The drought in California is extreme, and is being used as a real-life test case of the impact of extreme changes in environment on population and agricultural centers. Whether the drought is aberrant weather, natural climate change, or civilization-induced climate change, there fact is that there isn’t enough water to sustain old lifestyles, business practices, and farm practices. The drought, however, doesn’t stop at the border. About half of the states in the United States are expected to experience regional shortages. They may not be as public as California’s situation, but they will involve a lot more people. New ways of using water will be developed by necessity as much as by choice.
