Farmers’ Market: Climate change

Occasionally, a phrase popularized and repeated will obfuscate key points of a larger issue as over-iteration gives the phrase much more emphasis than would seem necessary with regard to its function in a news story.     Had the media (and Nobel prize winning, former vice president Gore) used ‘climate change” as the label for the phenomenon rather than the misleading title of “global warming,” people would not point to the -50 degrees F temperatures that decimated fruit trees and stove wood piles last winter here in northern Maine as “proof” that the seasons are not warmer and hence, global warming is a fallacy.
In point of fact, proponents could point to last winter’s cold or the 15-plus feet of snow fall the previous winter or this Noah’s Ark-themed summer or recent, violent wind storms and say, “Proof!” with some degree of certainty that we are indeed experiencing profound changes in our climate in spite of our localized experiences with cold weather.
Climate change is broadly accepted by the scientific community, though details like whether we are past the point of no return or what might be the path of return remain a topic of much debate.
The effects of human activity on the concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases are subject to both governmental and public concern.
Individuals may wonder what they can do to participate in their own small way to the Herculean reform efforts necessary to respond to the threat of global temperature increases of even a few degrees (local temperature depression notwithstanding).
If you type “carbon footprint” into your favorite search engine, be prepared to jump back … the response will be a genuine Punch-and-Judy-Show shower of hits! Links abound to “green solutions” for new construction and renovation, Cash for Clunkers, Kill-a-Watt detectors, public transportation, walking routes, bike trails, roller skates, stay-cations … all sorts of ideas particularly directed toward reducing your “carbon footprint” as it relates to the release of carbon dioxide as a result of burning fossil fuels for lights, heat, and transportation.
The focus on carbon dioxide release makes a great deal of sense in view of the fact that 85.4 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions inventoried by the EPA in the U.S. (1990-2007) is carbon dioxide, with the largest percentages coming from electricity generation (33.6 percent), transportation (26.5 percent), industrial sources (12 percent), and residential use (4.8 percent). Despite claims to the contrary, animal agriculture and meat consumption contribute only a small part of greenhouse gas production in the United States, a nearly constant 2.8 percent annually since the turn of the millennium according to EPA sources.
This “should” make consumers’ more comfortable with regard to their food selections. However, in the continuation of this article, some of the “yeah, buts” will be discussed.
 Editor’s note: This weekly column is written by members of the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market. For more information or to join, contact their secretary/treasurer Steve Miller of Westmanland at 896-5860 or via e-mail at beetree@xpressamerica.net.