Working Wonders Without Water Out West
In the long rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, where dryland wheat farmers have eked out livings for more than a century, climate change is very much an issue of the present. The rain gauge is always in the back of the mind for Mike Nichols, a wheat farmer cultivating 20,0000 acres across two counties in south-central Washington state. It has to… Read More
Tenacious U.S. Drought Worsens, To Last Through Winter
The Northern Plains continue to be the hardest hit states, where Wyoming and Nebraska recorded their driest January to October period on record. Four other states ranked among their top ten driest January to October periods on record as well. Some locations in these states may set all-time records for dryness during November, as well, with some pla… Read More
Climate Change Leads to Tougher Times on the Ranch
For western Colorado ranchers, the decision to sell cattle during tough times can hinge on a flower. Local cattle have developed immunity against the poisonous larkspur that live among more edible grasses. So a rancher culling a herd he can't afford to feed faces a problem restocking once economics improve: The replacements may die if they binge on… Read More
Biotech Claims GM Trees are Fuel Industry ‘Game-Changer’
It's a timber company's dream but a horrific industrial vision for others: massive plantations of densely planted GM eucalyptus trees stretching across Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and China, engineered to grow 40% faster for use as paper, as pellets for power stations and as fuel for cars. The prospect is close, says Stanley Hirsch, chief … Read More
Winter Storms Bring A Little Relief to U.S. Drought Areas
Nearly 60 percent of the continental U.S. is still under drought conditions, according to the latest update from the U.S. drought monitor. While the past week brought rain to many of the afflicted regions, it may not be nearly enough to compensate for the historically low levels of rainfall seen across the country since early spring. However, the … Read More
Downpours From Sandy Fail to Ease Drought in U.S.
Despite the torrential rains, and in some cases heavy snows, dumped on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states by Hurricane Sandy, the drought that has gripped much of the nation since last spring continues to plague the Lower 48 States, according to the latest report of the U.S. Drought Monitor. As of October 30, the entire continental U.S. west … Read More
Rising Ocean Temps Threaten the Ocean Food Chain
It’s hardly news by now that climate change is likely to be bad, on balance, for plants and animals worldwide — humans included. But a new study released Thursday in Science paints a potentially grim picture for one of the most important and underappreciated groups of living things on Earth. The study reports that phytoplankton — water-dwelling … Read More
The Impact of the 2012 U.S. Drought: Pick Your Poison
The drought that has kept much of the nation in its grip this summer brings a host of additional downstream worries for growers already struggling with reduced yields. Cattle are being poisoned by cyanide-laced weeds in Arkansas. Across the Midwest water-soluble fertilizers are concentrating in soils and plants, making them harmful rather than … Read More
