The Obama administration released an updated climate change report, the “National Climate Assessment,” that detailed the consequences of climate change if action is not taken. The report looked at the impact climate change was having in a number of areas including agriculture, health, infrastructure, water supply and the increase in severe weather events such as floods and droughts.
The report had a number of findings, including an assessment of the impact on agriculture. The finding on agriculture said, “Climate disruptions to agriculture have been increasing and are projected to become more severe over this century.”
The report said, “While some U.S. regions and some types of agricultural production will be relatively resilient to climate change over the next 25 years or so, others will increasingly suffer from stresses due to extreme heat, disease, and heavy downpours.
From mid-century on, climate change is projected to have more negative impacts on crops and livestock across the country – a trend that could diminish the security of our food supply.” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, “The National Climate Assessment confirms that climate change is affecting every region of the country and critical sectors of the economy like agriculture.
This assessment provides an unprecedented look at how the changing climate and extreme weather impact rural America." USDA is creating seven regional research hubs which will provide information to producers on ways to mitigate risk due to climate change.
This is the third climate assessment report. The previous reports were published in 2000 and 2009.
