"Megadroughts"...A Stark Reminder of Why Raising Fields Is Essential For Food Security
On February 12, 2015, the Earth Institute at Columbia University published, "Warming pushes U.S. toward driest period in 1,000 years: Unprecedented risk of drought in 21st century."
Sciencedaily.com, in summarizing the report stated drought conditions in major rural regions of America are expected to "exceed the worst conditions of the distant past.
The website also states, "During the second half of the 21st century, the U.S. Southwest and Great Plains will face persistent drought worse than anything seen in times ancient or modern, with the drying conditions "driven primarily" by human-induced global warming." These dry periods are referred to as "Magadroughts."
The study points out extreme challenges to agriculture in these two regions. Droughts affect food chain growth and distribution. Severe droughts affect food and even national security.
The need for proper adaptation strategies is clear. As agriculture faces severe water deprivation in the coming decades, we should not write off increasingly valuable and essential Florida growing fields.
It's that simple: Florida has a farming future, notwithstanding sea level rise and higher temperatures. Just how we achieve that reality is our burden today, so America is ready for tomorrow.
