A new approach in the study of climate and hydrologic change integrating the examination of temperature, precipitation and drought risk indicate that Colorado River flows, sustainable water supplies, and ecosystems in the Southwest are already being seriously affected by warming, and that continued warming could result in much larger impacts than widely thought, even if mean precipitation increases. These results have serious implications for terrestrial systems in most parts of the globe, including regions with higher average precipitation (e.g., the Amazon and Great Lakes regions). We are now able to say this with high confidence, strengthening the case for actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Hosted by:
Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

In conjunction with: Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Center for Global Studies, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Crop Sciences, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, School for Earth, Society, and Environment, School of Integrative Biology, Spurlock Museum