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According to an analysis by the Washington Post, the largest area of land in the lower 48 states to have warmed more than two degrees celsius since record keeping began in 1895 is a cluster of counties that straddles the border between Colorado and Utah. The region is experiencing a 20-year drought made worse by the impacts of climate change.
The Colorado River supports 40 million people living in the Western United States and Mexico, not to mention a multi-billion dollar agriculture industry. Scientists say the average flow of the Colorado River has declined nearly 20 percent over the past century, half of which is caused by warming temperatures. As annual snowpack declines and melts earlier, the ground absorbs more heat and more water is lost to evaporation. The total loss of water from the Colorado River due to diminished snowpack and climate change is estimated to be 1.5 billion tons, enough water to sustain 14 million people for a year.
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Coal production depends on demand, and the sector has relied on the power sector for over 90 percent of its use. As the power sector evolves, coal consumption has declined. Cheaper and cleaner sources of energy, such as wind and solar, are displacing coal, and moving into the market share of natural gas in different states such as California and New York.”
