United States of megadrought

Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Oct 24, 2022 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell NOAA Drought has engulfed large swaths of the country, threatening parts of the nation's food and power supply. And it's getting worse. More than 80 percent of the continental U.S. is experiencing unusually dry conditions or full-on drought, which is the largest proportion since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began tracking 20 years ago. Winter is expected to intensify and spread the dry conditions, killing crops and increasing fire risks in regions that don't usually face such dangers, NOAA says. That could spell trouble for electricity in states such as California, Arizona and Nevada, depleting water supplies needed to cool power plants and reducing the flow to hydroelectric dams on waterways like the Colorado River. Of particular concern is the Mississippi River, where record-low water levels are making it hard to move cargo by barges, which is vital for transporting crude oil , corn, soybeans and other essentials. The developing drought across the Mississippi Basin is also allowing salt water to enter from the Gulf of Mexico, which could contaminate drinking water. California and the West are faring no better. The ongoing megadrought is expected to worsen, with no relief for the dangerously depleted Colorado River or the Southwest reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. (Farther north, the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region are actually expected to sustain heavier winter precipitation than normal.) The 22-year megadrought in the West has deepened so much that it's now considered the driest in at least 1,200 years. Authors of a recent study in the journal Nature Climate Change found that 42 percent of the drought is attributable to human-caused climate change, confirming experts' worst-case prediction for the current level of global warming. Meteorologists are also attributing the dry forecast to a third straight winter of La Niña, a complex weather pattern where strong trade winds churn colder water to the surface of the Pacific Ocean and push the jet stream north, which has only happened a few times in the last half-century. As the planet continues to warm, rare weather events like megadroughts are becoming increasingly common, along with 1,000-year floods and record-smashing heat waves. Scientists warn that unless the world dramatically reduces its carbon emissions, extreme weather — and the toll it takes — will become the norm.   It's Monday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host,  Arianna Skibell . Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to  askibell@eenews.net . Listen to today's POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Catherine Morehouse breaks down why the Biden administration has limited options to lower steep power bills this winter. Breaking it down An oil pump jack operates in the Permian Basin in Stanton, Texas. | David Goldman/AP Photo President Joe Biden's decision last week to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is sparking debate about whether the plan will work and how it will influence the midterm elections. Mike Lee and Carlos Anchondo break down the potential security risks associated with the move, how the oil releases could affect the midterms and whether the oil and gas industry will increase production. Power Centers A man points to a home destroyed by Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico. | Alejandro Granadillo/AP Photo Lessons learned In the weeks since Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has given aid to far more residents of the U.S. territory than after Hurricane Maria demolished the islands five years ago, writes Thomas Frank . The contrast is an example of how policy shifts by the Biden administration have made it easier for people in disaster areas to qualify for emergency aid. The changes aimed to address concerns that FEMA was distributing disaster aid inequitably. Working the campaign trail Biden is struggling to sell his recent climate wins in the final stretch before the midterm elections, writes Scott Waldman . He's arguing that climate action is coming, and so are cheaper gasoline prices. Those clashing claims come amid a start-and-stop campaign season for Biden, whose low approval rating of 43 percent has muted his ability to rally support for Democratic candidates. Air pollution As the EU prepares new air quality guidelines, nine Belgian citizens are taking their regional authorities to court over air pollution, writes Antonia Zimmermann . The lawsuit argues that the three regional governments have put residents' health at risk by failing to adapt air pollution laws in response to new World Health Organization guidelines. in other news Heckled: Sen. Ted Cruz's appearance on ABC's "The View" on Monday was interrupted by climate change protesters in the audience. Workplace culture: Inside the new push for climate disaster PTO.   NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. A segment of the Mountain Valley pipeline. | Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC A major expansion of the Mountain Valley pipeline may be on hold after the developers nixed plans to take 275 acres of private land in the project's path. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she is exploring the development of standards for voluntary carbon markets to tackle climate change. A 14-year study details the ways coalbed methane wells interfere with deer migration. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   JOIN WOMEN RULE THURSDAY FOR A TALK WITH DEPARTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: A historic wave of retirements is hitting Congress, including several prominent Democratic women such as Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats' former campaign chief. What is driving their departures? Join POLITICO on Oct. 27 for "The Exit Interview," a virtual event that will feature a conversation with departing members where they'll explain why they decided to leave office and what challenges face their parties ahead. REGISTER HERE .       Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.