Agriculture is often blamed for playing a major role in emitting greenhouse gases that warm the planet, even though other industries emit much more. Public utilities, for instance, emit around 32 percent of the gases. U.S. agriculture: 9 percent, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
"Everyone assumes what's happening globally is happening nationally," Vilsack, a keynote speaker at Drake University forum on climate change, was quoted in anarticle by Donnelle Eller in The Des Moines Register. "Clearly, there are challenges globally in terms of agriculture and its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. That's not necessarily the case in the United States."What’s worrisome now for the country's agriculture are drought issues and, in some areas, dwindling water access. To help, USDA created seven climate hubs across the country to study climate change and what could be done to lessen the problem.
“Our challenge is to educate farmers about the vulnerability of agriculture,” he said. "We've seen temperatures increase since 1970 accelerate at three times the rate prior. So there are warning signs.” PD
—Summarized by PD staff from cited source
