In the Northern Great Plains, the timing and quantity of both precipitation and runoff have important consequences for water supplies, agricultural activities, and energy production. Overall, climate projections suggest that the number of heavy precipitation events (events with greater than 1 inch per day of rainfall) is projected to increase. Moving forward, the magnitude of […]
NCA 4: Midwest
The Midwest is home to more than 60 million people, and the Midwest is home to over 60 million people, and its active economy represents 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product. The region is probably best known for agricultural production. Increases in growing-season temperature in the Midwest are projected to be the largest contributing […]
NCA 4: Agriculture and Rural Communities
Climate change has the potential to adversely impact agricultural productivity at local, regional, and continental scales through alterations in rainfall patterns, more frequent occurrences of climate extremes (including high temperatures or drought), and altered patterns of pest pressure. Risks associated with climate change depend on the rate and severity of the change and the ability […]
Rural Futures- Shock or Solutions
Future Shock in the Countryside Earth’s rural areas are being transformed by climate change and technology. PMCARRENO / Shutterstock In the opening scene of Blade Runner 2049, a flying craft navigates California over an endless expanse of solar farms and tessellated plastic fields on its way to a desolate farmstead. Watching it, I was struck by the dazzling futuristic […]
Netherlands is world number two in agricultural exports
The Netherlands is a small, densely populated country, with more than 1,300 inhabitants per square mile. It’s bereft of almost every resource long thought to be necessary for large-scale agriculture. Yet it’s the globe’s number two exporter of food as measured by value, second only to the United States, which has 270 times its landmass. […]