Is Drought the New Normal for the Western U.S.?

be difficult to boil down to a simple definition. There's no magic number, be it inches of rainfall or water level, that signals when a drought begins or ends. For the article, this episode is based on How Stuff Works. Spoke with Stephanie McAfee, an applied klimatologist at the University of Nevada Arenow. She said, drought can mean different things in different places. It can actually even mean different things to different people

in the same place. But like many in her field, McAfee ascribes to a definition coined by the late climate researcher Kelly Redmond. Drought is quote insufficient water to meet needs. By most accounts, The current drought in the Western United States has been ongoing since the early two thousand's. While it might not be the longest drought the region has ever seen, one in the twelve hundreds lasted more than

a century, it's one of the most severe. Water levels in the Colorado Basin and Lake Mead have hit new loads, and Las Vegas didn't see rain for a record breaking two hundred and forty days between April and December of The drought has gone on long enough that climatologists are considering new terminology for it. Some have proposed labeling it a mega drought to convey the scope of the situation. Others argue that the Mega drought moniker still doesn't do

this event. Justice McAfee said something that we might be looking at is actually more like a ritification. A ritification occurs when a region becomes permanently drier. In other words, it marks a shift in the baseline for the amount of water that's considered normal. As the effects of climate change play out, it seems that less rainfall in the Western United States might become the standard. So since it's becoming increasingly common, what are some of the dangers associated

with severe drought. One of the most obvious risks is wildfire. We saw a series of devastating fires along the West coast, in particularly in California. This year. Some areas of the Golden State have received as little as eleven percent of their typical rainfall to date, which could spark even worse burns than last year as the summer progresses. Another concern

is food production. Agriculture is incredibly important to the economies of many Western states, including California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. Common crops in these states, like almonds, wheat, avocados, and apples, require lots of water to grow well, which could lead to shortages of those crops in times of drought. That's devastating to those states economies. And then there's ranching with less rainfall in states like New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona.

Ordinarily lush grazing lands for animals like cattle have suffered. It's contributed to a worldwide deficit in livestock feed. But it's important to remember that drought isn't just a West Coast thing. Other areas are in the midst of their own droughts. How Stuff Works also spoke with Curtis Roganti, an atmospheric scientist at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska. He said, I've been getting reports

of crops struggling in parts of the Upper Midwest. Northern Iowa, Minnesota, parts of Michigan, and then even up into parts of New England are all experiencing various levels of drought right now, and that means everyone across the US can expect to feel the effects of Western drought as it continues to ripple across the rest of the country. For example, last year California wildfire smoke made it as far east as New York City in Boston and potentially even impacted air

quality in the Netherlands. On the economic side, smaller crop yields out of the West would likely drive up produce prices nationwide. Despite our best efforts, human beings can't control the weather yet, but there are things we can all do to help mitigate the effects of drought. First, don't waste water. Water conservation is crucial to easing drought stress

if you live in a drought prone area. Simple things like turning off the water when you brush your teeth, taking a shower instead of a bath, or watering your plants at night to reduce evaporation. All help save precious h Two. Another one of the best ways to save water is to save electricity. It takes about fifteen gallons that's arounds of water in the form of coolant or steam to generate a single kill abott hour of power. Second,

pay attention to fire safety. Ragante said, if there's a campfire band in national forests, don't light a camp fire, and if you're not allowed to shoot off fireworks, don't. Third, think about switching up your landscaping. Planting drought tolerant species like aloe, lavender, or cacti can greatly reduce your lawn's water needs. Having a less thirsty lawn means you'll have fewer thirsty people and it can look beautiful as well.

Another trick, mulching and composting, helped keep soil wetter for longer and can even produce a cooling effect on the surrounding environment. Finally, if you live outside of a drought zone, consider buying less water intensive foods. That could mean switching to oat milk instead of almond milk, buying watermelon instead of apples, or opting for a chicken instead of burgers

at your next summer cookout. None of this will fix the drought, but these measures, taken together, along with holding large corporations accountable for the choices that they make too, can reduce the risk that drought poses to many people. Today's episode is based on the article scientists warn Western u s drought could be new normal on houstaff works dot com, written by Joanna Thompson. Brain Stuff is production of Our Heart Radio in partnership with how stuffworks dot

com and is produced by Tyler Playing. Four more podcasts by heart Radio. Visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.