wildfires

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Central Valley Dries Up

Knickmeyer, E. (2015, August 20). Study sees wildlife die-offs, bigger wildfires, dry farm towns if California drought persists. Retrieved August 23, 2015, from http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/08/20/study-sees-dying-wildlife-bigger-fires-if-drought-lasts

Due to the drought, more than a dozen species that relied on the central California streams have gone extinct and the riverbeds lay dry. Cal Fire is battling some of the toughest fires they have ever dealt with. Climate change is projected to help these conditions proliferate. Fires will increase, poor towns will run out of water, more species will begin to die off. By the 2060s, California is projected to be in a semi-permanent drought state.

These conditions relate to environmental science because of the effect climate change has on species, ecosystems, and the whole of California. It is imperative that immediate action is taken to prevent the state of California from becoming a giant desert. I think that small communities in the central valley are going to go through the Mayan collapse on a miniature scale as they continue to use the nonrenewable groundwater until they are left with nothing left, and the communities will be abandoned and the valley will overtake them.

 

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California vs. Climate Change

Howard, Brian Clark. (2014, August 14). 5 Key Threats to California From Climate Change. Retrieved August 19, 2015, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140812-california-climate-change-global-warming-science/

Due to climate change, California is going to be facing five main issues. Drought and wildfires, due to the lack of rain and snowpack which usually would provide moisture to the ground and plants; coastal danger caused by more severe storms and an increase in sea level will affect almost five hundred thousand people; bad air days due to fires and pollution; a disease called valley fever which is caused by inhaling spores of a soil dwelling fungus, which is far more airborne due to the dust whipping across the central valley; and loss of native fish, which do not do well in warmer water will all be major obstacles that come with climate change in California.

This article shows that climate change is related to environmental science because the increase of greenhouse gases and temperature accompanied by a decrease in rain and snow mess with the native fish, destroy habitats (due to increased wildfires), and loss in wetland habitats due to rising sea levels. Climate change is having a severe effect in California, and it seems that the disparity of moisture and aridity across the U.S. will only continue to get worse.