Other areas were said to expect more moisture. They are much of Scandinavia, Russia, Canada and Alaska. The study shows that some areas of the Southern Hemisphere also may escape drought.

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BOB DOUGHTY: Do not waste food, and you will save energy. That is the message of scientists who say America wastes food energy equal to about three hundred fifty million barrels of oil a year. That represents about two percent of yearly energy usage in the United States.

Scientists Amanda Cuellar and Michael Webber work at The University of Texas at Austin. They reported the findings last month in the journal “Environmental Science & Technology.”

Mr. Webber says a lot more energy goes into food than people think. His report estimates that, three years ago, between eight and sixteen percent of all energy used in the United States supported food production.

FAITH LAPIDUS: The Texas researchers estimated the energy intensity of preparing food from agriculture, transportation, processing and food sales. They also included the energy intensity of storing and preparing food. The researchers measured food intensity in British thermal units, better known as BTUs. A BTU is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of about one-half kilogram of a substance by one degree Fahrenheit.

The scientists say they used information provided by the United States government from nineteen-ninety-five. At that time, the government estimated that twenty-seven percent of food for human consumption was wasted.