Earlier in the year, many experts predicted that the 22 year long megadrought that the western hemisphere had been experiencing was likely to intensify, as well as spread eastward. This prediction has been proven to be accurate as approximately 82% of the United States currently show conditions ranging from abnormally dry and exceptional drought. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is currently at the lowest water level in recorded history, and it continues to shrink daily. The Platt River in Nebraska has not had enough snowfall in order to replenish itself, leaving the riverbed dry. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest water reservoirs in the western hemisphere, are continuing to recede every year, with little signs of stopping. These changes are all attributed to climate change and it’s drastic impact on our planet. On top of all of this, the 1.5°C goal set by the Paris Agreement is becoming less and less possible. In fact, U.N. reports that the world is on track for 2.5°C by the end of the century. This coupled with the fact that we are experiencing the fasted rise in methane concentration in the atmosphere puts into perspective just how close we are to reaching a point where climate disaster is unavoidable. Instead of turning this problem around and heading towards a bright future, we are barreling towards one full of unbearable heat and weather disasters, as well as rampant disease and economic failure.
Sources:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/bodies-water-north-america-drying-due-drought-climate/story?id=91737496
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/10/26/united-nations-climate-pledges-report/
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