Monday, November 23, 2009

Global Warming and Agriculture

Global warming and agriculture affect each other. On the one hand global warming increases CO2 in the air and nitrogen in the soil, increasing fertility. It also lengthens the growing season and allows us to plant crops up here that we haven't been able to grow before. It also could increase drought or rain, which would either kill the plants from lack of water, or from drowning. On the other hand, farming is one of the biggest CO2 and methane increasers. Agriculture produces 54% of methane emissions, 80% of nitrous oxide emissions, and almost all carbon dioxide emissions!
Deforestation for farmland also leaves more CO2 in the air than before, because you're taking down trees that filter out the CO2, and unless you use a handsaw or axe, the chainsaw or machine you use emits CO2. My opinion is that we farmers of the next generation should go back to some of the old ways to slow down global warming!

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