Recent studies have found that global warming is cutting into yields in harvest in some countries. This may be a factor in the recent worldwide food inflation.
Over the years from 1980 to 2008, the period covered by the study, temperatures increased rapidly in many of the world’s agricultural regions. The United States, however, was an exception for reasons unknown by scientists. Plants are sensitive to high temperatures, especially when temperatures are high during flowering season, which is the case now. On the other hand, the extra carbon dioxide emitted into the air by humans is acting as a fertilizer for plants. Unfortunately, this offset for the negative consequence of climate change is not great enough to completely counterbalance the losses, but is great enough to reduce the impact of global warming on agriculture. The extra carbon dioxide in the air is what creates climate change through what is called the Greenhouse Effect. Carbon dioxide molecules surround the ozone layer and prevents heat from escaping the atmosphere.
Recently, wheat yields in Russia decreased by more than ten percent and by a few percent in India, France, and China compared to what would have been if temperatures did not rise. Most calories consumed by humans are on an account of wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans, either directly or indirectly through animals that are raised on grains. Because of the high demand for these grains, the losses from climate change caused a price increase of about six percent in the four goods.
David Lobell and Justin Costa-Roberts of Stanford University, and Wolfram Schlenker of Columbia University, the authors of the study, mentioned that temperatures will be rising even more rapidly in the coming years, leading to a sharper inflation in food prices. It has been calculated that the climate change will cost consumers, food companies, and livestock producers about $6 billion per year if current grain prices are kept constant. "We aren't talking about the sky falling," Dr. Lobell said. "But we are talking about billions of dollars of losses. Every little bit of production is valuable when we're trying to feed the world."
David Lobell and Justin Costa-Roberts of Stanford University, and Wolfram Schlenker of Columbia University, the authors of the study, mentioned that temperatures will be rising even more rapidly in the coming years, leading to a sharper inflation in food prices. It has been calculated that the climate change will cost consumers, food companies, and livestock producers about $6 billion per year if current grain prices are kept constant. "We aren't talking about the sky falling," Dr. Lobell said. "But we are talking about billions of dollars of losses. Every little bit of production is valuable when we're trying to feed the world."
SOURCES
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기