It is well established that one of the main impacts of climate change is negatively impacting the water cycle. Needless to say, the way we have always thought about our drinking water, sewage and sanitation, agricultural, and energy production is going to fundamentally change as the climate changes. And, of course, all of this is going to impact the agriculture industry greatly.
Farmers may be able to find creative ways to cope with the water shortage, such as obtaining a farm refi to invest in new technology. But still many questions are left unanswered. Here’s what farmers need to know about how climate change is affecting the water crisis.
Understanding the Link between Climate Change and the Water Cycle
This relationship between climate change and the water cycle is both complex and important at the same time. We are very close to jeopardizing the stability of the way of life as we have known. Gradually, the effects are becoming more pronounced and at this time, we can observe them. Indeed, levels of major greenhouse gases are at record levels. Such levels, using ice core data, were last seen 800,000 years ago.
Changes in Patterns of Water Availability
We are witnessing shrinking glaciers as global temperatures rise to record highs. Patterns of rainfall are also changing. This means that the balance is gone and there is more likelihood of both floods and drought. Today, the recommendation is for every sector that uses water to improve the efficiency of their operations and prepare for harder times, even if additional ag financing is needed. This will have an unforeseen impact on more things than we can even imagine. Like sky-high farm refi rates in the developed world!
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions have to be brought down to slow down the process of climate change and to try and protect our water cycle. This automatically brings energy production into the discussion because almost 72% of all these gases come from that industry. Meat production also is to blame for much of the rest.
Take Action Today
Taking efforts to combat climate change and the water crisis on your own farm is going to be essential to its survival. Talk to a loan officer today at AgAmerica about a farm refi to get you the extra capital needed to improve your operations to address these concerns. We are confident that we can find a solution to get you the capital you need.