Friday fracking video

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Companion piece

Just to give you an idea why people in this area are so concerned about excessive water usage:

July was the hottest month ever recorded in Texas, said state climatologist John Nielson-Gammon, and the 12 months ending July 31 were the driest since records started being kept in 1895.

The state has entered a "vicious cycle" where the heat and drought feed on each other, he said. "Without any moisture in the ground to evaporate, the thunderstorms can't form. It's the same thing that causes the high temperatures," Nielson-Gammon said.

"It will clearly, in my opinion, be the largest agriculture loss we have ever experienced," Miller said, estimating farmers and ranchers stand to lose $8 billion, double the losses from droughts in 2006 and 2009.

And he says the worse may not have even arrived for Texas.

"Climatic models show there is another La Nina system, which is blamed for this drought, coming our way this fall," Miller said. "That is not a good thing."

The article was written 5 weeks before the video above was shot.