On Thursday morning, we got a new United Nations scientific report examining how global warming and human-caused climate change is dramatically degrading the land, while the way people use the land is making global warming worse.
It's more dire news on the world's climate, something we've seen a lot of lately. Unseasonable warm temperatures in the Arctic (especially Greenland) is causing massive melting. Europe experienced a heat wave that shattered records. Paris at 108 degrees is not a normal Paris. Miami is again being threated by tidal flooding as sea-level continues to encroach on South Florida property worth billions.
On the heels of Minnesota's Farmfest, where we heard many different levels of frustration from farmers, comes the UN report that says: "The stability of food supply is projected to decrease as the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events that disrupt food chains increases." North America (including Minnesota) and South America supply the vast majority of the planet's food. We have to improve our crop production in a warming world. That's not me saying it. This has been something scientists have warned us about for years.
When it comese to climate change, food and water supplies are our most pressing issues. It's causing mass migrations (including the U.S. southern border) that could cause up to a billion climate refugees in the next three decades. It's not a debate anymore. It's a looming crisis.
Here’s something to consider, if you’re still one of those that doesn’t buy the science. 69% of Americans think the U.S. should take AGGRESSIVE action on climate change. Not take action. Take aggressive action. That includes the majority of Republicans.
Think about that. 69% of Americans can’t agree on anything. But they agree on this. It’s now one of the top issues voters are worried about when it concerns the 2020 Elections (sadly, along with gun violence after this past weekend).
It doesn't matter what you think of Al Gore. He sees it as his mission to bring awareness to what is happening. The actual facts are complex, but the basics have become irrefutable. Yet we refuse to come together on this topic. If we continue down this road, and ignore the climate crisis, United Nations reports will continue to paint an ugly picture for humans around the planet.
Gore also said one other important thing in the quote above. We have the solutions.
What I don't understand is…what are we resisting against? Better and cleaner energy? A planet not so full of waste? Water that is actually drinkable? Who is against this? It’s cheaper than burning fossil fuels (yes, for those that deny that, it's not just cheaper now it will be much cheaper as we go forward).
It’s not futuristic. Not out of a science fiction book. Because it already surrounds you. Solar panels. Wind turbines. Electric cars. Cleaner agriculture. Less waste.
The ability to live as we have, but “clean” already exists. We just need to embrace it.
Ranchers, naturally, are fighting back saying cows don't do nearly as much environmental damage as the UN report suggests, and saying food waste is more of a problem. "When cattle graze on grass pastures, they are actually improving the grass and what they're grazing on," Rancher Brandi Buzzard said. "We are doing everything we can to improve our environmental footprint." Those changes are great. A more sustainable way of ranching does help. And food waste is also a very large part of the problem. Not everyone is on board however.
Over the weekend at the climate training, all meals served were vegetarian. I'm not a vegetarian, but I'll admit that I didn't miss a thing and it's making me reconsider how I eat. The food was delicious and filling.
To be clear, nobody is saying you can't eat meat. Nobody is saying you have to become vegetarian. But small changes that we make as a species can make a massive difference to our global resources, including the ways we raise cattle.
Can you eat one meal a week without meat, for example? The answer is yes.