The U.S. States Currently Experiencing Drought Conditions (and How to Help)
Did you know that Western U.S. is experiencing the worst drought in more than 1,200 years? A study published in the Nature Climate Change journal reports a rapid intensification of the southwestern North American megadrought in 2020-2021 and calls for immediate action.
Even without human activity increasing the earth’s temperature, the current drought situation would still be present. However, the reality is that human activity is accelerating drought conditions to a point where there may be no way to undo the damage.
As a result, green technology companies and environmental innovators are more focused than ever on finding solutions, fast. Without people committed to making a real difference to the climate emergency (like us!), the future would look bleak for so many.
With America set for worsening conditions, we must also consider the bigger picture. The entire world is at risk of drought and water scarcity, so we must deliver global solutions.
Luckily, we’re here to tell you that small changes can make a big difference; you just need to know how you can help.
Western U.S. states experiencing drought conditions
As of March 8, 2022, drought conditions are most severe in the following U.S. states:
Texas
Oklahoma
Oregon
Nevada
Utah
Montana
New Mexico.
Worryingly, this means that more than 20% of land in the Western States is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.
Due to the severity of the situation, drought.gov has been established to provide information to the general public on the latest states affected by the emergency.
During the week of June 22, 2022 - June 28, 2022, the current conditions page of drought.gov noted that 109.1 million people in the U.S. and 105.0 million in the lower 48 states were affected by drought. Additionally, during this week, 168.7 million acres of crops were experiencing drought conditions.
While these figures should not be overly surprising given the severity of the issue, seeing such stark statistics is sobering. That said, this data type should be enough to spur even the most impassive Americans into action.
The main cause of drought in the U.S.
Nasa defines drought as “a period of unusually persistent dry weather that continues long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and/or water supply shortages.”
They state that atmospheric conditions such as climate change, ocean temperatures, changes in the jet stream, and changes in the local landscape are all factors that contribute to drought. But why are these atmospheric conditions causing so much disruption?
If you’re familiar with the water cycle diagram, you'll know that it depicts water evaporating from the earth’s surface, turning into water vapor, and condensing to form clouds. These clouds then cause precipitation in the form of rain and snow — ‘completing’ its continuous process.
With the climate crisis affecting the earth’s ecosystem, disruption to the water cycle is a natural consequence. Water is now evaporating off the earth’s surface at an increasingly high rate, posing a significant threat to the availability of freshwater that the planet needs to sustain life.
The more accelerated the water cycle is, the more likely we are to experience extreme weather events such as storms, flooding, and drought — each with its own challenges.
The main implications of drought
Drought is usually categorized using a scale called the U.S. Drought Monitor, which was created to suit the differing levels of drought severity.
From ‘D0 - Abnormally Dry’ to ‘D4 - Exceptional Drought’, the scale highlights how the impact of drought increases as the levels go up.
While those experiencing ‘D0’ levels of drought will likely witness the short-term drying of plants and crops and some water deficit, ‘D4’ levels are associated with widespread crop loss and water shortages in reservoirs, streams, and wells.
As well as causing water scarcity and the visible dryness and erosion of soil, drought also has several other health, environmental and social impacts. Some of these include:
Impacts on air quality
Sanitation and hygiene
Food shortages
Disease
Loss of fish and wildlife
Wildfires
Migration
Loss of life (both humans and animals)
Why can’t we use flood water to counteract drought?
In the case of flooding, water is falling in such unpredictable and severe bursts that it’s now impossible to manage effectively. Floodwater can contain sewage and diseases that are hazardous to our health and is therefore not suitable for human consumption or use.
While the concept of ‘moving water’ has been suggested for several years, finding viable ways to make it happen just hasn’t been possible. The reality is that focusing on non-viable solutions is taking focus and resources away from those achieving actual results during research and development phases.
What has the U.S. government done so far to combat drought in the U.S.?
Drought mitigation in the U.S. is a complex and politically-charged issue. Not only are individual states trying to vie for aid in their own right, but different administrations have also been taking unique approaches to the cause.
Overall, there’s a unanimous agreement that we need to take action and different administrations have already implemented measures to address areas of concern.
A summary report issued by the Biden-Harris administration in June 2022 stated that drought relief efforts had been coordinated in some of the most drought-stricken areas in the West.
This included “a collective investment” of $38 million ($23 million from BOR and $15 million from USDA) in the Klamath Basin to help farmers and Tribes.
Additionally, a task force of federal, state, and territorial representatives was launched for the collaborative response to land, water, and wildlife challenges facing western landscapes and people.
However, despite other actions such as webinar sessions and committee discussions, attention is on the impact that President Biden’s historic allocation of funding can hopefully make to the U.S. states currently in desperate need of aid.
As much as we appreciate funding and aid in the fight against water scarcity and drought conditions, it’s worth noting that time is of the essence to make real change globally.
While politics will always play a role in who receives aid during times of difficulty, innovators are developing solutions to help everyone — not just those in privileged positions.
How can you help?
Have you ever wondered if there’s something more that you can do to help make a real difference in the climate emergency? By aligning with the right causes, it’s now possible to make a direct impact on not only lives in the U.S., but also at a global level.
Oxydus has succeeded in developing and patenting the Teva7, a machine that extracts moisture from the atmosphere and converts it into instantly drinking water.
Already available in three different sizes, The Teva7 uses advanced A.I. software to completely reinvent Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) technology.
The Tevaa7 solves all previous issues that AWG units faced — while also managing to be more cost-effective and faster than its competitors.
By investing in technology that can provide water to areas that need it most, you can make a direct impact on:
The health and wellbeing of everyday people
Drought
Destruction of the ecosystem
Food shortages
Human conflict over water accessibility
Poverty
The disappearance of wetlands and changing landscape
Details about the Teva7 unit:
Teva7 is the only remotely managed atmospheric water production system, with all functions controllable from anywhere in the world. Because of this, the unit has virtually no limitations on where you can place it, finally providing a viable solution to a crisis that’s fast running out of time.
With a new filtration system that automatically removes contaminants from the water produced by the machine, the Teva7 has the potential to provide immediate results. Therefore, funding is all that’s needed to get the machine out onto the market and start changing lives.
With minimal maintenance and human interaction required due to its A.I. capabilities, the Teva7 units are already ensuring a brighter future for water infrastructure and green technology. This is why Oxydus has already been awarded three patents for the Teva7 unit. They are:
1. Methods Patent (U.S. patent No. 10,619,333) — issued on 4/14/2020
2. System Patents (U.S. Patent No. 10,633,835) — Issued 4/28/2020
3. International (PCT Reg. No. PCTIB2019050405) — Issued 5/22/2020
You can contact us directly if you would like to receive technical documentation on our machinery and process.
For investors, you’ll find all the information you need at: https://wefunder.com/oxydus