New US study says greenhouse gases will disrupt severely US water, agriculture, forestry

Climate change will cause much less rainfall in the Southwest and more rain in the Southeast in coming decades, according to a study released today with the signatures of three Bush administration Cabinet officials.

See the report at climatescience.gov.

The New York Times report on this leads with the growth of concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing the projected change in US rain patterns, as well as resultant changes in agriculture and forestry. The swings affect some of the fastest-growing parts of the United States.

According to an accompanying map, most of New England would have negligible changes in rainfall from the years 2040-60, according to the US Climate Change Science Program.

One point in the 203-page report highlighted by the Times: the country's ability to detect climate shifts is lessening with the shrinkage of budgets and plans for long-term monitoring of air, water and land changes.