Scientists who work on precipitation trends indicate that prolonged long and severe droughts will be commonplace through the end of the 21st century.
2. The records show that an extreme drought that can last for many years or even a decade has severe impacts on the ecosystem.
3. By analyzing trends over the last 100 years, scientists see signs of the relationship between warming and drought in western North America.
4. Most frightening is that the extreme drought could become the new normal: climate models point to a warmer planet, largely because of greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Thermoelectric energy production will compete for Limited water resources.
6. There is still time to prevent the worst; the risk of a megadrought in the American West can be reduced if we reduce fossil-fuel emissions.