水之戰爭–消失中的亞特蘭大

美國佐治亞州首府亞特蘭大正在爭扎着! 根據Salon.com一篇文章的綜合報導:

18 months of blue skies have led Georgia to break every historical record, whether measured by "the percentage of moisture in the soil, the flow rate of rivers, [or] inches of rain."

And yet, depending on which article you read, Atlanta will essentially run out of water by New Year's eve, in 80 days, in 120 days, or, according to the Army Corps of Engineers -- which seems to find this reassuring -- in 375 days, if the drought continues (as it may well do).

隔鄰的南卡羅來納州及田納西州也好不到那裏:

17 North Carolina water systems, including Raleigh and Durham, have 100 or fewer days of water supply remaining before they reach the dregs." Rock Spring, S.C., "has been without water for a month. Farmers are hauling water by pickup truck to keep their cattle alive." The same is true for the tiny town of Orme, Tenn., where the mayor turns on the water for only three hours a day.

根據drought.gov的資料顯示, 美國東南部各州例如南卡羅來納州、田納西州及佐治亞州的乾旱程度仍然是屬於D4級–即是非比尋常級別 (見圖)。這情況為何一直維持下去?另外這邊箱, 兩廣也正在受到旱災的威脅! 根據今天信報報導:

在旱情嚴重的廣東方面，今年秋季(九月至十一月)降水量偏少四成ニ，廣西則偏少二成八! 降水的持續偏少使廣東省內大部區出現中等以上旱情，局部地區更達到極旱‧‧‧‧‧筆者希望自己只是杞人憂天! 因為全球太多太多的旱情，串連起來便令人懷疑這是不是全球温室問題的後遺症。若這是新趨勢, 水資源股便大有可為了。