Drought, like global warming, is a slow motion event that humans can't get seem to get ahead of. Or properly grasp. For a good historical case study examining how the Maya, the Vikings, and the U.S. (in the lead-up to the Dust Bowl) each responded to drought, see this paper by Ben Orlove, who observes:
From the comparative history of the past, it can be seen how fragile human societies can be and how resistant they can be to changing established patterns of action; it can also be seen that most people somehow survive in both a biological and a cultural sense.
The big difference today, obviously, is that we know this history and also have some ability to see into the future, as this new study suggests:
The United States and many other heavily populated countries face a growing threat of severe and prolonged drought in coming decades.
What's ...
