Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- July 21, 2009
Climate change study foresees a warmer, wetter Pennsylvania (:48)
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Suggested Intro:
A PENN STATE STUDY OF CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS A WARMER, WETTER PENNSYLVANIA, WITH A LONGER GROWING SEASON AND LESS SNOW BY THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTURY. BUT WHETHER THAT WILL BE GOOD OR BAD FOR THE STATE'S AGRICULTURE ISN'T CLEAR. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:
Story:
(:17) THE PENNSYLVANIA CLIMATE IMPACT ASSESSMENT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO PROJECT THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING BY THE MIDDLE AND END OF THIS CENTURY. PENN STATE ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIST JAMES SHORTLE SAYS WARMER, WETTER WINTERS COULD BE GOOD FOR THE STATE'S CROPS IN THE SHORT RUN…
Shortle Actuality:
(:14) "BUT AS YOU GO OUT, THE HOTTER IT GETS THE WORSE IT BECOMES. SO YOU COULD HAVE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS. BUT, IF WE CONTINUE TO WARM AS HIGH-EMISSION SCENARIOS WOULD INDICATE, THEN AGRICULTURE WOULD BE IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE."(:17) BECAUSE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE IS VERY SLOW, SHORTLE SAYS, ANY GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS MADE NOW COULD TAKE UP TO THIRTY YEARS TO IMPACT THE CLIMATE. YOU CAN GET THE COMPLETE REPORT ONLINE AT D-E-PWEB DOT STATE DOT P-A DOT U-S, KEYWORD: CLIMATE CHANGE. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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