Kerby Anderson

The Environmental Protection Agency recently unveiled an online tool that is supposed to help local officials see the dangers of climate change in their community. The Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center provides a map that warns of the danger of climate change to each of the eight regions of the United States. These dire warnings were too much for Dr. William M. Briggs who has been questioning many of the claims of climate change activists. In his column, he reminds us what really is happening in these states that are supposed to be reeling from the negative effects of climate change. Yes, the climate has changed since 1980. Corn production in Michigan back then was about 7.5 billion bushels. By 2015, it has increased to 14 billion bushels. He then humorously notes that the “EPA warns that climate change in corn-growing Michigan could exacerbate the risk of increased production. Farmers might run out of bushels if the correlation persists.” The EPA also warns of the impact of climate change in Iowa. Once again, we find that there have been bumper crops of corn, soybean, and other foodstuffs. “This is causing prices for food to drop. Climate change is thus bad news for those wanting higher prices.” He says he can probably do this for every state, but I think you get the idea. If we are headed for a weather-induced Armageddon, the current facts don’t seem to support these dire warnings. He also reminds us that back in 1936 there was an anomalous heat wave that killed over 12,000 Americans. But that was when there was a lot less carbon dioxide than we have now. Or how about 1886 when the U.S. was hit by more hurricanes than in any year following it. Again, there was less carbon dioxide back then. The EPA is warning us of potential disasters in the future, but a look at current history and past history suggests that perhaps their predictions are too extreme.