Human civilization has thrived during the 10,000 years that we had a stable climate. Global warming is upending everything from our weather patterns to our health and safety. While climate scientists are still trying to understand exactly how the current drought in California is impacted by climate change, they have warned for decades that as our planet warms, dry places will get drier, and wet places will get wetter. And given how much of America’s food comes from California, we are all affected by this enduring drought.
Here are five things you should know about the California drought: