Remember Paul Ehrlich? In 1968 the Stanford biologist predicted that the world would experience global famine because of overpopulation. It didn’t happen, but Ehrlich is still the darling of environmentalists and media that want to sound “woke.” On Jan. 1 Paul Ehrlich was featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes for his insights into the future state…
Tag: Agriculture
Climate Change Policies on the Farm: ‘Excessive Spending in a Shotgun Approach’
Did you know that the recently passed IRA (“Inflation Reduction Act”) authorizes nearly $38 billion for agriculture, much of it to address climate change? (Keep in mind that the next farm bill, to be enacted in 2023, will also authorize billions for ag—$428 billion in the 2018 act.) The farm provisions of the IRA will…
Behind the Turmoil in Sri Lanka: Government Ban on Synthetic Fertilizers and Pesticides
Sri Lanka, the island country off the coast of India, is in political turmoil and the president says he will resign. A big factor in the tragedy is the country’s “going green,” banning synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Aljazeera reports: “President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s drive to make the country the world’s first to fully adopt organic agriculture—by…
Big Wind and Solar Companies Using ‘Hardball Legal Tactics’
Should rural communities be able to limit the number of wind and solar projects in their regions? Or do the renewable companies have a legal right to put turbines and solar panels on any property they can buy? Complicating the issue is the fact that many renewable projects would not be built without billions of…
New Zealand Proposes a Methane Tax on Farmers
Nearly half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come from sheep and cattle. To reduce them, the government is negotiating a plan to tax farmers for methane emissions, beginning in 2025. The tax is part of an effort to reduce agricultural emissions by 24 to 27 percent by 2050. “The proposal includes incentives for farmers…
Why Is the Economist Magazine Pessimistic about Agriculture when the Climate News Is Good?
According to the Economist, some investors are betting that, as the climate warms, agriculture will become more profitable in high-latitude regions such as Canada’s Manitoba. Russia is already leasing uncultivated acreage on its eastern edge to Asian investors to produce soybeans. Furthermore, more carbon dioxide (the supposed cause of warming) helps vegetation grow. “The buildup…