Increased temperatures and unpredictable rainfall can compromise our food supply.

What is the biggest global health threat of the 21^st century? Is it swine Flu? AIDS? Obesity?   According to a group of 18 leading doctors from around the world in a recent letter to the British Medical Journal & Lancet it is climate change.

Here are some of the ways that climate change affects human health:

1)      Food Supply: Increased temperatures and unpredictable rainfall can reduce crop yields, affect livestock and compromise our food supply.

2)      Extreme Weather Events:  Climate change may cause more heat waves, cold waves, storms, floods and droughts.  This can increase the risk of food and water shortages and water- and food-borne diseases.  Heat waves can claim the lives of the weak, and elderly as in Europe’s 2003 summer heat wave which claimed the lives of over 30,000 people.

3)      Disease: Many diseases carried by insects such as malaria, and dengue fever thrive in warmer climate conditions and climate changes can prolong and intensify the transmission of these diseases.

4)      Air Quality: Warmer temperatures mean a higher frequency of smog which exacerbates respiratory conditions such as asthma and other chronic lung diseases.

In recent years the polar bear has become the prominent face of climate change, but we need to refocus on the human faces affected by the changes in our environment. We must emphasize the children, families and communities whose health will be affected by these changes and concentrate less on the polar bears.

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“The surprise was that the biggest changes were in the Heartland and the Great Plains,” said Jonathan Hoekstra, director of the climate change program at The Nature Conservancy. So far, he said the western US has been the area that has seen the most warming.

“In many states across the country, the weather and landscapes could be nearly unrecognizable in 100 years,” he added. By 2100, states such as Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota could see average temperature increases of more than 10 degrees.

Some impacts Midwesterners could see by 2100 include significant declines in the dairy industry because dairy cow productivity decreases above 77°F.  Also, the US’ $200 billion agriculture industry would face drier soil and shifting crop production patterns.

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Hospitality Design Magazine and ASID named Founding Farmers the Project Winner of the 2009 Earth-Minded Awards and the restaurant was also awarded the Grand Prize in the Restaurant/Casual category from the 2009 Association for Retail Environments Retail Design Awards.    In addition to being named a “Top 50 Best New Restaurant” by Travel + Leisure this past June, the restaurant has garnered many other honors from local and regional publications. All of the awards they’ve received only complement the unique mix of modern and old country that blend harmoniously in the Founding Farmers’ atmosphere.  Farm tables, dynamic open space, and old wood are highlights that wait for you at one of DC’s hottest new restaurants.

Their homemade creations range from classic American traditions to great farm meals.  If you’re looking for a new, hip restaurant in DC that combines old and new, visit Founding Farmers to learn more or book a reservation.

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“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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But according to a new report, researchers at University College Dublin say that they have found a way to reduce cattle methane emissions by 2% — supplement their diet with fish oil. Adding omega 3 fish oils to a cow’s diet also help the cow’s heart and circulatory system and leads to better meat quality for the consumer.

Globally, cattle are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. A 2% cut in emissions is a great step in the right direction, but more must be done. Part of this can be accomplished by ensuring consumers who consume beef are aware of the carbon impact of their steaks, and encouraging practical reductions in meat consumption. Farmers can do more as well, with the help of carbon credits.

Many farms are now taking creative steps to capture the methane emissions from their animals to help prevent them from entering the atmosphere. By collecting the emissions in what is called a methane biodigester the farmer can not only capture the emissions, but also utilize the methane to create a renewable source of energy.

Because of their efficiency and clear environmental benefits, methane biodigesters have become prevalent as a means to generate carbon credits. By allowing farmers to generate revenue from carbon credits, the balance of the equation shifts in favor of taking action as opposed to allowing cows to fart us towards a warmer world. I mean, what farmer wouldn’t want to produce high quality food, protect our environment, and be able to count on revenue generated from the sale of carbon credits?

Carbonfund.org is a proud supporter of agricultural methane biodigestors. Offset your carbon footprint with Carbonfund.org and support projects like these today.

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But farmers who take an active role in the fight to stop global warming and reduce emissions stand to profit from a well designed cap and trade.

According to a report in Bloomberg.com, farmers can receive carbon credits from the Chicago Climate Exchange for implementing more sustainable agricultural practices. In the report, Bloomberg cited two examples of farmers who were receiving $3,000 and $1,500 annually for implementing a ‘no-till’ farming practices. Tilling to prepare a field for agriculture releases CO2 is stored underground in organic material. No-till farming allows farmers to continue to utilize their land for agricultural purposes, but it requires farmers not to agitate their soil before planting, thus keeping organic matter and carbon emissions in the ground.

No-till farming is also cheaper than conventional farming. Farmers do not need to use machines required to till a field, saving in fuel costs and more carbon emissions. It is estimated that corn-farmers that implement no-till practices can save $83 per acre in fuel and fertilizer costs.

In addition to the emissions reductions that can be gained through no-till farming, agricultural land can also be used to produce bio-fuels that burn cleaner than conventional fuels and farm land can also be utilized for locations of wind turbines and solar panels.

The role that farmers play in the clean energy economy is going to be crucial if we want to see emissions reductions that match the goals scientists say we must reach. By taking an active role, farmers can make money, produce food and unlock more real world global warming solutions.

Support farm based carbon offsets with Carbonfund.org.

(Image Courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica)

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