Scientists predict a megadrought will possibly hit North America soon, according to the BBC.
A megadrought is a natural event that will last longer than droughts that hit North America in the 19th and 20th centuries. The study Large contribution from anthropogenic warming to an emerging North American megadrought, posted on Science Mag, discovered the last two decades were the driest in North America since the late 1500s.
"Williams et al. used a combination of hydrological modeling and tree-ring reconstructions of summer soil moisture to show that the period from 2000 to 2018 was the driest 19-year span since the late 1500s and the second driest since 800 CE," the study said.
Climate change: a serious threat
However, some researchers say it is too early to say if there will be a megadrought. According to scientist Dr. Angeline Pendergrass from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, "the region can have long spells with little precipitation. But she agrees that climate change will make things worse, with drought drying up the people's reserves.
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Researchers told Science Mag that global warming has affected "what would have been a moderate drought in southwestern North America into megadrought territory." The upcoming megadrought is just the beginning of a trend that won't stop unless the United States changes the way it handles its emissions. These mostly come from power plants burning coal, vehicles using gasoline or diesel, as well as natural gas.
The USA ranked second in countries the produce the most Carbon Dioxide emissions in the world, according to USA Today. In 2017, it produced 21.47 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from fuel and per person. Most of these emissions occur when power plants burn coal or natural gas and when vehicles burn gasoline or diesel.
Something can still be done
While drought occurs naturally, its impact can be lessened by nations shifting to green energy.
The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed the U.S.A.'s ability to make the shift. It concluded, "the U.S. can dramatically reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and nearly phase-out coal by 2030 while saving consumers and businesses money by investing primarily in energy efficiency and renewable energy."
But the United States is not the only country with the means to go green. In a report by the Climate Council,10 other countries are already leading the charge on renewable energy: Sweden, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Scotland, Germany, Uruguay, Denmark, China, Morocco, and Kenya.
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Sweden promises to generate electricity without using fossil fuels by 2040, while Costa Rica has been producing electricity using hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind for four years. Nicaragua aims to produce 90% renewable energy using wind, solar, and geothermal sources, with Scotland using wind power to generate 98% of its electricity.
Meanwhile, Germany powered every household using renewable energy for one year. It took Uruguay 10 years to run on almost 100 percent renewable energy, which was only 40% eight years ago. Denmark set a world record in 2017: 43% of its electricity came from the wind; 30 years in the future, it claims to be 100% free of fossil fuels.
Although China is the number one carbon emitter in the world, it had the largest amount of solar PV in 2017. Morocco is taking solar energy to the next level by having the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, capable of powering one million homes. Half the power generated in Kenya comes from geothermal energy - they have a 310 MW wind farm that produces 20% of Kenya's electricity.
