How Climate Change Affects Agriculture

In this podcast series, Samantha Williams discusses the effects of climate change on agriculture, focusing on crops. Climate change, caused by burning fossil fuels, releases greenhouse gases which trap heat in the atmosphere, melting ice sheets and causing rising sea levels. Agriculture, particularly in developing nations, will be most impacted, as their climates are already hot and dry. Droughts will become more widespread, decreasing crop yields and causing water shortages. Climate change will also amplify weather events, leading to intense rainfall that drowns crops and decreases soil nutrients. The US will also experience changing weather patterns, including increased precipitation and extreme temperatures. Climate change will displace millions of people and cause irreversible damage, but action can still be taken. In the next episode, Arkansas-specific effects and individual actions will be discussed. Hello, this is your host, Samantha Williams, currently recording in my dorm room at the U of A Little Rock campus. The date is April 18th, 2023, and in this podcast series, we're going to be learning about the effects of climate change on agriculture, mainly focusing on crops. In this first episode, I'm going to emphasize large-scale agriculture issues, both globally and nationally. The later episodes will focus on how Arkansas in particular will be affected, and the resolutions to these small and large-scale issues. Long ago are the days where humans have to hunt and gather to survive. Now, if you're hungry, a simple grocery store run is all it takes. Being so far removed from our natural surroundings and the workings of our environment, we take for granted the luxuries of packaged meat and avocados in the summer. But this way of life is causing immense harm to our planet, which is in turn harming the very thing we need to survive, agriculture. To begin, we need to understand the exact mechanisms of climate change. The industrialized world uses fossil fuels to supply energy and to make petroleum. When fossil fuels are burned, they release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. This gas causes heat to become trapped within our atmosphere, which has detrimental effects. Ice sheets are melting, the sea level is rising, and all of this disrupts our planet's natural climate system. Unfortunately, the sector predicted to be impacted the most by global warming is agriculture. Despite the fact that they contribute the least to global warming, developing nations will be hurt the most by our changing planet. Since developing nations are predominantly near or around the equator, their climates are already deemed too hot and dry to be very productive. These countries also depend heavily on the agricultural industry to make money. As their climate warms even more, it will cause droughts to become more widespread. Droughts cause water shortages in the soil, decreasing crop yields, and also decreases surface water, leading to conflict. Climate change will also amplify weather events. Because the oceans are warming, evaporation is increasing, meaning more precipitation has to occur. Intense periods of rainfall cause crops to drown, and oversaturates the soil so roots cannot effectively absorb nutrients. It also causes the soil to lose nutrients, specifically nitrogen. Farmers in developing nations don't have the same access to technology that American farmers have, so they cannot tech their way out of this situation. Further, they face more challenges on top of decreasing crop yields, like food and water scarcity, and an increase in infectious diseases. According to the World Bank, by 2050, more than 143 million people will be displaced because of conflict over food and water, and climate-driven natural disasters. Taking a closer look at home, the U.S. will experience the same changing weather patterns. However, because the U.S. is farther from the equator, these changing weather patterns are not as severe as of yet. The 4th National Climate Assessment shows projections for these changing precipitation and temperature patterns. Precipitation is going to increase in all areas across the country, including Arkansas. Some places, however, will experience an increase in drought, namely New Mexico and parts of Texas. High temperatures will also become more extreme. There will be more intense heat and less cool winter days across the entire continent. By 2090, the southern U.S. will experience about 160 days a year where the temperature is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. As you can see, climate change will cause irreversible damage and endanger many people's lives. Developing countries are suffering while the U.S. has yet to see the worst of this unfortunate consequence. Intense rainfall and drought will devastate crops and communities, will continue to be displaced all across the developing world. There is still time to act. There is still time to apply the needed solutions. Next time, we will learn about how Arkansas will be affected specifically and things we can do in our own daily lives to slow down this sad phenomenon. Thank you for listening and see you next time.