Food & Agriculture Archives - Inside Climate News

Like Canaries in a Coal Mine, Dragonflies Signal Threats to Freshwater Ecosystems

By Juanita Gordon — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Research shows that some dragonfly and damselfly species may decline to near-extinction by 2100 as a result of climate change and human intervention in their habitats. Yet some freshwater ecosystems could see an increase in such species and more generally in biodiversity.

By Juanita Gordon

In gauging the growing threats to freshwater biodiversity, dragonflies and damselflies are viewed by ecologists as sentinels, reacting to threats by seeking out more stable homes. In a new study, researchers report that many of these aquatic insects are likely to begin relocating in coming decades as climate change makes their habitats warmer and drier.

As the Colorado River Declines, Some Upstream Look to Use it Before They Lose it

By Wyatt Myskow — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

As states negotiate future water cuts, some officials are looking to build new dams and reservoirs in the Upper Basin of the overallocated Colorado River to use more water.

By Wyatt Myskow

RANGELY, Colo.—The fossil fuel industry once boomed here.

As Climate-Fueled Weather Disasters Hit More U.S. Farms, the Costs of Insuring Agriculture Have Skyrocketed

By Georgina Gustin — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 04:05:00 +0000

Critics of the federal program say it encourages more carbon-intensive farming and are calling for Congress to lower subsidies for big, wealthy producers.

By Georgina Gustin

The country’s farmers took in a record $19 billion in insurance payments in 2022, many because of weather-related disasters, according to a new analysis that suggests climate change could stoke the cost of insuring the nation’s farmers and ranchers to unsustainable levels.

Could ‘One Health’ be the Optimal Approach for Human, Animal and Environmental Health?

By Emma Peterson — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

The University of Arizona is getting millions in state funding to develop the program. The first task is communicating what it is.

By Emma Peterson

Starting this year, the University of Arizona (UA) will receive $3.6 million in state funding annually until 2025 to grow its One Health model—which considers the correlation of human health to environment and animal health—and promote its development in the workforce.

What’s More Harmful to Birds in North Dakota: Oil and Gas Drilling, or Corn and Soybeans?

By Lydia Larsen — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 09:14:00 +0000

A new study based on Breeding Bird Surveys found that grassland birds reacted even more negatively to corn and soybean fields than they did to land used for oil and gas development.

By Lydia Larsen

The struggle to meet a growing global energy demand is playing out across North Dakota’s landscape. On the western half of the state, oil and gas wells dot the Bakken shale, and farmers swap small grains, such as wheat, barley and oats, traditionally grown in the region, for corn and soybeans used as biofuel feedstocks.

Carbon Offsets to Reduce Deforestation Are Significantly Overestimating Their Impact, a New Study Finds

By Keerti Gopal — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 18:01:22 +0000

A study in six countries across three continents finds that most carbon offsets aimed at avoiding deforestation are failing to keep forests standing or cut atmospheric greenhouse gases.

By Keerti Gopal

Carbon offset projects claiming to curb deforestation are significantly overestimating their impact, according to a new study published in Science on Thursday.

Marvin Hayes Is Spreading ‘Compost Fever’ in Baltimore’s Neighborhoods. He Thinks it Might Save the City.

By Aman Azhar — Sun, 20 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

The founder of the Baltimore Compost Collective wants Baltimore to ditch trash incineration, fight climate change and grow healthier food. “We’re going to spread some compost love in this city,” he says.

By Aman Azhar

Harm City: Second in a series about environmental justice and climate adaptation in Baltimore’s neighborhoods.

A Catastrophic Flood on California’s Central Coast Has Plunged Already Marginalized Indigenous Farmworkers Into Crisis

By Liza Gross — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Cascading climate disasters and unjust labor and immigration policies leave undocumented farm laborers without a safety net.

By Liza Gross

PAJARO, Calif.— It was half past midnight on March 11 when a cacophony of sirens and shouting jolted Emilio Vasquez and his family from a sound sleep. “Get out of your houses immediately!” a voice barked in Spanish through a bullhorn. “The water is coming!”

As an Obscure United Nations Gathering Deliberates the Fate of Deep-Sea Mining, the Tuna Industry Calls for a Halt

By Georgina Gustin — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:58:21 +0000

New research finds deep-sea mining operations could conflict with the tuna fishery and cause populations to crash as the species moves to escape ocean warming.

By Georgina Gustin

Major seafood industry and marine conservancy groups are calling for a “precautionary pause” in the global race to mine deep-sea minerals, pointing to new research that suggests excavating the ocean seabed could cause tuna populations to plummet.

International Lenders Continue Pouring Money Into Meat and Dairy, Despite Climate Promises

By Georgina Gustin — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 22:17:07 +0000

A new analysis shows that billions went to industrial livestock and grain companies, including a $200 million loan to a firm producing corn and soy in the heavily deforested Cerrado region of Brazil.

By Georgina Gustin

The world’s biggest development banks have agreed that they will funnel their financial support to businesses that promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.