Water Requirements and Man-Induced Climate Change

The unrestrained combustion of fossil fuels is possibly the most important environmental issue facing mankind. The concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere may double within the next 50 years, producing changes in amounts of rainfall, increasing temperatures and changing the agricultural potential. Temperature changes will be greatest (about 8°C) at 83 degrees latitude. A doubling of CO₂ concentrations will increase temperatures near the equator by less than 2°C at latitude 40° by about 3.6°C. In the latitudes 37° to 47° rainfall is projected to decrease while water requirements are estimated to increase by possibly as much as 30 percent. The potential for future agricultural production in the United States will depend largely on the availability of additional water. Quadrupling CO₂ concentrations is projected to increase temperature by more than 6°C at 40° latitude.