules could face fines of up to $10,000 a day.

"The gentle nudge is no longer sufficient," said Max Gomberg, the water board's senior scientist. "We're taking the enforcement piece very seriously."

The conservation targets were part of a new framework the state board unveiled to comply with California Gov. Jerry Brown's historic order requiring a 25 percent cut in water use in cities and towns statewide. The proposal assigns targets to more than 400 local water agencies.

The five-member board, whose members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, could adopt the plan in May. The board is seeking feedback on the plan, which could change before the vote.

Most communities would be required to cut water use by 20 percent to 25 percent, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Santa Ana, San Jose and Anaheim.

Officials said they measured residential per capita water use in September 2014 to set the benchmarks. But the state will measure whether each community hits its target by comparing overall water use over the next year with 2013 levels.

The targets were released the same day that the board announced dismal water conservation numbers for February. Californians reduced water use just 2.8 percent in February compared to the same month in 2013. It was the smallest decrease since officials began releasing monthly conservation numbers last summer.

Southern Californians actually used more water in February, while most other areas cut back.

"It's a really disturbing number," said State Water Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus, who attributed February's results to warmer weather and the improving economy.

Still, she expressed hope that Californians understood the severity of the situation.

"They want to do the right thing," she said. "But they lead very busy lives. And it's government's job to make it easier for them to do those right things."

Brown's mandatory statewide water restrictions, the first in California's history, come as the state endures a fourth year of drought. Slashed irrigation deliveries have forced growers to idle thousands of acres of cropland. Groundwater levels in some areas have plunged, causing the ground to sink. Some small communities have run out of water. And while reservoir levels are higher than last year, the mountain snowpack, which provides about a third of the state's water supply in normal years, is at a record low. [more]

California regulators urge 35 percent reduction in water use for some areas

Technorati Tags: California,North America,drought,freshwater depletion,global warming,climate change

Hottest Year on record

By Tamino
20 January 2015

(Open Mind) – Both NASA and NOAA report 2014 as the hottest year on record. Despite the new #1, neither the news itself nor the response to it has surprised me.

The news that last year was so hot is certainly no surprise. The simple reason is that for the last 15 or 20 years, let’s say since the turn of the millennium just to be specific — you know, since back when we expected global warming to continue without slowing down — global warming has continued and shows no sign of slowing down.

As a matter of fact, according to the NASA data this year is dead on the projection we would have made back then by using the “global warming continues without slowing down” hypothesis. By the time 1999 came to a close, a warming trend was abundantly clear.

But besides just rising with the trend, temperature fluctuates up and down from year to year; hence the dashed red lines above and below the red trend line showing the likely range. Assuming global warming continues without slowing down, we would have expected this. [more]

It’s the Trend, Stupid

Technorati Tags: global warming,climate change,propaganda

California drought

(Vox) – California saw this drought coming. Even if people in the state didn't know it would be this bad — now the worst in recorded history — they've known that dry years are inevitable and had all sorts of ideas for how to deal with them.

But for all that planning, California's current drought has been a total disaster. Reservoirs are drying up. Crops are wilting in the fields. For the first time ever, towns and cities will face a mandatory 25 percent cut in their water use.

The problem isn't that no one foresaw the drought. The problem is that no one has been able to solve an underlying issue that is simultaneously less scary and also much harder than a dry spell: California's convoluted water system and intractable water politics.

Designed piecemeal over the last century, going back to a time when Los Angeles had one-sixth its current population, California's system for managing water doesn't just make it tough to deal with shortages — in some ways, it encourages inefficiencies and waste. This is partly an engineering issue and partly a political one, but it's become a huge dilemma for a state struggling to adapt to unprecedented drought.

Much of the bickering today around California's water crisis can trace back to this underlying systemic issue. Many people accuse farmers — especially its almond growers and cattle ranchers — of using too much water. Farmers, in turn, blame environmentalists for placing undue restrictions on water use. Others fault golf courses and overwatered lawns. Economists say California could better manage its water if only it was priced properly.

There's some truth to all these points. But it's worth understanding California's incredibly complex water system in order to grasp why all these conflicts have arisen — and why fixes are so difficult.

1) California's water comes from the north and is used in the south

Perhaps the most fundamental water fact about California is that, historically, water was extremely scarce in the southern two-thirds of the state. The vast majority of precipitation occurs up north, mainly in the winter.

So, during the 20th century, both the state and the federal government built an elaborate system of canals, aqueducts, and reservoirs to bring water south: […]

3) California is now suffering the worst drought in history, and its water system is cracking under the stress

Now, however, this system has reached a breaking point. This current drought, which started in 2012, is worse than anything California has endured in its history. Virtually the entire state is facing "severe," "extreme," or "exceptional" drought: [more]

A guide to California's water crisis — and why it's so hard to fix

Technorati Tags: California,North America,drought,freshwater depletion,population,global warming,climate change

Town sinking

18 April 2015 (NBC News) – Tony Azevedo's a third-generation farmer in California's Central Valley. For decades, his family has grown cantaloupes. This year, he won't — and he'll leave a third of his 11,500-acre farm fallow.

"This field would have been cantaloupes, had we had the water," he explained, pointing to some of his unplanted acres. "Tomatoes, garlic, beans — there are plenty of crops we could have grown."

Azevedo says he needs to be strategic with how he allocates his groundwater, which he pumps from underground aquifers to irrigate his crops.

"It's very unusual for us to use well water 100 percent like we're using today," he said. "You take a glass of water and you put one straw, two straws, three straws — eventually you're going to run out of it, right? Well, that's what the aquifer is. It's a big cup, and we're all pulling out of it."

Dead sea

The Dead Sea is disappearing at an alarming rate, leaving behind thousands of sinkholes that are chipping away at the coastline's vibrant and touristy atmosphere.

The Dead Sea - which is actually a lake - is known for being almost 10 times as salty as the ocean and for having the lowest elevation on Earth. However, over the last few decades, the shoreline has become known for sinkholes that appear to just pop up out of nowhere.

More than 3,000 sinkholes exist along the banks of the Dead Sea, ABC News reported. And some of these craters dive 80 feet into the ground - the equivalent of about an eight-story building.

Gidon Bromberg, the Israeli director at EcoPeace Middle East, told ABC news that "these sinkholes are the direct result of inappropriate mismanagement of water resources in the region."

The Dead Sea is robbed of 2 billion gallons of water each year because of water diverted from the lake's main water source - the Jordan River - since the 1960s, according to the American Associate, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Mining of minerals from the Dead Sea has also contributed to the disappearance of the lake's dense and salty water.

The 2 billion gallons of water translates to a decline in water levels of a meter every year (on average) or a total of 30 meters since 1970, according to research conducted by Duke University.

"With the Dead Sea level dropping so rapidly [a meter a year, on average], these sinkholes are inevitable," said Mark Wilson, a geology professor at the College of Wooster. [more]

Global drought

By the end of February 2015, a preliminary look at drought indicators points to many areas of the earth showing some minor improvement in drought conditions.   While the British Isles showed some drought intensification, most of central and eastern Europe showed some improvement in drought status, particularly in the area around the Black Sea.  In Asia, drought continues to be focused around Mongolia and northern India, despite the vegetation stress in those areas improving this month.  The Thai government has designated additional resources for water projects and emergencies during the drought.  In Africa, drought remains entrenched near the eastern horn, particularly around Kenya and southern Somalia.  Drought conditions near equatorial Africa abated slightly.  In North America, drought continues to be focused on the Southwest and Southern Plains of the U.S.  In South America, conditions over Brazil eased slightly this month.  Coffee prices continue to decline from their drought-induced all time high prices last year.  Flooding rains impacted Sao Paulo, which has been hit hard by drought in the recent months.  Long term improvements are to be determined as reservoirs levels are still low.  In Australia, drought conditions remained relatively constant with some drought intensification in the interior of the continent.  Fire danger continues to be high across New Zealand where water storage continued to fall, particularly on the South Island where drought has been declared.

2015 Drought Disaster Updates

2015 Drought Disaster Updates

Disaster Fast Track Map Updated 04/15/15
Drought Disaster Designations Map (PDF, 3.9MB)
Text-only (accessible) version
Map shows designations due to drought across the country under USDA's amended rule. Any county declared a primary (red) or contiguous (orange) disaster county makes producers in that county eligible for certain emergency aid.
List of Designated Drought Disaster Counties (PDF, 224KB)

Geneva Lake, White River in Wisconsin Affected by Drought

Geneva Lake, White River in Wisconsin Affected by Drought

November 27, 2012 By Jan Giovannetti

Geneva Lake, Wisonsin

Geneva Lake levels in Lake Geneva, WI, have fallen to some of the lowest in recent memory due to this year’s drought.  The White River, the only outlet from the lake, is suffering too.  Lake levels are regulated by the Geneva Lake dam, spillway and millrace east of the Riviera, near Donian Park.  The dam has been managed by the Geneva Lake Level Association, a nonprofit organization, whose board consists of representative of the four communities who surround the lake – The City of Lake Geneva, Town of Linn, Village of Fontana, and Village of Williams Bay.  In 2003, the Department of Natural Resources granted a permit to replace the aging dam, with a requirement to release a specific amount of water into the White River, for the purpose of protecting a 300 meter stretch of the river just east of the dam which does not get supplied by groundwater.In July, the DNR directe a release of water which the GLLC maintains will be detrimental to Geneva Lake.  The organization cites difficulty of boats exiting the Abbey Marina, possible shifting of pier cribs due to the force of the ice cover this winter and overall decline in the appearance of the lake which may adversely affect local hotels, restaurants and businesses, the major economic force of this area.  Representatives from the DNR and GLLC met October 23rd and are hoping to determine if and how much water will be realeased into the White River.  The lake is .8′ from its 12-year average for winter levels.

Filed Under: Featured Posts Tagged With: Geneva Lake Level Committee, Geneva Lake Wisconsin, Lake Geneva Wi, Town of LInn WI, Village of Fontana WI, Village of Williams Bay WI, williams bay wi, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

National Drought Overview

National Drought Overview

• Based on the Palmer Drought Index, severe to extreme drought affected about 11 percent of the contiguous United States as of the end of March 2015, an increase of about 3 percent from last month. About 1 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the severely to extremely wet categories.
• About 21 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the moderate to extreme drought categories (based on the Palmer Drought Index) at the end of March.
• On a broad scale, the 1980s and 1990s were characterized by unusual wetness with short periods of extensive droughts, the 1930s and 1950s were characterized by prolonged periods of extensive droughts with little wetness, and the first decade of the 2000s saw extensive drought and extensive wetness (moderate to extreme drought graphic, severe to extreme drought graphic).

• A file containing the national monthly percent area severely dry and wet from 1900 to present is available for the severe to extreme and moderate to extreme categories.
• Historical temperature, precipitation, and Palmer drought data from 1895 to present for climate divisions, states, and regions in the contiguous U.S. are available at the Climate Division: Temperature-Precipitation-Drought Data page. These filenames begin with "climdiv".
• According to the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), about 36.8 percent of the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) (about 30.8 percent of the U.S. including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico) was classified as experiencing moderate to exceptional (D1-D4) drought at the end of March.

8 If it doesn’t change

8 If it doesn’t change

Although the changes I proposed are possible, they are not likely. Therefore it is probable that the worldwide drought will continue over the next decade or century.

Turing the relatively near future, the drought will continue to expand. And as conditions continue to decline, the people in the worst areas will have to take actions to survive. These will no doubt include moving out of the dying areas into areas where the draught is not yet as severe. This will speed up the drought in those areas.

All kinds of survival plans will be initiated by individuals and/or nations. This will cause more wars for territory to take place. This will cause more decline, until one of the parties start to use nuclear weapons and that will bring an end to most of humanity.

In the mean time, societies will go into decline, financially, law and order , educationally and all aspects of society. Famines will develop around the world. Food and water will cease to be available. Humans will die by the millions.

Animals and plants will continue to lose ground. And as a result Oxygen will continue to decline. When the oxygen declines enough, the world will end as far as humans are concerned.

The only help for the human race will be if God steps in and takes unilateral action. If He chooses not to act it would be His choice. A few humans will try to hang on by going underground or by going on space craft into space. This will only by a small amount of time.

For those humans who are Christians, they have a future in heaven to look forward to. But it is my belief, after over 50 years of study, that only those Christians that learned to truly love their God with their whole heart, mind and spirit will join him in a heavenly love fest.

9 Summary

9 Summary

If what Information I have provided you is valid, and the Higher Power/God does not act on His own, then we humans who are living today, do not have much to offer future generations.

All we can do is to work on our relationship with each other and our God. These relations will help us go through the challenging times ahead. You will also find help in your religious bodies. You should make special effort to participate in any appropriate small groups they might have.

Use any other media resources that is available to you to prepare your mind and body to face the challenges ahead.

One of the many electronic offerings available to you is my blog site at:

http://georgehach.wordpress.com/

On this blog site, you will find the ability to ask questions and find answers there.

You will find there one of my other books which will help you become a successful Christian that will be prepared for the challenges ahead. You may also purchase your own personal copy on either Amazon or Kindle.

There are many other wonderful postings on my blog site. You will find many other wonderful electronic web sites and web applications.

The most important source of life information for Christians will be found in the Bible. If you do not have one, may I suggest acquiring the “Living Bible.”

You may want to take some classes on the Bible such as Bethel.

But the most important source will be the sermons you will here at your local religious body/church.

All of what I have provided you will help you prepare to go through the challenges you will face. And if you are an individual that is sharing love with your God, I look forward to meeting you in the eternal love fest with yours and mine BFF Best Friend Forever. See you thered.

7 Higher Power

7 Higher Power

The “Higher Power” will guide society in making this approach work. He will provide the power and guidance to individuals to accomplish this change. This power will take the form of various attributes : patience, kindness, gentleness, etc..

But first we need to acknowledge that there is a “Higher Power.” An entity that created this world and is in control of this world. Science has learned and taught us that there is an orderliness in our world.

We see it in many aspects of our life. We know how to travel by way of the north star. The rises in the east at a knowable minute. Babies are born on schedule. Weather is predictable. And a lot more.

Something or somebody needs to be in control. We even used to come rather close to how much moisture over a period of time would come. Well something has changed. And we are even told by our scientist that we have wrecked our environment. Well if we have wrecked it, then there is no hope.

I prefer to believe what I have observed: that there is a higher power who is in charge. One who can change our future from what we did to it by our individualism to one where He is acknowledged to be in control by the majority of humans. By being in control of the world, He is in control of our lives also.

In order to have this control relationship we need to develop a love sharing relationship. One where we place the other parties needs and desires first over ours. But since the “Higher Power” is over all the world, He needs to take in to concern the whole worlds needs along with His overall plan for the world. So He may not be able to provide us with our needs that may be in conflict with the needs of others or His plan.

Currently the majority of humans to not acknowledge His authority over them. He needs to get their attention and bring them back under His control. Our failure to do so has created the lack of a proper physical and social environment for a successful human relationship to function between us and the Higher Power, between us and others and between us and the physical world.

This improper relationship has brought us to this condition. And only the majority of humans can change it by improving our relationship with the “Higher Power” and other humans. Although He can do it on His own; why would He if there is no improvement in our human relationships.

But for those who make an attempt to achieve this improved relationship without the majority of humans doing so, will find that they have help going through the challenging times ahead. And the “Higher Power” (or who I will now start calling-God) will provide you with a reward for doing so. This reward will usually be in another world and time.

These benefits will be better explained through your religion if you have one. I strongly suggest you acquire one. If you would like a suggestion; I would like to suggest that you look into the Christian faith.

But the important factor is that you improve your relationship with your God, so that you will have the help you need to go through the challenges you will have in the future. And this relationship will offer you a future after you should cease to exist on this world.

But all of this is a tremendous amount that would have to change in order for all our current future to change. What’s going to happen if it doesn’t?

6 The Answer

6 The answer

The answer I have come up with, is that we need to first acknowledge that the current approach does not work. Individualism (each individual seeking what is best for him/her) produces a societal system which puts the individual first and not society as a whole, being more important.

The second step is that we need to change our approach to society and authority. From individualism to seeking what is best for society as a whole. And that “Higher Authority” (there are multi levels of authority & authority is good) approach to authority is necessary.

The next step is to acknowledge that there is a creator and controller of this world we live in. And He has the right to demand that we pay attention to Him and His rules for humankind as a whole.

Following that acknowledgement, societies institutions (religion, education, etc.) needs to make this approach to changing humanities approach to life as their highest priority. Society needs to change their approach from what is best for the individual to what is best for society as a whole.

Society would need to change in the following areas:

· Religion will need to give priority to their articles of faith that reflects obeying authority including the “Higher Power.” The second priority needs to be love of the “Higher Authority” and of others. And emphasis will need to be put on the real definition of love: placing the other parties need and desires above theirs.

· Education will need to put its top priorities on obedience of the authority chain including the “Higher Power.” Secondly education would need to put down the priority of science and place the emphasis on what is best for society as a whole.

· The judicial system would need to change their priority from protecting the individual rights to protecting the rights of the Higher Power and society as a whole.

· We as humans would need to change our government systems from being centered on individualism to one centered on obeying the “Higher Power” and what is best for society as a whole. If this means one world government, so be it.

· Military and police would need to enforce and defend the other areas.

· Business would need to change from a profit based approach to a service based approach. Much like the public utilities are handled today. And it would need to change from a centralized location approach to a decentralized approach.

· The financial world would need to change it’s approach from one centered on profit to one centered on service and what is best for society.. Any profits could be fully taxed if it can’t be shown that the profits are not going to improve society.

· Labor/employees would be paid based on what they are doing to improve society as a whole.. The salary range would be controlled by government.

· Families would need to be created and functioning within the previously stated definition of love (placing the other parties needs first). Potential marriages would need to be tested either by the religion or government areas for the parties commitment to the love factor, before licenses would be issued. Only licensed marriages would be allowed to raise children. Any children being raised outside licensed marriages would need to be monitored by the state.

· Individuals would need to be tested as children regarding their capabilities and placed in training programs that would need to be coordinated with societies needs as a whole.

This only touches the surface of what would be required. We would also have to change our relationship with the “Higher Power.”

5 What happened

5 What happened

Well we humans, have a basic character that wants to be in control of our life and everything around it that impacts our life. But since we have to live with other humans who have the same basic character, we automatically run into trouble.

Our world and society can’t function in full effective cooperation in giving each individual full control of their life and the world around them. So the world and society has a program that provides multiple levels of authority (U.N., Nations, states, counties, cities, etc.). This is seen in all aspects of society: school, job, family, etc.. But each of these levels of authority have other humans with the same need for control of their life and others. We don’t have within us as humans to fully overcome this character flaw. Therefore the world was created and is being controlled by a “Higher Power.” This need for this “Higher Power” to provide us with the ability to provide us with the power to fully cooperate with others for the betterment of the human society is and has been part of our natural character – all through human history.

But it has only been in recent generations of humans that the majority of humans have taken out of their life this need for a “higher power.” So, as a result of this action by the majority of humans, we have been unable to fully cooperate for the betterment of the world and humanity. We are physically destroying our environment, our society, our families and everything around us.

The reason that this “Higher Power” is necessary to human survival is that the “Higher Power” provides us with the “Morals and Ethics” that provides us with the framework of cooperation between individuals and society. Without these morals and ethics, it is impossible to successfully cooperate. We, as humans, have tried to replace them with “laws and rules.” But they do not work; because the motivation to follow them is not present within the average human. An so we have to use an approach of punishment for failure to follow these laws. The problem with punishment is that it only makes things worse. All we have to do, is to take a look at the world’s prisons.

And of course we also presently hope that our education systems will teach societal cooperation. But we have taken it out of our educational systems. Instead we have encouraged the students to be the best individual they can be and to get the most they can individually. This is the opposite of what is needed for a successful world.

And if we add the science factor to the mix, we add a lot more challenge to human society. Science’s purpose was in the past to help the human race to deal with the challenges of life. But science has become a money making operation. What is best for the individuals who are funding the science.

Next we add the military to the mix. The only way a country can function is to have the best military to defend the country from attack. This just brings more death and destruction.

We then add the business world to the mix, we have the need to make the most money for the humans associated with the business. It’s not what is best for society, but what is best for the individual.

All of these factors have as their core, “What is best for the individual.” Therefore what is best for society is buried by the individuals in this society. With this in mind, I hope you can see that science and individualism is not the answer.

So what is the answer.

4 Is it really that bad?

4 Is it really that bad?

Yes, here is a portion of a recent article from the U.S. government.:

· Based on the Palmer Drought Index, severe to extreme drought affected about 8 percent of the contiguous United States as of the end of February 2015, an increase of about 2 percent from last month. About 5 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the severely to extremely wet categories.

· About 15 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell in the moderate to extreme drought categories (based on the Palmer Drought Index) at the end of February.

Another article:

• Okay, your question intrigued me so I took the liberty of googling 'worst droughts in history' apparently the western region of the U.S. is going through one of the worst droughts in 500 years and Australia is going through the worst drought that they've ever had in 1000 years.

And another:

It is well known that climate change is causing all sorts of extreme weather, and may lead to events such as 35-year-or-longer "megadroughts" that will be the worst we've seen in 1,000 years. Now researchers are giving us another glimpse into the future, saying that drought damage will likely cause widespread forest death by the 2050s as a result of climate change.

These articles have caught my attention. And what is extremely important is that the speed of the increase in the growth of the world’s drought. I challenge you to go out on the internet and Google or Bing “World Drought”. It will scare you as it did to me. And yet all we see on our local, national and world news is less important news for our future. These articles and notifications should be on every news, talk, and discussion show. But they won’t, because it would cause panic and world-wide societal collapse. What has caused this?

3 Is it really happening

3 Is it really happening

Yes, The U.S. government says so. It publishes on a web site: “U.S. Drought Monitor”.

They seem concerned. But I’m sure that they don’t want to appear to concerned or they could cause a panic. I know that I am very concerned. Here is some of the U.S. government concern:

The map summarizes and synthesizes information from the local and state level to the national scale, making it the most widely used gauge of drought conditions in the country. Policy makers use it to allocate relief dollars, states use it to trigger drought response measures, and media rely on it. The USDA uses it to distribute millions, even billions, of dollars in drought relief to farmers and ranchers each year, and the Internal Revenue Service also uses it for ranching-related tax determinations.

Here is the world map:

2 Why should we be concerned?

2 Why should we be concerned?

Well to start with: without rain or water plants can’t live or function. And one of the most important functions of plants is to provide us with oxygen to breathe. I don’t know about you, but I/science have not as yet figured out, how to live without breathing.

I in my limited knowledge have determined that that is a rather important consideration. The next most important consideration in my mind is the need for humans to have liquids going into their bodies to keep their (chemical/physical) bodies functioning. In my limited studying; I have found that we can live for only a few days without liquids coming into us.

Kind of important factor in my belief. OK, but what happens if plants and/or animals do not get liquids. They also quit living. And without them, I figure we might get a bit hungry. And I am rather sure that we would not last very long.

Have I got your interest yet? It’s rather clear to me that humans, animals, and plants can’t function without liquids. What about our society, can it function without liquids?

Let’s take a look at sanitation. Sanitation is basically: getting rid of the waist human/animal bodies produce as they function. Without an effective sanitation system, humans systems have a problem with disease and other negative things. We as humans grouped together in cities have yet to find a way to have an effective sanitation system without liquids. Without sanitation we would need to give up human groupings (like cities).

The next thing society needs is liquids to put out fires. Without water we can’t use flammable building materials in our human groupings. And of course there is all the temperature control functions that our performed by liquids.

I also noticed that transportation uses liquids to get what we need from one place to another. From boats using rivers and lakes to move things around. And of course there is all the cooling of engines that go on in trains and autos and so forth. I guess that is rather important.

Have you noticed that this world would ceased functioning if we were to have to give up electricity. And a lot of that electricity is produced using liquids such as water turbines, water cooled coal/nuclear plants, etc. No water, limited or no electricity. Important right?

I have just touched the surface of the challenges we will face in the future without rain/usable water. Property values will tank without water accessibility. Financial systems will collapse. Without farms, cities, manufacturing, and society as we know it today humans would find it hard to function or survive.

Nations will go to war to grab whatever usable water they can. And at the end, there would not be a livable world for humans, animals and plants.

I think that I have illustrated the importance of the topic of “The Drought,” the world is facing. If I am right, this should be a life and death item in our lives. Or if not, it will bring death and the end.

If you are with me so far, and you think that this might be something you should look into, please continue.

1 Drought-What is it/Why

1 Drought-What is it/Why

Maybe you may have noticed; that it has been dry lately:

· Little rain.

· Few tornados

· Few Hurricanes

· Above average temperatures

· Higher prices for food.

· And a lot more.

Well this dryness is called: Drought. OK, you may be wondering what Drought is: Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Drought is an extended period when a region receives a deficiency in its water supply, whether atmospheric, surface or ground water. A drought can last for months or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days.^[1] Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region. Although droughts can persist for several years, even a short, intense drought can cause significant damage^[2] and harm to the local economy.^[3] Annual dry seasons in the tropics significantly increase the chances of a drought developing and subsequent brush fires. Periods of heat can significantly worsen drought conditions by hastening evaporation of water vapor.

OK, but to me it’s just pain dry. Let’s see what Science and Wikipedia has to say about what causes Drought:

Drought can be triggered by a high level of reflected sunlight and above average prevalence of high pressure systems, winds carrying continental, rather than oceanic air masses, and ridges of high pressure areas aloft can prevent or restrict the developing of thunderstorm activity or rainfall over one certain region. Once a region is within drought, feedback mechanisms such as local arid air,^[9] hot conditions which can promote warm core ridging,^[10] and minimal evapotranspiration can worsen drought conditions.

It seems to me, by this explanation: that drought is caused by a bad environment/weather. And the last time I checked, science and/or humans have not been able to control the weather and all we as humans can do is to cause the environment to go bad. So, maybe, there is a power that is not under human control, and may be in control of this environment/world.

If so we humans, have not been paying much attention to it’s influence in this world. Those few who have been trying to give the power that is in control it’s due: have called it (science) environment or (others) have called it God. I will let science and the environment and the failure of humans giving it the due it deserves – up to those who are better qualified then me to speak about our failure there.

Let’s look at what this failure causes, next.