Articles
200-Year Drought May Have Caused Death of Sumerian Language
Climate change – and drier weather – may have help killed off the Sumerian language and may have amplified Mesopotamia’s eventual decline.
Why the New Ken Burns Documentary on the Dust Bowl Has Lessons to Teach Us
Climate change and the environment were the forgotten issues of the 2012 election—at least before Superstorm Sandy put them square on the map But even before...
The Cost and Consequences of the U.S. Drought
The 2012 farming season may be in its waning days, but the consequences of this year’s drought, the worst of its kind in 25 years, are yet to be known.
Pumpkin Prices Higher as Crop Successfully Endures Drought
Last year’s flooding throughout the Midwest pushed prices of some pumpkins 60% higher around the U.S. This year, widespread drought is causing prices to edge up...
On the Great Lakes, a Dry Summer Slows a Recovering Shipping Industry
Low water levels on the Mississippi River, which have snarled cargo traffic and completely halted hundreds of barges at a time, got most of the media attention...
Drought Is Withering U.S. Crops. Can Superseeds Save the Day?
All farmers know they'll have to endure the occasional dry period, but what has happened to the American Midwest this summer has been practically biblical. By...
Can GM Crops Bust the Drought?
All farmers know they’ll have to endure the occasional dry period, but what has happened to the American Midwest this summer has been practically biblical. By...
Why the Drought Won’t Be Getting Better Any Time Soon—and Why This One Won’t Be the Last
I’m beginning to wonder what will dry up first: water supplies for the parched farmers of the Corn Belt, or synonyms for aridity for the hard-working writers...
The Great Drying Strikes Again
The drought gripping much of the U.S. may be a reprise of even worse ones the continent has suffered before
Win-Win: How Farmers Unexpectedly Benefit From the Drought
The drought of 2012 is etching its name deeper into the history books. According to a report by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), more than 55% of the...
Fire Up the Barbecue? Drought Will Bring on Cheaper Meat Prices for a Spell
This summer’s historic drought is bound to yield rising prices at the supermarket. The awful harvest of corn and soybeans is causing their prices to soar, and...
Epic Mass Fish Deaths: This Time, Heat Is to Blame
Scientists couldn’t quite get to the bottom of last year’s mysterious fish deaths. The demise of an estimated 100,000 drum fish that littered a river in Arkansas...
How the Drought of 2012 Will Make Your Food More Expensive
They call drought the sl0w-motion disaster, and for good reason. While earthquakes and volcanoes strike in a moment, and hurricanes unfold over a few days, a...
Drought Across Much of U.S. Leaves Crops Withered and Landscapes Burnt
The extreme drought now affects more than 60% of the United States, leaving the worst-hit Midwestern states thirsty for water and hankering for relief.
When the Rains Stop
As if we haven’t been writing enough about the Midwestern drought online, this week’s dead tree issue TIME also features coverage of the big dry. It’s for...
Thanks to Heat Wave, Grocery Prices Are Likely to Spike by the Fall
The heat wave that scorched much of the U.S. for the last month was brutal. But there’s more pain to come, this time in the form of higher food prices. By this...
Rising Temperatures and Drought Create Fears of a New “Dust Bowl”
Triple-digit days. Weeks with little to no rain. Soil crumbling away. Stunted corn stalks. Right now the fertile fields of the U.S. Midwest are experiencing...
U.S. Beef Prices Rising Thanks to Drought in Southwest
The smallest cattle herd in 60 years is likely to push the price of beef, already at record levels, even higher. Last week the U.S. Agriculture Department...
Forget Irene: The Catastrophe That Could Really Hurt Is the Drought in Texas
As Hurricane Irene swept up the east coast of the United States, there was a surge of envy rising deep in the heart of Texas. No one wished ill on a neighbor on...
