4 results for author: Dan Dieterich


How Climate Changes Affect Wisconsin Agriculture

by Dan Dieterich You’d think that global warming would be good for Wisconsin farmers, wouldn’t you? After all, it means a longer growing season. In central and northwest Wisconsin, the growing season is already 20 days longer than it was in 1950. Global warming is also giving us warmer spring soil temperatures, less risk of frosts in late spring and early fall, and higher demand for food production. All of that’s good news for Wisconsin agriculture! So, what’s the problem? Our atmosphere is getting hotter, which is causing more droughts and wildfires. But the warm air also holds more moisture, which means bigger, more intense ...

Health, Global Warming & A Christmas Carol

Global warming will affect our health in ways you might not expect. Because the air will be warmer, we’ll experience more frequent, more intense, and longer heat waves. As a result, many more people will suffer from heat stroke and related conditions, and some will die—especially children, the elderly, and poor people. We’ll also have more droughts, which will make it harder to get water to drink and food to eat. That too will affect our health, as will the bigger and more intense wildfires that we’re just beginning to experience in the U.S. Warmer air is dirtier air. It contains more ozone, which will cause more coughs and sore ...

The Best Way to Stop Climate Change

Many of us are well aware of climate change, so we use LED light bulbs, plant trees, recycle, and lower our thermostats in the winter. As we do all this, however, we realize that fossil fuel companies are receiving billions of dollars in federal subsidies and that global warming and climate change continue to increase. Is there anything you can do that would have a significant impact on global warming? Yes, there is! You can contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and urge them to pass a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Climate scientists and economist agree that’s the best thing we can do our climate and for the American economy as well. ...

Climate Change Action: What the DOD and AAAS have in common

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) are both taking action on climate change. The DOD just issued their 64-page 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, in which they clearly describe steps they’re taking to respond to global climate change. In the introduction, they say, “Climate change poses [a] significant challenge for the United States and the world at large. As greenhouse gas emissions increase, sea levels are rising, average global temperatures are increasing, and severe weather patterns are accelerating. These changes, coupled with other global dynamics . . . will devastate ...