Questions answered by Judy Hatcher, PAN's Executive Director
What does PAN see as the primary challenges and opportunities surrounding climate change?
Many of the issues that PAN and Rural Climate Network members have worked on for decades intersect when you’re talking about climate change: corporate control of the food system, alternatives to agrichemicals, public health for people who live and work in farm communities, conservation of wetlands, etc. There’s... read more
The American Sustainable Business Council released new poll results showing that a large majority of small business owners see climate change as a risk to their businesses. A majority also want the federal government to combat climate change by limiting carbon emissions from power plants, which are the largest single source of the carbon dioxide causing climate change. The poll was... read more
On July 29, 2014, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a study in Progress for Oceanography projecting that fisheries in Alaska are already being impacted by ocean acidification from sea water absorption of carbon dioxide, and will experience more impacts in the... read more
Lamar, Colo. – In a good year, the wheat on the Hixsons’ farm should stand waist high by mid-summer. This year, though, much of the crop isn’t even tall enough for the combine to harvest.
Jillane Hixson hasn’t seen regular rainfall since 2002. She and her two brothers, Ron and Eric, farm 3,000 acres of wheat here in southeast Colorado, the same land that their father farmed before them. After 12 years of drought, "The ground is just like brown flour," Hixson says. When the wind picks... read more
This week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors is meeting in Dallas, Texas. The conference includes climate protection awards, climate panels, and a discussion with U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and U.S. DOE Secretary Ernest Moniz. The latest version of the Climate Protection Agreement is endorsed by over 1,000 mayors.
"Mayors have single-handedly taken action on climate protection efforts and in many cases, creatively launched local energy efficiency programs to help reduce our... read more
Round after round of vicious storms are battering thousands of acres of farmland, sweeping cattle out of the fields and sending communities across Minnesota scrambling for sandbags as they brace for even more rain.
“This is one for the ages,” said Fraser Norton, executive director of the Farm Service Agency in Rock County, where almost half the county’s farmland was damaged by the storms that swept through the state this week. The forecast calls for even more rain before Minnesota... read more
As the impacts of climate change become increasingly apparent, society is becoming more serious about the need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and begin preparing for a changing climate. The needs are profound—practically every area of our economy and society will be impacted and we need comprehensive plans that address multiple areas of concern.
Among these sectors, agriculture and food production are arguably the most important areas for adaptation. As IATP has ... read more
Executive Summary from the full report:
We are at the most critical moment in the history of our species, as manmade changes to the climate threaten humanity’s security on Earth. In 2012, total annual global emissions of greenhouse gases were approximately 52 GtCO2e (gigatons of CO2 equivalent). These emissions must soon drop to a net of 41 GtCO2e if we are to have a feasible chance of... read more
This map from the Center for Social Inclusion pinpoints communities across America that are innovating how to build their local economies while taking into their own hands the fight against climate change by developing community-scale renewable energy projects. The map highlights over 100 projects that are rooted in communities, with a particular lens toward communities of color, who by 2042, will become the majority in our... read more
Des Moines, Iowa, April 22, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $6 million to 10 universities to study the effects of climate on agriculture production and develop strategies to provide farmers and ranchers with the solutions they need to supply the nation with quality food. Vilsack made the announcement during remarks at "The Frontier of Climate Change: State and Local Action in the Heartland"... read more
