Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) March 18, 2015
In California’s worst ever – and apparently worsening – drought, only one year of stored fresh water remains, according to Historical Climatologist L. DeWayne Cecil, PhD, speaking on the Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® radio show in observance of World Water Day. Even though California boasts the world’s greatest water movement and storage capability, if the water supply situation does not improve quickly and drastically, America’s most populated state and number one agricultural producer could face drastic lifestyle changes.
Kleyne interviewed Dr. Cecil on the Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® radio show of February 16, 2015. For podcasts of that and other past shows, go to http://www.SharonKleyneHour.com. World Water Day is observed on March 20.
Dr. L. DeWayne Cecil, PhD, is a Historical Climatologist who worked for NASA and NOAA for 31 years. He is currently employed by Global Science and Technology of Ashville, North Carolina. Dr. Cecil is a frequent guest on the Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® radio show.
The syndicated radio show, hosted by Sharon Kleyne, is heard weekly on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes. The education oriented show is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua® Research, a global research and technology center founded by Kleyne and specializing in fresh water, the atmosphere and dehydration. Nature’s Mist® Face of the Water® is the Research Center’s signature product for dry and dehydrated skin and eyes.
California’s drought, according to Cecil, has been developing for the last four years and appears to be worsening. January 2015 was California’s driest month on record and February 2015 was the warmest month on record. In San Francisco, February 2015 was the first winter month in 163 years of record keeping with no measurable precipitation.
Not only is California’s reservoir storage at a record low, so is stored groundwater. Also, much of Southern California’s water comes from the Colorado River. With Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada experiencing their own drought, this resource is also uncertain, says Cecil.
The California drought, Cecil explains, has the same cause as the recent record breaking snowfall in the US Northeast: A change in energy balance in the global atmosphere, creating more frequent and severe weather extremes. There is no question, Cecil believes, that global temperatures are rising and drought is increasing. Determining whether the change is natural, human caused or somewhere in between will require considerable research.
Cecil is a strong advocate of climate research such as NASA’s EOS (Earth Observation Satellite) program. No other measuring system can track major vegetation and weather changes on a global basis as well as EOS.
The biggest water supply challenge for California and the rest of the world, Cecil notes, is rapid global population growth. Earth’s population hit seven million only a couple years ago and will reach nine million by 2035. This will require increased land development, industrial and agricultural production and a far larger water supply.
Weather systems originate, according to Cecil, with the simple evaporation of water into the atmosphere. When land is covered with buildings and roads, or is deforested or cultivated, or the air becomes polluted, less water evaporates into the upper atmosphere, fewer clouds form and warmer, drier weather results. As drought takes hold, lakes and wetlands diminish, soil moisture decreases, soil microorganisms die, productivity decreases and desertification sets in.
The United States, Cecil and Kleyne believe, has not taken the water supply crisis seriously enough. Maintaining a safe, reliable and affordable fresh water supply should be the top priority of every government entity everywhere.
The good news, Kleyne and Cecil agree, is that even if the drought continues, the water supply situation can still be turned around and there are promising developments. Advances in dry land farming, drip irrigation and hydroponics enable producers to grow more food with considerably less water. Also, Southern California has been moving towards total water recycling. Where they once discharged millions of gallons of sewage into the Pacific each day, the water is now being reused, reducing the need to constantly import new water.
World Water Day, on March 20, say Kleyne and Cecil, offers an excellent opportunity for the pubic to become educated about the threats posed by the global fresh water supply crisis. Cecil and Kleyne are concerned about the lack of World Water Day publicity and would like to see better media coverage and greater public involvement. ©2015 Bio-Logic Aqua® Research. All rights reserved.