Second current event for trimester 2(new reasons for the downfall of the Mayan empire)

The Mayan empire was remembered for being one of the greatest empires in the renaissance period. The Mayans built gigantic temples/pyramids, had a developed culture, were advanced in the study of astrology, and had a very powerful army so they were very advaned for their time as well. Their are hundreds of theories about the downfall of the Mayan empire including famine, over population and a natural disaster. However a satitellite program called SERVIR which was origanally developed to help combat wildfires, improve land use, and assist with natural disaster responses has found traces of the Mayan's hidden and possible disastorous agricultural past. Recent research adds that another factor may have been climate change and since Mayans maintained a slash and burn agriculture a climate change could have drastically changed their way of farming. The data collected stated that a slash and burn agriculture and the conversion of wetlands may have induced a drought and may have increased the temperature in a local area. The researchers at SERVIR are now showing Central and South American countries how this may affect them and telling them to keep up with the world-wide climate change so that they don't end up like the Mayans.Check out this link http://n/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/02/080229-servir-maya_2.html