Climate
a) arid in west
b) humid, subtropical in east
c) emits the most greenhouse gases in US
d) state’s annual carbon dioxide emissions are on average 1.5 trillion pounds
e) If Texas was a nation it would be the world’s 7th highest producer in greenhouse gases
· 3,700 streams and 15 major rivers
· Texans have built over 100 artificial reservoirs
Texas
· 2nd largest US state behind Alaska à Texas 268,601 square miles
· 3 of its borders are defined by rivers: Rio Grande (Mexico, south), Red River (Oklahoma and Arkansas to north), Sabine River (Louisiana east)
· 790 miles long and 660 miles wide at its most distant points
· Lots of coal power plants and refining and manufacturing industries which provide most of US petroleum products
· Produces 55% of U.S. crop and 2/3rds of America’s yield is exported
· Texas and Oklahoma produce 1/3rd of winter wheat in U.S.
Drought
· Dry spell
· Lack of rain, Shortage of water
· Most often occurs when a region receives below average rainfalls
· As sunlight hits the ground it evaporates any moisture in the soil à no moisture the ground is a hot plate
3 Types of Drought
1. Meteorological à prolonged period with below average precipitation
2. Agricultural à triggered by bad irrigation or by naturally less water
3. Hydrologicalà water reserves (lakes, reservoirs) fall below average (stored water that is used but not replenished)
Causes of drought
· Loss of rainfall
· Global Warming à Global warming is certainly making the drought hotter, which creates a vicious cycle, since the higher temps dry out the earth, but the drier it gets, the hotter its get
· La Ninaà higher surface temps in tropical Atlantic ocean, a lot depends if la nina will return this fall if it does it will keep things dry
Consequences of drought
· Crop growth/yield lowered
· Dustbowls (sign of erosion) further erode landscape
· Dust storms
· Habitat damage
· Famine/malnutrition
· Wildfire à drier easier to ignite, temp hotter
Drought in Texas
· Houston has received only 1.5 inches of rain in March, April, May –less than some parts of the Sahara desert get during the same period of time
· The 10 months from October 2010 through July 2011 have been the driest for that 10-month period in Texas since 1895
· Real problem à affect on economy
· Losses so far estimated at 5 billion
· Lost a little over half its cotton crop
· Farmers have to sell cattle because there is no water for them to drink à shorter prices for meat in short run, but in long run prices will soar
· Ranchers trying to relocate cattle to different areas but the cattle were bred specifically for Texas’s climate and the herds will be hard to rebuild in Dakota, Alabama etc…
· "When you sell everything, you lose the genetics," Miller says. "They have selected cattle that do well under that environment and cattlemen have spent their life doing that."
· “THE HEAT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THE REMAINDER OF THE SUMMER…WITH
THE DROUGHT CONTINUING UNABATED WELL INTO THE UPCOMING AUTUMN. WITH
THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER DRY LA NINA WINTER…THERE IS LITTLE TO
SUGGEST ANY END TO THE DROUGHT.” – ABC News
Drought Protection
· Desalination – taking water from sea
· Drought monitoring – prevent man made drought and land erosion
· Restricting water use – sprinklers, plants
· Rainwater harvesting – storing rain water
· Recycled Water—sewage that has been purified
