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I figured I would start a thread about this as I have read several troubling articles about the extended forecast (showing a very dry fall and winter).
Here is the current drought map:
NC Drought Map (http://ncdrought.org/drought4.php - broken link)
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From WRAL, Thursday, Sept. 16th 2010:
Record set for 90-degree days; drought 'likely to worsen'
RALEIGH, N.C. — The temperature reached 90 degrees at Raleigh-Durham International Airport just before 1 p.m. Thursday. This year set the record for the most 90-degree days in a single year. Meanwhile, a new report says North Carolina's drought conditions "are likely to worsen over coming weeks and months."
[full article]
This isnt as bad as the drought that lasted for months a few years ago. People need to take precautions. Forget the yard watering as water tables are dropping. Limit the amount of backyard BBQ's or have a bucket of water available.
Especially on a windy day. I just check for advisories and so far North Carolina is not under any.
I remember that drought, Sunny. I decided to go ahead an post this topic given the long term forecasts for fall and winter. Sounds like some areas on the coast are now worried about wildfires next week because of the heat and dry top soil there.
I have a couple of rain barrels I use for watering. Hopefully it won't get as bad as it was 2 years (I think?) ago. I agree, its always best to be prepared rather than wait until "it" hits the fan.
In a state whose population is growing as fast and NC's, it's always good, no matter what the rainfall, to use water conservation techniques. the same lakes that could keep a certain area with enough water 10 years ago may not be able to do it with the growth rates in NC in some areas now. The drought/water shortage (they are two different things, of course) of 2007 was severe and, I hope, taught us all good water habits to use less water for things like showering, shaving, brushing teeth (the latter two of which one should never, ever leave the faucet running for), flushing toilets less often if you "do #1" and don't share a bathroom with anyone, watering the yards less and of course use rainwater, etc.
I follow these techniques all the time now, even when we're getting a lot of rain. Most water that people use can easily be cut down on without the slightest inconvenience, once they get used to it.
I figured I would start a thread about this as I have read several troubling articles about the extended forecast (showing a very dry fall and winter).
Here is the current drought map:
NC Drought Map (http://ncdrought.org/drought4.php - broken link)
-----------------------------
From WRAL, Thursday, Sept. 16th 2010:
Record set for 90-degree days; drought 'likely to worsen'
RALEIGH, N.C. — The temperature reached 90 degrees at Raleigh-Durham International Airport just before 1 p.m. Thursday. This year set the record for the most 90-degree days in a single year. Meanwhile, a new report says North Carolina's drought conditions "are likely to worsen over coming weeks and months."
[full article]
PEOPLE, it is called Global Warming. It is happening across the world.................
PEOPLE, it is called Global Warming. It is happening across the world.................
Its called patterns, not overall change. Just like the people freaking out in the 1970's saying we were headed into another ice age because it was so cold all the time. People were running out and buying alternative heating sources. Now we are on the other end of the pattern. This too will change. In the meantime, both patterns offer up good opportunity for opportunists to make money off of the easily fooled.
flushing toilets less often if you "do #1" and don't share a bathroom with anyone
Sorry but I find that disgusting.
I read reports somewhere that said population growth has very little if any effect on the water table. We simply don't have the kind of impact on nature as some people think we do.
I was going to suggest water-saving toilets. Most US-made toilets waste a ridiculous amount of water. The water saving ones I have are more forceful and use a lot less water. Saves a lot of $.
A lot of the old toilets use something on the order of ~5-gallons-per-flush while the new efficient ones use about ~1.6-gallons-per-flush (GPF). I have Toto toilets and they use 1.6 GPF.
I read reports somewhere that said population growth has very little if any effect on the water table.
When you have a lake/reservoir and a certain degree of "typical" rainfall that has been providing water for a certain population, and suddenly that population is 1.5 times what it used to be and there is no rain for a whole summer to fill the lakes, naturally there will be a point at which there isn't enough water without alternate water coming in. We weren't far from hitting that point in 2007, and the population of the area has grown quite a bit since then. Personally, I don't care to "test" the odds, plus I simply don't believe in wasting anything when you don't need to. It's not even a hardship to cut off the faucet to brush your teeth, yet many let gallons gush down the drain serving no purpose at all.
Quote:
We simply don't have the kind of impact on nature as some people think we do.
That is one opinion, yes. We also have more effect on nature as "some people" think we do.
Its called patterns, not overall change. Just like the people freaking out in the 1970's saying we were headed into another ice age because it was so cold all the time. People were running out and buying alternative heating sources. Now we are on the other end of the pattern. This too will change. In the meantime, both patterns offer up good opportunity for opportunists to make money off of the easily fooled.
The 1970's global cooling theory was started by a few scientists theorizing and then the media picked it up without the scientific community validating the claim.
Right now is a different story. The debate in the scientific community is over. It's really simple, actually. We are putting more gases that trap heat into the air, so it will get hotter. The last 13 years have been the hottest 13 years on record.
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