Climate Letter #1158

How climate change affects global food production, by Paul Ehrlich and John Harte.  This post begins with a general picture of the problems faced by a rapidly rising population confronted with limited and deteriorating agricultural facilities.  It then goes on to list six  important ways that climate change is having a further impact on the situation which makes it much worse.  “What would make us more optimistic that massive starvation can be avoided? First and foremost would be bringing the issues of climate change and the many dimensions of the food security situation, especially the inequity of food distribution and food wastage to the top of the policy agenda everywhere.”  Quite right, but that has not yet happened, and the signs are few indeed.
http://www.ehn.org/what-are-the-threats-to-future-food-security-2562981347.html

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How the clothing industry contributes to climate change and pollution from the waste materials.  This article has amazing information that leaves one wondering if it can all be true.  Does this one industry actually contribute 8.1% to global greenhouse gas emissions?  Or this, “The average American purchases a staggering 65 new garments a year, contributing to the 150 billion new pieces of clothing manufactured globally every year. Worse, Americans aren’t keeping their coal-made clothes: They’re throwing away 80 pounds of clothing per person per year, a 100% increase from 20 years ago.”  All three of those links are to sources that seem plausible.  This is one of the problems of massive over consumption that needs a good bit more attention!