Extremely hot temperatures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond are keeping climate top of mind -- here's what we can do about it.
| | | | | | | | | Firecracker Temperatures Keep Climate Top Of Mind | | | | Last week's major heat wave, which pushed temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in places such as the Pacific Northwest and Northeast, has certainly kept the issue of a changing climate in the national spotlight. It would be inaccurate to claim these events are exclusively the result climate change, as The New York Times noted in a compilation of fascinating charts. Yet a scientist interviewed by the Gray Lady was clear climate change is an important factor: "It’s a safe assumption, in my view, to blame increasing greenhouse gases for at least some portion of this event."
Events such as these remind us that though we're constantly learning more about the science of climate change, the effects of severe weather are real and potentially even fatal. Yet as authors of recent books such as "Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All" and "Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, And Why It Matters," have noted, we should not only emphasize real climate risks, but also underscore human ingenuity to tackle it head on. Advances in science, technology and engineering around the world can and have made the world a better place. This innovative drive of humanity can help tackle some of our most pressing problems, especially climate change. It's a reminder for those of us in the agri-food value chain that each day represents a new opportunity to take the next small step toward a future in which we collectively mitigate risk, address global warming and build resilience into our farms and food system for this generation and the next. How is your organization working to creatively tackle these challenges? Drop me a note at nbirt@farmjournal.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Until next week,
Nate Birt
Vice President
Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | A Helpful Carbon Markets Resource For Your Sustainability Team | | | Shared by Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: If you're looking for insights, information and resources about agricultural carbon markets, our colleagues on the Farm Journal editorial team have come through in a big way. The new Carbon Innovation Center at AgWeb.com is designed to help farmers and ranchers make sense of the ever-evolving carbon market ecosystem. Yet this same information can help your organization navigate the landscape, as well, and better understand the issues that are top of mind for producers whose regenerative practices can eventually lead to the creation of carbon credits. Have an idea for ways to grow and expand the Carbon Innovation Center? Email them to nbirt@farmjournal.com.
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| | | | | | | | A Free Resource For Smart Irrigation Month | | | Shared by Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: No email edition focused on dry conditions and climate change would be complete without addressing drought's counterpart: water. In honor of Smart Irrigation Month this July, check out our free research report, "U.S. Farmer Perspectives On Water," conducted with support from American Public Media's The Water Main. You'll find many insights, quotes and charts based from a survey of more than 900 U.S. producers--and what's more, practical tips for sustainability professionals and conservationists seeking to engage producers on these important topics.
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| | | | | | Sprints To Build An Actionable Investment Thesis For Soil Health (via The Nature Conservancy) | | Shared by Drew Slattery, human dimensions of change lead, Trust In Food: In this fascinating post, Renée Vassilos, director of agriculture innovation at The Nature Conservancy, shares her organization's journey toward developing novel ways to fund and glean insights about soil health that can put 50% of U.S. cropland on the path of having adaptive soil healthy systems by 2025. The Agility Lab at TNC is one example of the immense creativity underway in U.S. conservation agriculture to advance scientific understanding and on-the-ground practice adoption.
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| | A Harvest For The World: A Black Family Farm Is Fighting Racism In Agriculture And Climate Change | | Shared by Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: This profile of regenerative Black farmer Leah Penniman illustrates how Penniman is working to create greater equity for farmers of color across the U.S. As one observer notes of Penniman in this Washington Post report: "Her efforts with Soul Fire Farm are an argument that you don’t have to exploit people, you don’t have to exploit nature and still produce abundant, nourishing food for communities."
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| | When Marketing Becomes Policy: The Trouble With Regenerative Agriculture (via RealAgriculture.com) | | Shared by Nate Birt, vice president, Trust In Food: The advance of regenerative agriculture has the potential to improve farmers' bottom lines and meet the needs of food companies' customers--so long as it doesn't spur government policies that restrict producers' access the basket of practices and tools they need to operate. That's the argument of Canadian ag journalist Shaun Haney in this thought-provoking post about his observations on regenerative ag north of the U.S. border.
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