Interesting article - water and climate change

[grassfarmer]

An interesting article in the MB Co-operator claiming that Western Canada has crossed into an entirely new hydro-climatic cycle. Worth the read...article on page 29

[URL="http://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MBC161117.pdf#_ga=1.256607755.1283490176.137994099 2"]http://http://static.agcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MBC161117.pdf#_ga=1.256607755.1283490176.137994099 2[/URL]

[Robertbarlage]

And next year could be a drought of the century or maybe not. no one nows and never will.

[biglentil]

Dig a little deeper grass every planet in our solar system is going through abrupt changes. For example the strength of the magnetic field of our sun has increased 230 percent since 1901. Atmosheric pressure on pluto is up 300percent. Magnetic north pole of earth is moving 40km per year towards Siberia. Our solar system has passed through the galactic divide. Nothing is static, the list goes on and on, obviously not man made.

[furrowtickler]

There is changes occurring, the debate is, is it CO2 and higher temps or a combination of very many things in part to a much longer term natural cycle of the sun . Also the details biglentil just pointed out .
There is so much skewed data for political gains with certain groups .
I got one get sceptical when I look a little deeper...
It seems to be a big push to collect carbon tax's on a lot of wish washy data to use as wealth transfer to me . But I could be wrong .

[biglentil]

C02 levels have increased in the makeup of our atmosphere by .008% in the last hundred years. To call it negligible is an understatement.

[sumdumguy]

An understatement?

[grassfarmer]

Very scientific biglentil - pick a little number and use it to imply there is no risk. How about 0.000013% that must be infinitely smaller risk than the 0.008% you quote? Problem is it's the lethal dose of arsenic.
Good job scientists not laymen get to do the real science.

[Hamloc]

The Trudeau Liberals released a new 87 page document on dealing with climate change. The new goal for C02 is 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. So Grassfarmer I am curious if you had to own 80% less cattle could you make a living. Also curious how we produce the needed increase in the food the world will need but produce 80% less C02. Now you will say I am being overly simplistic but lets hear your opinion.

[Klause]

Cattle cause greenhouse gasses, they waste water.


In-efficient. Pork and chicken are way more efficient.

So is zero till grain production. Can produce way more calories in a soybean, lentil, pea, wheat, or corn field than you can on a pasture.


So on that basis, looks like you're out of a job grassy.... after all... wasting energy, producing co2 and methane, and not producing efficient food....


Plus all those animal welfare issues.

[furrowtickler]

I for one am proud to efficiently produce more food than ever per acre as many others here are - all on less fuel per acre than at any time in the past 40 years.
Add in DEF systems on the modern tractors/sprayers/combines , most of our carbon footprint on modern farms is minuscule.
It would be interesting to see our modern co2 use per acre per bushel ratio compared to 30 years ago when we needed 3 times the equipment needed per acre to produce 1/2 the yields we do today.
Just a reminder ... that equipment had virtually zero emissions controls.
And now we are going to be targeted with carbon tax on fuel that we need.
This is not like a tax on tobacco to curtail use - that example was ridiculous.
People don't need tobacco, but we need fuel to farm . Sad thing is the policy makers know this and they will force us to pay

[foragefarmer]

Hamloc

"Also curious how we produce the needed increase in the food the world will need but produce 80% less C02"


The remaining 20% will easily feed Canada, as for the "the increase in the food the world will need" just an old line that has been used by Western Canadian farmers way to long. The rest of the world will produce more than enough to make up for our 80% reduction, and those who who really need the food will continue to go hungry.

Besides, when harvesting your crop are you thinking about feeding the world or turning a profit so your family farm can survive and prosper?

[Hamloc]

So Forage if we shut down our food production to domestic consumption do you believe the other countries that will then increase their production will do so without increasing C02 production or we will simply shift where in the world that C02 is produced? How will you decide who will continue to farm and who will be forced to quit?

[foragefarmer]

Hamloc

Not saying we should reduce or cut back, just making the point that it really doesn't effect the rest of the world if we reduced production by 80%, other counties will make it up. Countries with money will always have food, the countries that really need the grain will continue to starve.

I really don't have a comment on the purposed Carbon Tax, did some reading on it and have not found enough information as to how it's going to effect my farm. Not a 100% sure but I did read that the Alberta NDP made a comment their farmers will not have to pay. Hamloc, I know you farm in Alberta maybe you know the details and can correct me if I'm wrong about that point, Thanks

[Hamloc]

Forage

Marked fuel in Alberta will be exempt from the carbon tax. As far as I know natural gas and propane will not. Grain and livestock hauling by custom haulers will be affected by the tax as will fertilizer production. The carbon tax will raise our costs no firm numbers yet. As I have said before I would have no problem with a carbon tax if all countries in the world were subject to the same carbon tax. They are not, so it raises my cost with no appreciable benefit and increases the size and cost of government, something I disagree with.

[foragefarmer]

Klaus

"So on that basis, looks like you're out of a job grassy.... after all... wasting energy, producing co2 and methane, and not producing efficient food.... "


Weren't you bragging this summer about selling round bales to "wasting energy, producing co2 and methane, and not producing efficient food.... " Be careful what you say here on Agriville you may not have those customers next year!!!