Price of Food to go UP as global warming continues

[donsu]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0831-01.htm

Hot Summer Sparks Global Food Crisis
by Geoffrey Lean


This summer's heatwave has drastically cut harvests across Europe, plunging the world into an unprecedented food crisis, startling new official figures show.

-snip-

They say that, as a result, food prices will rise worldwide, and hunger will increase in the world's poorest countries. And they warn that this is just a foretaste of what will happen as global warming takes hold.

-snip-

The final tally of the summer's damage is likely to be worse still. Lester Brown, the president of Washington's authoritative Earth Policy Institute, predicts that it will cut another 20 million tons off the world harvest, making this a catastrophic year.
-snip-
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but Hey! the bloody hands bushgang says global warming is a figment of our imagination -nought to worry

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. the heat wave in Europe

was a truly frightening thing. The long term repercussions could be even more frightening

[Fovea]

3. I keep posting this link

and no one seems to be looking...
Heat is not the only problem!

http://65.64.114.185/7leveesReport/7leveesMeetingPersonalResponse.htm

Check out the section on climate change in the Missouri and Kansas River drainage areas...

[donsu]

5. wow - what a problem

relocation seems the first personal thing to do

[Fovea]

6. Fortunately

I live almost farther above the Kaw than I do away from it.
It is towns like Armourdale, Argentine, Bonner Springs, Edwardsville,
North KC, Weston, Sugar Creek, Riverside, Parkville, and Missouri City are not as lucky.

[Abe Linkman]

2. Agribusinesses aren't crying, are they?

Oh. Didn't think so. Food supplier companies? Restaurants? Lots of special interests don't mind a little global warming. Good for their economic well-being. Waiters, too!

[Fovea]

7. This will be an equal opportunity problem

at least for the producer segment of Agribusiness. Iowa will be growing rice by mid century, if the Hadley model is correct, Dry Grassland if Canadian model is right. Des Moines could either be Wichita or Baton Rouge by 2030.

Imagine where that puts Kansas... Missouri or Hell*, depending on the model.

Agriculture will be far riskier, crop insurance will be a big government thing, just another little bit of corporate welfare.

The cost of rebuilding the flood control systems on the Missouri and Mississippi river Urban zones (that cannot be returned to floodplain) will be staggering, again, the tax payer will subsidize the mostly industrial areas protection. I do not see the businesses shouldering it.

This could be an issue in 04, if it becomes a wet year. The European/American heat wave is going to be an issue, for certain.

* many Kansas would be hard pressed to recognize the distinction, of course.

[Nay]

4. Does this mean we will see less 'useless' food like candy, chips,

cakes, fast food, etc? I doubt it. People here will get their junk food while others starve. It has never been about the lack of/oversupply of foodstuffs -- it has always been about who can pay the highest price for the basic commodity.

[Nederland]

8. Lester Brown

Has been predicting a crisis in the world's food supply for thirty years now. He's been wrong more times than you can count.