Amazon Deforestation Seen Causing Western USA Drought

Another reason to save the Amazon. In research meant to highlight how the destruction of the Amazon rainforest could affect climate elsewhere, Princeton University-led researchers report that the total deforestation of the Amazon may significantly reduce rain and snowfall in the western United States, resulting in water and food shortages, and a greater risk of forest fires. Dry winters. The researchers report in the Journal of Climate that an Amazon stripped bare could mean 20 percent less rain for the coastal Northwest and a 50 percent reduction in the Sierra Nevada snowpack, a crucial source of water for cities and farms in California. Previous research has shown that deforestation will likely produce dry air over the Amazon. Using high-resolution climate...

Source: FuturePundit - November 14, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Randall Parker Source Type: blogs