Search
Close this search box.

Extreme weather expert Dr. Roger Pielke Jr. shows the latest data showing no alarm on droughts

 

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/06/14/pielke-jr-weighs-in-on-drought/

 

Roger Pielke Jr. Weighs in on This Week’s Hysteria: Drought

Originally tweeted by Roger Pielke Jr. (@RogerPielkeJr) on June 14, 2021.

I was curious
So I graphed percent of CONUS in drought according to the US drought monitor, data is weekly from 1/2000

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx

Here from US EPA is the same data by drought category

https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-drought

And here from EPA is a longer time series, 1895-2020 for CONUS
Note: On this graph up means wetter, down means dryer

https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-drought

And here is the percent in drought (D0-D4) of the Colorado River Basin over Jan 2000 to present

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx

And here is Colorado River Basin drought 1901-2015
via McCabe et al 2020

https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/eint/24/2/eiD200001.xml

And for a much longer perspective, here is Colorado River Basin drought over the past 1800 years
Also from McCabe et al 2020

TL;DR
Here are the conclusions of McCabe et al 2020
Well worth reading carefully

And here is what the US National Climate Assessment concluded on drought in 2018

https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/2/

PS
A side note
For accurately citing peer reviewed literature & US NCA on drought trends in 2013 Congressional testimony, I earned the distinction of being the only US researcher in history to be attacked by the president’s science advisor (Holdren) in a White House blog post 😎

PPS
Holdren is still wrong
The IPCC, USNCA & peer reviewed literature that they rely on is still correct

Climate change is real, and aggressive mitigation & adaptation policies make good sense

The reality of climate change doesn’t mean scientific integrity can be ignored

/END

Oh, I guess I should point out Holdren’s false claims about me posted on White House website were basis for a subsequent Congressional investigation of me that turned my life upside down & almost ended my career
But I’m still here
And that kids is how I came to understand tenure

Originally tweeted by Roger Pielke Jr. (@RogerPielkeJr) on June 14, 2021.

Share: