Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food

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Background

Earths climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily due to human activities. The impacts of global climate change are already being felt in the United States. They are projected to intensify in the future, but the severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changes (Fourth national climate assessment, 2018). This paper will examine four aspects of climate change: variation in the rainfall pattern, water levels, drought, temperature and heatwaves. It will help understand the implications of climate change and shed light on the efforts required, such as developing climate change policies and reducing emissions.

Effects of Global Warming

In the 1850s, researchers demonstrated that carbon dioxide and other naturally occurring greenhouse gases in the atmosphere prevent some of the heat radiating from Earths surface from escaping to space: this is known as the greenhouse effect. This natural greenhouse effect warms the planets surface about 60°F above what it would be otherwise, creating a habitat suitable for life (Fourth national climate assessment, 2018). However, human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation have interfered with the greenhouse effect.

These and many other changes are clear signs of a warming world. Increase in global temperatures and heavy precipitations, shrinkage of glaciers and snow cover, and retreating of sea ice. Seas are warming, rising, and becoming more acidic, and marine species move to new locations toward cooler waters. Flooding and wildfires are on the rise and growing seasons have lengthened.

Temperatures and Heatwaves

Temperature increase and heatwaves caused by an increase in the greenhouse gas concentration is reshaping the environment around us. The rise in temperatures is posing a number of threats to human health and quality of life (Fourth national climate assessment, 2018). High temperatures in the summer are linked directly to an increased risk of illness and death, particularly among older adults, pregnant women, and children.

Extreme temperatures also affect agriculture because it causes stress in plants and animals, leading to decreased output. Animals do not feed properly, and therefore, their immune system is weakened. The animals, therefore become vulnerable to various diseases, which influence their production in terms of milk, meat, hides, and capital when the animals are sold. The high temperatures also interferes with the plants flowering process because the flowers wither before maturity, thus no yields are achieved.

Variation in the Rainfall Patterns

Variation in rainfall patterns leads to a shift in the planting seasons. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] (Refinement to the 2016 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, 2019), as temperatures increase, the air becomes warmer, leading to water evaporation from land, seas, oceans, and lakes, hence the heavy rain downpours and snows. In August 2016, a historic flood resulting from 20 to 30 inches of rainfall over several days devastated a large area of southern Louisiana, causing over $10 billion in damages and 13 deaths.

Besides, climate change causes shifts in ocean and air currents, modifying the weather patterns. The air currents push clouds from one region to another. As a result, there is a change in the precipitation patterns, with some regions receiving more rain that destroys crops while other regions experience insufficient rain.

Rise in Water Level

Climate change also affects the water levels in the oceans and seas. During high temperatures, the water absorbs heat, expands, and occupies more space, leading to a rise in the ocean basins water level (IPCC, 2018). Besides, ice on mountain tops begins to melt, and the water is washed into rivers which drain into oceans, causing a rise. In time, water spills into the adjacent lands, making them unsuitable for agricultural activities. Moreover, the high water bodies increase the frequency of flooding, hence the lands prone to destructive storms. The fish habitat is also disturbed by the rise in the water bodies and they migrate towards cooler waters. Oceans are also currently absorbing more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere annually by human activities, increasing their acidity (IPCC, 2018). (Refinement to the 2016 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, 2019).

Drought

There are a number of ways climate change may contribute to drought. Warmer temperatures can enhance evaporation from soil, making periods with low precipitation drier they would be in cooler conditions. Droughts can persist through a positive feedback, where very dry soils and diminished plant cover can further suppress rainfall in an already dry area (Drought and climate change, 2020) Drought has negative effects on the economy, environment and society of a country. Plants and animals depend on water, just as people do. Drought can shrink their food supplies and damage their habitats. Drought conditions can also provide a substantial increase in wildfire risk. Scientists are confident that relatively wet places, such as the tropics, and higher latitudes will get wetter, while relatively dry places in the subtropics (where most of the worlds deserts are located) will become drier.

How to Curb Climate Change

There is a need to curb climate change to reduce its effects on agriculture. First, there should be policies with proposed guidelines on reducing emissions responsible for global warming (Climate action and support trends, 2019). This will provide a framework on how industries need to operate and those which fail to follow the set strategies to be heavily fined.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments provide governments, at all levels, with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC assessments are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change. IPCC reports are drafted and reviewed in several stages, thus guaranteeing objectivity and transparency (Refinement to the 2016 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, 2019). The IPCC identifies where there is agreement in the scientific community, where there are differences and where further research is needed.

Climate change is projected to significantly affect human health, the economy, and the environment worldwide, especially with the high greenhouse gas emissions. People should therefore, adopt suitable technologies which help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Such expertise includes driving fuel-efficient or electric cars, using renewable energy sources, reducing water waste, and investing in energy-efficient appliances (Climate action and support trends, 2019). Livestock emissions should also be decreased by using feeds with higher digestibility and increased efficiency in manure management. Thus, once global warming is addressed, all other climate change consequences, such as rise in water levels, change in rainfall patterns, and high tide flooding, will be controlled. In conclusion, acting sooner rather than later will result in lower costs overall for both adaptation and mitigation efforts and will offer other benefits in the near term.

References

Drought and climate change. (2020). Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. Web.

Refinement to the 2016 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories. (2019). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Web.

Climate action and support trends. (2019). United Nations Climate Change. Web.

Fourth national climate assessment. Chapter 1: Overview (2018). NCA. Web.

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