In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, claim that greenhouse gas emissions and aerosol pollution are directly tied to increases in the frequency and severity of droughts. "There has always been natural variability in drought events around the world, but our research shows the clear human influence on drying, specifically from anthropogenic aerosols, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases," the study's lead author Felicia Chian said in a press release earlier this week. The study's co-author, Omid Mazdiyasni, added: "To make matters worse, droughts can be accompanied by heat waves, and high heat and low moisture can increase wildfire risk, which is already significant in the western United States." Read More