While it may be hard to know exactly what role climate change has played in causing the drought, there is no doubt that these kinds of events are exactly what we expect to experience more frequently and with greater severity because of the changing climate.

CNN: 'Meatless Monday' too hot a potato for USDA

The practice caught on elsewhere, helping the farmers of the basin to get through the recent long drought using far less water than before yet with no reduction in output.

ECONOMIST: So long as it doesn��t cost too much

In drought-struck Zimbabwe , the government ordered the official meteorological office to issue no more weather forecasts without clearing them with the presidency.

ECONOMIST: Disarming arguments

While he admits that the worsening Midwest drought will cause a sharp hike in crop prices, he maintains there is yet no need to seek a reduction in corn-based ethanol production.

FORBES: The Ethanol Mandate: Drought Only Compounds Inherent Catastrophic Consequences

To understand how dependent industry is on water, look no further than the southeast U.S. Last summer, a severe drought in the region forced a nuclear power plant, Browns Ferry, to shut down one of three reactors for a week.

FORBES: The Water-Industrial Complex