A drought grips 55% of the nation in what is being called a "generational drought"

[Earth_First]

A lack of rain that hasn't been witnessed since the 1950's.

Agriculture in the nation's midwest is witnessing crop failures not seen since the Dust Bowl years of the 1930's.

Parts of the Mississippi are unnavigable due to unprecedented low water levels, and the mighty Rio Grande and Colorado rivers run dry at their terminus.

All this, yet an unfathomable idea to continue to open up new portions of the country to hydraulic hydrofracturing continues.

A process which uses 2-5 MILLION gallons of fresh water while becoming 40% waste and/or unrecoverable.

New York State is currently in the process of giving the keys of the southern tier to the gas companies, and if so; will allow for 40-60,000 new wells in the Marcellus Shale zone.

Just.Wow.

I feel so helpless against all this...

[Siwsan]

1. I never remember this much heat and dry weather

I have a big veg garden. I have resorted to watering the individual plants with a garden hose, rather than setting the sprinklers for an hour or so a day. I have a well and I am beyond worried about the water table. Hopefully the forecast for a cooler, wetter August is right. They damn well were right about June and July!

[HereSince1628]

3. I'm been watering with a can to target water for 2 weeks I'm now harvesting squash and cukes.

Besides not wasting water, I'm not growing weeds.

[Ian David]

2. My wife thought I was crazy when I bought a rain barrel. n/t

[AngryOldDem]

4. Interview with a farmer on local news tonight

He doesn't know how he'll be able to keep feeding his livestock.