Corn Yields, Revenues to Fall with Global Warming
Paul Burman on April 10th, 2009
A study by Environment America has found that warmer temperatures are going to significantly affect the pocketbooks of our nation’s farmers and the bellies of people around the world. The study concluded that the warmer temperatures would adversely impact corn yields, costing American farmers up to $1.4 billion a year.
“Corn likes it cool, but global warming is raising temperatures across the nation,” said Environment America Global Warming Advocate Timothy Telleen-Lawton. “Hotter fields will mean lower yields for corn, and eventually, the rest of agriculture.”
Many states are expected to lose money for lower corn yields, with Iowa ($259 million in projected losses), Illinois ($243 million in projected losses), and Nebraska ($163 million in projected losses) leading the way.
This report flies in the face of global warming skeptics who claim that warmer temperatures and elevated levels of CO2 will increase crop yields.
But there is one plant that we are pretty sure will flourish with greater levels of CO2 in the atmosphere: poison ivy! So less corn and more poison ivy… that sounds like a bad trade off to me…
Image courtesy of World Community Cookbook.
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