Catastrophic Drought in Texas Causes Global Economic Ripples

[xchrom]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/business/energy-environment/catastrophic-drought-in-texas-causes-global-economic-ripples.html

AUSTIN — The drought map created by University College London shows a number of worryingly dry areas around the globe, in places including East Africa, Canada, France and Britain.

But the largest area of catastrophic drought centers on Texas. It is an angry red swath on the map, signifying what has been the driest year in the state’s history. It has brought immense hardship to farmers and ranchers, and fed incessant wildfires, as well as an enormous dust storm that blew through the western Texas city of Lubbock in the past month.

“It’s horrible,” said Don Casey, a rancher in central Texas who sold off half his cattle after getting only about two inches of rain over a one-year stretch and may sell more. “Even if it starts raining, it’s going to take so long for the land to recover”

At the moment, 70 percent of Texas is experiencing “exceptional drought” — the worst classification — along with 55 percent of Oklahoma and significant chunks of Louisiana, New Mexico and Kansas. Northern Mexico is also affected .

[Marnie]

1. Anybody who loves to hate Texas and Texas might want to

take a look at the whole article.

Texas used to be able to effectively feed the hold country. With increasing lose of arable land to urbanization and increasing population that is no longer true but it is still a very large contributor to our food supply and balance of trade in agricultural products and oil.

Are you really sure you are OK with the idea of Texas seceding?

The US continues to save NYC to help Wall Street survive, even though NYC and Wall Street feed and fuel no one. Farmers and ranchers in the SW and SC US need help. Don't turn your back on them just becasue youdon't like their politics.

(I am and expat Texan, lived there over 60 years, I love the state but hate the politics that have consumed the state since the 70's.)

[pscot]

2. It's not so much hat we hate Texas

But Texas politicians don't emerge from a vacuum. Texas voters keep coughing them up like hairballs on the living room rug. It's a cost benefit thing. Is Texas worth the trouble it creates for the rest of us.

[cutlassmama]

6. Wow. I'm one of the Texas Moveon.org members and I take offense

to that statement. Just because there are a bunch of dumbasses here doesn't mean we all are.

[jwirr]

3. Regardless of how one feels about Texas and its politics the

drought is a terrible thing but there is not much we can do about rain. Mother nature kind of controls that. And as to helping farmers survive. We can do something to cover their loses and help them rebuild. But what if this is not just something that is here today and gone tomorrow? If this is really the results of global warming then what are we going to do? And how long are we going to take to know which way it is?

[immoderate]

4. We know.

--imm

[jwirr]

5. I tend to think we do know but it is very hard for the people in the

middle of this disaster to accept that. And I think it is only going to get worse as they run out of water. We live in interesting times.

[immoderate]

7. It can't be said with certainty that a particular weather event would not have occurred...

...under some other circumstances. But the predictions of climate change generally call for: changing wind patters, higher temperatures, increased evaporation. We can only really talk about probabilities. Was it probable that at least some place would experience desertification? Yep. Texas (plus parts of Oklahoma and Louisiana) and several other places around the world were predicted. Just not where.

What to do?

Are you familiar with the expression, "head for the hills!":shrug:?

--imm

[jwirr]

9. I have been hiding in the "hills" for years now. Woods in MN. Just

hope I made the right choice.

[immoderate]

10. To live in the woods.

That could work. Eh? :shrug:

--imm

[Gman]

8. Screw 'em if they don't like Texas

that can kiss our asses.