W arning Signs #221 By Hank Silverberg The world may have been ignoring too many warning signs over the last couple of decades, and now they are all coming to roost. Warning 1: Perhaps the biggest one here in the United States comes from the west coast where experts say the multi-year drought is going to get worse. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is calling it a "megadrought." NOAA says 60% of the continental U.S. is experiencing drought conditions, the largest area in the U.S. since 2013. And a study published in Nature Science Change indicates that the period between 2000 and 2021 was the driest in 1,200 years. Just one example comes from Utah, where 99% of the state has severe drought conditions and 43% is in extreme drought. (Courtesty USGS) The drought presents several problems. Drinking water is the biggest, but draught also increases the fire hazard and the pollen count. The U.S Drought Monitor Current Map