Barge traffic halted on Mississippi River by lowest water levels in a decade

[MTAtech]

Barge traffic halted on Mississippi River by lowest water levels in a decade​

New YorkCNN Business —
The lowest water levels in the Mississippi River in a decade, caused by a severe Midwest drought, have closed the vital channel to barge traffic at a crucial time of the year for the transport of crops from the nation’s heartland.
...
The region that feeds water into the Mississippi River has been hit especially hard by a regional drought since July, leading to sharply lower levels around Arkansas and Tennessee, according to data tracked by the US Geological Survey. The two highest levels of drought have recently expanded across the Midwest and the South, according to last week’s US Drought Monitor.
==============
Here is one for those who are still denying climate change. The mighty Mississippi is at the lowest level in a decade.

 

[Loulit01]

Drill, Baby, Drill!

Drill us right into the ground.

 

[snakestretcher]

Barge traffic halted on Mississippi River by lowest water levels in a decade​

New YorkCNN Business —
The lowest water levels in the Mississippi River in a decade, caused by a severe Midwest drought, have closed the vital channel to barge traffic at a crucial time of the year for the transport of crops from the nation’s heartland.
...
The region that feeds water into the Mississippi River has been hit especially hard by a regional drought since July, leading to sharply lower levels around Arkansas and Tennessee, according to data tracked by the US Geological Survey. The two highest levels of drought have recently expanded across the Midwest and the South, according to last week’s US Drought Monitor.
==============
Here is one for those who are still denying climate change. The mighty Mississippi is at the lowest level in a decade.

This is being repeated around the world. The US drought map (updated weekly), shows the extent of this problem in America:

Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Climate crisis made summer drought 20 times more likely, scientists find

Record northern hemisphere drought in 2022 hit crops and power stations, worsening food and energy crises

www.theguardian.com

 

[HIP56948]

My mind goes back to that senile bastard Reagan.
When Ronald Reagan was elected in November 1980, he appointed lawyer James G Watt to run the Department of the Interior. Watt had a reputation for hating conservation projects, as a matter of policy and of faith. He once famously described environmentalism as “a leftwing cult dedicated to bringing down the type of government I believe in”. The head of the National Coal Association pronounced himself “deliriously happy” at the appointment, and corporate lobbyists started joking: “How much power does it take to stop a million environmentalists? One Watt.” With the help of Exxon, the Reaganites killed a lot of progress that's now coming like a rotten fruit.
My hate for those bastards knows no bounds..

 

[TomFitz]

My mind goes back to that senile bastard Reagan.
When Ronald Reagan was elected in November 1980, he appointed lawyer James G Watt to run the Department of the Interior. Watt had a reputation for hating conservation projects, as a matter of policy and of faith. He once famously described environmentalism as “a leftwing cult dedicated to bringing down the type of government I believe in”. The head of the National Coal Association pronounced himself “deliriously happy” at the appointment, and corporate lobbyists started joking: “How much power does it take to stop a million environmentalists? One Watt.” With the help of Exxon, the Reaganites killed a lot of progress that's now coming like a rotten fruit.
My hate for those bastards knows no bounds..

Watt‘s assistant was Gail Norton, who was forced to resign as Interior Secretary to the Bush Administration in the midst of the “Casino Jack” Abramoff scandal, and the corruption of her assistant STepen Griles. He routinely hosted extraction industry lobbyists and maintained side door access to the Secretary. When that got out,she discovered that she needed to spend more time with her family.

Griles went to jail.

Norton went to Royal Dutch Shell, and faced a Justice Department investigation into influence peddling.

 

[Taylor]

Wow, the water level hasn't been this low since all the way back to 2012.

 

[Metric Mouse]

Don't worry guys, Biden will get KSA to pump more oil, amd we can just truck all the goods overland. Genius.

 

[The Mark]

Drill, Baby, Drill!

Drill us right into the ground.

We'll need that drilling skill to build the underground bunkers necessary for a remnant of humanity to survive the climate apocalypse?

 

[multivita-man]

This is being repeated around the world. The US drought map (updated weekly), shows the extent of this problem in America:

Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Climate crisis made summer drought 20 times more likely, scientists find

Record northern hemisphere drought in 2022 hit crops and power stations, worsening food and energy crises

www.theguardian.com

As bad as this is, it's probably about to get worse. The La Nina weather pattern that brings drier air to the West is likely going to repeat itself for a 3rd consecutive year - only the 3rd time this has happened since 1950 but 2nd time since 2000.

What people forget is that it's not just the surface water scarcity that's a problem. When surface water scarcity prompts federal, state, and local authorities to restrict water, they begin pumping water out of the ground at faster rates. This has been happening now, and it's to the point where experts are genuinely concerned that aquifers may collapse. If that happens, it would be hard to overstate how disastrous this would be.

And yet there is really no credible plan to deal with any of this. On paper, we will have authorities impose limits on usage, but this is going to be politically sensitive to the say the least. No place represents America's supposed abundance more than the territories west of the Mississippi, and yet the environment is facing climatic conditions unseen since 800 AD.

This country, and indeed the world, need to have a serious conversation about the limits to growth, and what it means economically and politically. I have a bad feeling the only time this conversation will ever take place is when people are murdering each other over not just perceived scarcity, but scarcity that's real and palpable. Humans are no different than ant colonies. When we're fighting over resources, we kill.

 

[AliHajiSheik]

One is left to wonder from the story what happened a decade ago when it was worse.

 

[Phys251]

Barge traffic halted on Mississippi River by lowest water levels in a decade​

New YorkCNN Business —
The lowest water levels in the Mississippi River in a decade, caused by a severe Midwest drought, have closed the vital channel to barge traffic at a crucial time of the year for the transport of crops from the nation’s heartland.
...
The region that feeds water into the Mississippi River has been hit especially hard by a regional drought since July, leading to sharply lower levels around Arkansas and Tennessee, according to data tracked by the US Geological Survey. The two highest levels of drought have recently expanded across the Midwest and the South, according to last week’s US Drought Monitor.
==============
Here is one for those who are still denying climate change. The mighty Mississippi is at the lowest level in a decade.

But the Big Oil companies! Think of their precious profits!

 

[slavablueberryjam]

Now the time to build land over it!

 

[Phys251]

One is left to wonder from the story what happened a decade ago when it was worse.

That is not the winning argument that you apparently feel that it is. I'll let you think about why.

 

[Helix]

It's obvious, isn't it? Biden drained the Mississippi. Tweety told us this would happen, and if he didn't, he at least thought it.

 

[snakestretcher]

As bad as this is, it's probably about to get worse. The La Nina weather pattern that brings drier air to the West is likely going to repeat itself for a 3rd consecutive year - only the 3rd time this has happened since 1950 but 2nd time since 2000.

What people forget is that it's not just the surface water scarcity that's a problem. When surface water scarcity prompts federal, state, and local authorities to restrict water, they begin pumping water out of the ground at faster rates. This has been happening now, and it's to the point where experts are genuinely concerned that aquifers may collapse. If that happens, it would be hard to overstate how disastrous this would be.

And yet there is really no credible plan to deal with any of this. On paper, we will have authorities impose limits on usage, but this is going to be politically sensitive to the say the least. No place represents America's supposed abundance more than the territories west of the Mississippi, and yet the environment is facing climatic conditions unseen since 800 AD.

This country, and indeed the world, need to have a serious conversation about the limits to growth, and what it means economically and politically. I have a bad feeling the only time this conversation will ever take place is when people are murdering each other over not just perceived scarcity, but scarcity that's real and palpable. Humans are no different than ant colonies. When we're fighting over resources, we kill.

Your last paragraph echoes my thoughts; we've had years of talks, conferences and glib promises, yet nothing gets done. Someone once said the last war we fight will be over water resources. The world is broken; everyone knows, nobody cares about tomorrow as long as they're ok today.

 

[Bodi]

Barge traffic halted on Mississippi River by lowest water levels in a decade​

New YorkCNN Business —
The lowest water levels in the Mississippi River in a decade, caused by a severe Midwest drought, have closed the vital channel to barge traffic at a crucial time of the year for the transport of crops from the nation’s heartland.
...
The region that feeds water into the Mississippi River has been hit especially hard by a regional drought since July, leading to sharply lower levels around Arkansas and Tennessee, according to data tracked by the US Geological Survey. The two highest levels of drought have recently expanded across the Midwest and the South, according to last week’s US Drought Monitor.
==============
Here is one for those who are still denying climate change. The mighty Mississippi is at the lowest level in a decade.

So for 9 years the water level was higher than this one year... and that is proof of climate change... which you think is synonymous with Global Warming?

 

[Bodi]

Your last paragraph echoes my thoughts; we've had years of talks, conferences and glib promises, yet nothing gets done. Someone once said the last war we fight will be over water resources. The world is broken; everyone knows, nobody cares about tomorrow as long as they're ok today.

Tomorrow keeps happening though, despite all the doomsday predictions.

 

[snakestretcher]

So for 9 years the water level was higher than this one year... and that is proof of climate change... which you think is synonymous with Global Warming?

Read, learn:

Climate change and droughts: What’s the connection? » Yale Climate Connections

As average temperatures continue to climb, drought has become a permanent part of our vocabulary.

yaleclimateconnections.org

You might feel secure in your smug indifference, but it's the increased frequency of extreme weather events that should clue you in.

 

[Bodi]

Wow, the water level hasn't been this low since all the way back to 2012.

Never before in the history of the world were water levels lower than they are right now.

 

[Bodi]

Read, learn:

Climate change and droughts: What’s the connection? » Yale Climate Connections

As average temperatures continue to climb, drought has become a permanent part of our vocabulary.

yaleclimateconnections.org

I understand the connection already... less rain means drought, not the end of the world.

Huge Barge Backup Eases on Mississippi, Freeing Tons of Cargo

A backup of more than 2,000 boats and barges on the Mississippi River is being cleared as two closures along the waterway reopened on Sunday.

www.bloomberg.com

Looks like the river is back open.

 

[snakestretcher]

I understand the connection already... less rain means drought, not the end of the world.

Huge Barge Backup Eases on Mississippi, Freeing Tons of Cargo

A backup of more than 2,000 boats and barges on the Mississippi River is being cleared as two closures along the waterway reopened on Sunday.

www.bloomberg.com

Looks like the river is back open.

Climate Change Indicators: Weather and Climate | US EPA

Weather and Climate

www.epa.gov

 

[Rexedgar]

One is left to wonder from the story what happened a decade ago when it was worse.

you obviously know nothing about rubber bands…….

 

[multivita-man]

Your last paragraph echoes my thoughts; we've had years of talks, conferences and glib promises, yet nothing gets done. Someone once said the last war we fight will be over water resources. The world is broken; everyone knows, nobody cares about tomorrow as long as they're ok today.

Indeed, we've had climate change agreement after agreement, and the concentration of carbon ppm is not only rising, but exponentially so -- right along with GDP growth, or more accurately, growth in global wealth.

 

[multivita-man]

I understand the connection already... less rain means drought, not the end of the world.

No, not the end of the world, but the next 20 years are going to be the most dangerous in the history of civilization, dating back 10,000 or so years. Possibly the most dangerous in the history of our species' existence, depending on our reaction.

 

[hoopsnake]

We need desalination plants up and down both coasts. We need to limit the number of people who are allowed to build in areas where there is already a water shortage. Pay attention Vegas. And we need to stop legal and illegal immigration until we're sure we have jobs and water for everyone. The nature of climate is to change and we should be smart enough to solve our problems without radical, knee jerk reactions by unhinged Greenies.