Hotter, drier, meaner: Trends point to a planet increasingly hostile to agriculture

By Douglas Fischer

A host of data point to one conclusion: Our increasingly hotter, drier planet is going to be a tough place to farm

Drought now grips more than half of the nation

By The Associated Press

New report shows drought gripping US has expanded to cover widest area since drought of 1956

Excerpts from this story referencing "Drought":

"… Midwest," said climatologist Mark Svoboda with the Nebraska-based National Drought Mitigation Center. It's all a huge comedown for farmers who …"

"… Monday's report was based on data going back to 1895 called the Palmer Drought Index. It feeds into the widely watched and more detailed U.S. Drought Mon …"

"… mer Drought Index. It feeds into the widely watched and more detailed U.S. Drought Monitor, which reported last week that 61 percent of the continental U.S. …"

"… inental U.S. was in a moderate to exceptional Drought. However, the weekly Drought Monitor goes back only 12 years, so climatologists use the Palmer Drought …"