Tuesday, August 07, 2012
It is heating up
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported on Wednesday that July was the hottest month on record since the United States began keeping temperature records in 1895. This hot July also closed out the warmest twelve month period ever recorded in the United States.
Wondering about the practical impact of all this hot weather?
Climatologists at the NOAA noted that by the end of the month, about 63% of the country was experiencing drought conditions. Not surprisingly, corn prices1 have surged up by over 60% in response according to Bloomberg News. And even if the drought eases in America, it may be too little too late after the blazing hot Summer here, and globally dry weather limiting agricultural output in India, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.
It is worth remembering that a global spike in food prices was part of the catalyst of the Arab Spring.2
Notes
1Corn, thanks to a very effective lobby, goes into everything, even gasoline, and equally critically animal feed, threatening food security for millions in the less-developed regions of our world.
2Like so many the Clarion Content had tremendous hopes for the Arab Spring revolutions when they began in Tunisia. Sadly the Obama Administration squandered the opportunity. In Egypt, they treated the Muslim Brotherhood backed President as if Dick Cheney were still running the White House. The direct blowback from that failure, notably under Hillary Clinton's watch as Secretary of State, has pushed Egypt into Iran's arms.
It would not be hard to argue too, that the Obama administration's failure to give decisive early backing to Syrian rebels has contributed to thousands of deaths there. The dithering will produce a new administration which will hate Americans no matter which side wins their civil war.
At least, we are still effectively killing civilians in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere with the Obama administration's favorite technology, (f*ck high speed trains) the pilotless drone.
Wondering about the practical impact of all this hot weather?
Climatologists at the NOAA noted that by the end of the month, about 63% of the country was experiencing drought conditions. Not surprisingly, corn prices1 have surged up by over 60% in response according to Bloomberg News. And even if the drought eases in America, it may be too little too late after the blazing hot Summer here, and globally dry weather limiting agricultural output in India, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.
It is worth remembering that a global spike in food prices was part of the catalyst of the Arab Spring.2
Notes
1Corn, thanks to a very effective lobby, goes into everything, even gasoline, and equally critically animal feed, threatening food security for millions in the less-developed regions of our world.
2Like so many the Clarion Content had tremendous hopes for the Arab Spring revolutions when they began in Tunisia. Sadly the Obama Administration squandered the opportunity. In Egypt, they treated the Muslim Brotherhood backed President as if Dick Cheney were still running the White House. The direct blowback from that failure, notably under Hillary Clinton's watch as Secretary of State, has pushed Egypt into Iran's arms.
It would not be hard to argue too, that the Obama administration's failure to give decisive early backing to Syrian rebels has contributed to thousands of deaths there. The dithering will produce a new administration which will hate Americans no matter which side wins their civil war.
At least, we are still effectively killing civilians in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere with the Obama administration's favorite technology, (f*ck high speed trains) the pilotless drone.
Labels: ecology, Economy, Politics, weather
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