Will not happen. For the most part, the logistics of lumber harvesting prevent selective harvesting. Many counties, municipalities, and private citizens are facing the big expense of removing dead trees.

US1776,

Keep your day job, you will never make it as a comedian. Besides, not original, yours is about the fifth obsession filled post.

I hope we don't have water wars like we have oil wars, its coming.

I agree spike" how can a hateful douche-bag comment get that many votes..Zero regard for any suffering involved !

Some of you here think it's fun to bash Texans, I have no idea why. The drought we are living through here is damn near biblical! Farmers in the state have seen the worst crop failures IN HISTORY! Think that's funny? The cattle ranchers sent 600,000 more cattle to slaughter this year than normal so they wouldn't starve or die of thirst! Still think that's funny? Because if you do then you need to seek psychiatric help!

As far as the Rick Perry comments, there are vast numbers of us in Texas that know he is a total moron and doesn't stand a hoot owls chance in hell of getting the nomination.

Sorry for that Kevin, it is just Texas' politicl leadership is largely republican and therefore anti science and pro oil conglomerate. People don't realize Texas' recent progressive past, or that it will be bright blue in a decade or so, what with the changing demographics. I don't delight in seeing any state going through what your state is whatever their stripe, but I do know repubs would be doing gleefull backflips if it was a blue state going through it.

I wonder how many IDIOTS making light of the drought in Texas were pissing and moaning over the flooding in New England just a few months back.

the weather patterns are changing as the earth tilts, the north pole is racing toward Russia, airports are having to re-mark landing runways ti alighn with the new magnetic pole; it happens every 22 thousand years.

Best of luck getting through this natural disaster Texas.

Being from Michigan, we have our own disaster here except economically due to decades of government malfeasance and malinvestment. Of course the knuckle-dragging, mouth breathing, illiterates will glamorize your suffering to make their own pathetic selves feel better. It never ceases to amaze me the level of hate, fear-mongering, bias and partisan blathering they can exhibit.

Any little hiccup in weather or other natural occurrence is quickly associated with the infatuation of global warming. Of course none of them have any idea what they're talking about other than their propaganda talking points indoctrinated in them. If not global warming they further embarrass themselves with their ridiculous disparagement of religion. As if any of us of faith could care less about their disbelief, they have to constantly defend their insignificance to themselves.

As a fellow citizen in our great Republic I hope you the best during your struggles and believe you will stay strong in your commitment. Ignore the usual adolescence of the simple-minded and misguided.

Five years ago it was all about the record drought in Cal-ee-fornia. They even had the Governator on 60 Minutes walking around with Leslie Stahl's talking about how biblical it was. They showed reservoirs that were 30 feet below normal. Guess what, it rained.

Amazing how the over the top, hysterical media turns natural events into major catastrophes. Just today in the news is an article about a Russian ice breaker having to make its way through all the sea ice in order to reach Nome, Alaska with fuel.

Hell, I thought the sea ice had all melted based on all the articles i read on MSNBC. Go figure.

Nothing against you Texas, but this too will pass. Remember the Alamo.

You are getting the north geographical pole confused with the north magnetic pole. The magnetic pole is moving toward Russia but that doesn't affect the weather. A change in the position of the north geographic pole would change the weather. The north geographic pole, however, is not moving and in fact the polar axis of the Earth, and the positions of the geographic poles, is very stable, in part because of the stabilizing influence of the Moon.

I live in Austin and yes this has been a horrible drought. But if you could see a better photo of the trees that are dieing, you would see that they are cedars which pull all available moisture out of the ground. Good riddance.

Time for another prayer meeting, since they know global warming is not real and they can't use science to to deal with their problems, since they removed it from their text books.

Yes, I cry crocodile tears for Texas. Under energy deregulation, Texas corporations turned off power stations to boost prices and killed people in other states, with no concern for the false profits they ran up over killing people and stealing. More proof that cutting regulation only encourages unethical behavior, which Rick Perry know all about. Funny how prices went up as regulation went down, and the companies that benefited short term (Enron, etc.) ended up going belly up and eliminating many jobs across Texas and the rest of the western US. More proof that Republican policies will result in a double dip worse than the great depression while making billionaires richer and this country poorer.

God is just telling Texans time to move on from the failed policies of Republicans. They only thing Texas is first in anymore is executing people.

mal"achi, it's called the law of supply and demand. It's THE single simplest and most important principle of economics. It means that the greater the supply of any given product, the lower the price. But when trees are dying, lumber supplies are in shorter supply, and the prices go UP.

dave schaffer; it appears that the earth wobble tilt is in fact happening, it is not just the magnetic pole which was always a little west of Greenland, it is in fact the axis, you are correct in regard to the moon; however the tilt appears now to be well documented, it will be interesting to see if the tilt continues or if it stabilises back to the axis, I do not believe it to be a Earth threading disaster, just a normal cycle that plays out ever 20 something thousand years; NASA is at this time measuring the distance to a fixed object from the moon to the Earth, using some type of Laser measurement, let us wait and see what the results turn up.

spray another 6 billion chemtrails this year and exterminate those useless eaters

Drought or fracking fluid.... Do some testing and see if the trees haven't been polluted by drinking fracking fluid. Destroying our environment an a large scale is criminal. No company should have the right to inject crap into the Earth. Any petroleum executive should be made to take fracking fluid in IV form before being allowed to IV it into the Earth. We should start with dick&bush.

In regard to the "Earth wobble," yes, scientists have known for a long time that the Earth's rotation axis "precesses" like a spinning top every 26,000 years or so, which combined with other factors could eventually trigger an ice age, but the changes are far too slow (and possibly even in the wrong direction) to explain the current global warming.

Weather patterns on the earth will always vary this is inevitable, the best thing we call do is anticipate the changes that come with them.

This 10 plus year draught across the south west United States has been devastating and Texas has gotten the worst of it. This might be a good time to start a discussion in this country about how we can best manage our water resources as we move into the 21^st century. It’s not as impossible as some would think; this is the first time in human history that we finally possess the technologies and the knowledge to manage our resources all we’re lacking is the political will.

David, you beat me to that one.

Yea all those factoriesshut down by mitt Romney and Bain(Bane).

Unions are stil a fraction of the workforce...get another boogeyman...you don't seem worried about the guys pulling in billion a year and have a house provided and lifetime paid for insurance and pension...

Yeah, seems damn funny you go after a union worker who isn't making 2 percent of what an average CEO makes, but you are all for the "job creators" which in your book includes Paris Hilton and her ilk. If it wasn't for Unions, YOU would not have the job protections you now have, and your retirement will be sh**. Pensions, 40 hour work week. ect...

Does alwaysanother dislike everything or does he just miss "the bush?"

Besides. This story was about the drought in the Southwest and especially Texas. His points, -----------------------------are?

Maybe he lost his snail shells. Life without snail shells can be rough.

The anti union guy never read a book in his life. Without Unions America would have never had a middle class.

El Nina! Cooling of the Pacific ocean, Not global warming

A few years ago there was no drought in Texas. Does that argue against climate change? Some states are having unusally average weather. Does that argue against climate change?

Seriously, you cannot pin a specific event on AGW.

I do hope Texas gets some rain soon. Trees, birds -- good.

There was a drought in the SE for 1 1/2 years, guess what those states hay received rain are back to normal. It's called cyclical climate change.

@DarnThatDream

Its global climate change over a long period of time not just a season or two. 100's of scientists have said it is happening and it is man made. the only deniers are nonscientists like Glenn beck or scientists on the petroleum industries payroll.

Snowfall? In Texas? LMAO, only in the very northern part is there any snowfall worth mentioning. Down here in Southeast Texas, every third tree is dead and it is not a pretty sight. The rain we got in December doesn't even come close to making up for what we are short in 2011. Sad to say, lots of us are praying for a hurricane this summer.

John-1013552, you're an idiot.

First of all, the ocean/atmosphere phenomenon that is going on right now is called La Niña. Learn some Spanish or open a book for heavensakes. If you are going to pretend to trout your expertise in an area where you clearly have no knowledge, at least use the right phrase. It is either El Niño or La Niña...right now it is La Niña.

Second, there no conclusive evidence to suggest that the El Niño or La Niña are related to global warming. There is active research in establishing a baseline at which to compare the cycles of El Niño or La Niña in order to tell if global warming is having an impact. Your statement that there is absolutely no connection is arrogant and pre-mature. Wait for the research, and then make bold statements.

John-1013552, you're an idiot.

First of all, the ocean/atmosphere phenomenon that is going on right now is called La Niña. Learn some Spanish or open a book for heavensakes. If you are going to pretend to trout your expertise in an area where you clearly have no knowledge, at least use the right phrase. It is either El Niño or La Niña...right now it is La Niña.

Second, there no conclusive evidence to suggest that the El Niño or La Niña are related to global warming. There is active research in establishing a baseline at which to compare the cycles of El Niño or La Niña in order to tell if global warming is having an impact. Your statement that there is absolutely no connection is arrogant and pre-mature. Wait for the research, and then make bold statements.

Here in Idaho we were told the La Nina would bring us a lot of moisture this year. We around Boise have had no snow and very little rain...only a trace all fall & winter so far. It is very possible that man-made scenarios like la Nina etc. and just ideas that do not work out in the long run.

Weather has been going to extremes for millions of years. We just happen to be here right now. I do not really think we affect it much. We trash the world and foul it as we suck & drain the good out of it...but in the long run the world will flush us and heal itself. Soon I hope.

There's alwaysanother stupid idiot. Snowmelt as a substitute for rain in Texas? Were you asleep in geography class back in third grade? Unions are the problem with America? Were you asleep in history class back in sixth grade? Republican policies help the middle and lower class? Have you been asleep for the past thirty years? Wake up!!! You and the uneducated fools like you are what's wrong with America. You vote for your own enemy and allow them to screw you over time after time because you're too poorly educated or too lazy to think critically.

Jon R, I take it that, in your mind, a critical thinker would pull the straight party Democrat lever, hee, hee?

That's what upsets me about these idiot politicians who, rather than actually doing something (like putting in tighter water restrictions or not cutting funding for fire departments), are making a big show (and a mockery of the US Constitution) by holding public prayers. If it fails, no one mentions it. If it works, they'll claim their prayers did it. Stop trying to get reelected and start working for your citizens for a change.

Dan GB,

Stand up for your principles! Refuse to use anything that is transported using fossil fuels, refuse to ride in a gas powered vehicle, refuse to ride in an electric car that has petroleum-based parts or is charged by petroleum fueled electricity!

And, most important, destroy your petroleum-based computer! Please!!

Spike, I would love nothing more than getting off outdated energy sources. Henry Ford himself was working on bio fuels and bio plastics before the great hemp prohibition of 1937.

Through fear mongering, the petroleum, lumber and textile industries got something banned that may have very well reshaped how we look at energy production. We could very well have been petroleum free if it were not for this. There are many other renewable sources for products besides hemp that specific industries want to keep control of. To this day, those same industries, along with some lobbyists and politicians, continue to keep us dependent on outdated fossil fuels.

The powers that be, would rather use vital food sources for things other than feeding the world. We have the ability to break free of fossil fuels. Let's take the billions in welfare we give to dirty energy every year and give it to renewable sources for a change. Let's allow the use of hemp in commercial and industrial applications. Let's use switch grass instead of corn for fuel. Let's stop the senseless usage of energy sources we should have scrapped long ago.

It's easy to say to refuse to use something based off of its contents, but where there is no other option, that argument is actually quite ignorant. We have no other choice but to use petroleum based products since that industry has a stranglehold on our energy and plastic production.

"...industries got something banned..."

What was banned? If banned, how do you know about "it"?

Dan, are you for real?

Texans have no one to blame but themselves for fueling worldwide global warming with their fossil fuels. But global warming is just a myth, right?

REALLY? You really think that Texans created the global warming issue? You really think that Texans force you and the rest of the world to consume fossil fuels, really? What about the Middle East?

Not only are you a total moron but you need to seek professional help!

Or a State-wide car wash!

Climate change has been here since the beginning of time. Roughly 15k yrs ago NA was covered by thousands of ft of ice and the oceans were 400 ft lower than today. From wiki ... "[Studies of] Yucatecan lake sediment cores ... provide unambiguous evidence for a severe 200-year drought from AD 800 to 1000 ... the most severe in the last 7,000 years ... precisely at the time of the Maya Collapse." Who caused that drought?

No climate scientist claims that droughts are primarily caused by global warming (or by human activity of any kind), however there is already good statistical evidence that warming is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts in some areas.

yeah, all those "spoiled" "entitlement" scientists. lol.

proamerica, the problem is that we actually are changing the climate, and it has been scientifically verified. You can continue with knee-jerk denial as longa s yuo want to, but eventually even you will have to succumb to reality.

Proamerica: Almost every scientist in the world will agree that their is climate change and that human activity is the cause. The atmosphere is similar to having exploding volcanoes or if a large asteroid hit the planet, but we don't have that. Its happening with fossil fuels being burned and putting CO2 in the air. WE ARE THE CAUSE. You don't have to feel guilty about it but it might be a smart thing to do something different so our children can live here without terrible suffering, unless you don't care and your personal beliefs are more important.

I'm with vermontguy,

There is Mother Nature (for billions of years) and there is the Industrial Revolution (mankind or 200 years)....

"Some" choose to say "Man rules the earth"; I choose to say we try to change the Earth at our own peril.

Amen to that!

Because it would cost too much. For example, the Central Arizona Project ... basically a big canal from the Colorado River to Phoenix which is much shorter than what you're talking about ... cost 3 1/2 billion.

Oh wait ... that's only 5% of the cost of Bush's war in Iraq.

Never mind.

And the insanity of the people in Phoenix is they all have lawns and trees while living in a desert. Dry up the Colorado so we can have our plants that we left behind in the east or north. Humans don't make a lot of sense.

Dave, as a species, we have always tried to force this planet to bend to our will.

More times than not, the planet puts us back in our place.

You are from Texas you ignorant hick?

Proud am vet...Were you on our side or theirs?

I am on the side that even defends self-proclaimed "enlightened " morons who's whole concept of the universe is based on the barriers of their parent's basement. You know.. people like you. Incapable of intelligent rhetoric, they resolve to hide their ignorance by insulting everyone around them. The simplistic defense mechanism of one who realizes their worth n this world, along with any accomplishments .. is with out value. people with bitter unfulfilled lives.. like yours.

Guess the therapy isn't working for you is it.

Yeah but we pay no State taxes and can carry guns! Yahooooo!

And go to college on America...