(KTNC) - The U-S Ag Secretary is blaming global climate change for a list of disasters in Nebraska and across the Midwest, including forest fires, flooding, and drought.
Secretary Tom Vilsack is joining President Obama in his call for a new “Climate Action Plan.” Vilsack says the impact of climate change on the Midwest was evident during a visit with the president along the Iowa-Nebraska border last year. (play audio :16 “80 years.”)
Vilsack says last year’s drought was the worst in eight decades and it was exceptionally expensive. (play audio :19 “crop production.”)
Vilsack also blames climate change for conditions that led to hundreds of wildfires in Nebraska and other states, especially during the record drought of 2012. (play audio :20 “warmer temperatures.”)
Vilsack says USDA is working to help rural communities reduce carbon emissions by moving away from fossil fuels to alternatives like wind power.
© MSC News
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