Texas Problems - Drought And Republicans

The drought may be over in some parts of the United States, but it still has most of Texas in its grip. The only areas of the state with normal conditions are the tiny areas on the map above that are in white. The yellow areas are abnormally dry, but not quite dry enough to be classified as being in drought condition. All the rest of the state (more than 80% of the state) is in one of the four drought stages -- and my own area of the state, the Panhandle, is still experiencing severe drought conditions (note the red and dark red colors covering most of the Panhandle).

To say that Texas is in need of some rain would be an understatement. It needs a lot of moisture of any kind (rain, sleet, snow, etc.). The question is whether we will get the needed moisture, or not. Has the worsening global climate change affected the state negatively? Are semi-arid areas, like the Panhandle, now going to become more desert-like as each year passes? It's certainly starting to look that way.

The Texas legislature, which will go into session this week, is supposed to discuss a water plan for the state. That plan was needed even before the drought struck, and is even more critical now -- as Texas gets a bigger population and less rain each year. And that plan needs to address the future water needs of all of Texas -- not just the urban areas.

I would like to think the legislature would take swift and bold action to address the state's water needs, but the Republicans are in complete charge of the state government -- and they are notoriously cheap. They are unlikely to want to spend the many billions of dollars needed to solve the water problem. They are more likely to just kick the problem further down the road. And with the rapid population growth coupled with the effects of global warming, that could be disastrous for the future of the Lone Star State.