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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Janet Shamlian reports from Arkansas, where severe drought has turned pasture into "desert," threatening the future of the cattle ranching industry.
ATKINS, Ark. — Drought now covers more than half of the lower 48 states but few have it as rough as Arkansas, where the entire state is listed as suffering from lower than average precipitation.
"It's just devastating," cattle rancher Karen Haralson told NBC News. Having never seen her land this barren, she compares her ranch to "a desert."
Haralson has had to sell 100 of her 250 cows and ranchers across drought-hit areas are doing the same -- a trend that could raise beef prices next year, when fewer cows will be around to sell.
Forecasters say four to six inches of rain are needed to end the drought in Arkansas. Some rain is likely over the next few days, but there's nothing that significant on the horizon.
Indeed, drought conditions have only expanded and intensified in recent weeks, according to the weekly Drought Monitor compiled by the National Weather Service.
The service's Seasonal Drought Outlook for July-September offered little reason for hope. Arkansas was among the states were drought conditions were expected to persist.
For Haralson and other ranchers there's a real possibility of going bust.
"If no significant rain comes," she said, "I'll have to go out of business."
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They should have sold more cattle before the land was made barren.
Hindsight is 20/20. Areas that were drought stricken last year just next door in Texas are getting plenty of rain this year. Some sell their livestock early and hope they're not making a mistake and others hang on hoping the weather patterns will change and it will start raining and hope they're not making a mistake.
Farmers do the same thing.
Next year maybe you can peer into your crystal ball and let everyone know what they should do and when.
We have stripped and abused this planet for everything we could find. Nigeria is a major supplier of oil to the US and big oil has polluted the war to no end. The next generation will have it rougher than any in history. Industrialists and corporate farmers are the enemies.
I drive by pastures each day that haven't had any cattle on them and they look the same. That is what happens when you don't get rain and the temperature rises into the upper 100s for weeks in a row. Normally these pastures I am talking about are green and lush at this time of the year and are ready for the second hay cutting. The ranchers are having to feed their cattle with their first cutting of hay from back in May and have no hay to cut right now and there wont be any hay to feed them this winter without buying hay from out of state which is very expensive to have trucked in.
We have to do something - that women in the picture is obviously starving (which one is she again?)
hey Sandtrich Quit eating and sell your vehicle, turn off your lights and cut the AC off or shut the hell up.
idiot
Texas is finally getting some rain, the drought is moving north and to all you armchair ranchers out there, go read post #1.1.
I'm proposing what I call the "C. Montgomery Burns Plan to Mitigate Human Impacts on Climate Change". Under this plan, we place large, expandable mirrors in space that orbit the earth and reflect the sun's light back into space. That way we can cut down on the amount of solar radiation before it reaches the daggone stratosphere! It would of course be just a small amount, but that's all it should take, and if we powered it with some photovoltaic cells, the mirrors could rotate to let the radiation through when it's blocking the direct radiation that reaches land and my all-important garden plants. Maybe we could make a couple of them that only blocked the radiation when over the open ocean.
Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and consumption. Obviously we need to do that as well, but we can't just shut off the world tomorrow, because that wouldn't cut it either. Even if we quit emitting greenhouse gases today, we'd still need to reduce the amount of C02 in the atmosphere. You heard it here first folks, and I'm rather serious about this, because it sure beats fertilizing the oceans or the stratosphere as some have proposed. Please pass this idea on to the powers in charge. I'm just an insignificant person with good ideas.
For Haralson and other ranchers there's a real possibility of going bust
And many other will go bust too. We all will pay the price at the supermarket. However, the skeptics will say "It's just another Summer", disregarding the fact that there is accelerated climate change.
I don't need a crystal ball to tell me tens of millions of Bison once roamed from Alaska to Mexico. They did not destroy large tracts of the Planet.
Cattle ranchers have done this to themselves. And for what? Money. It certainly wasn't for the good of society.
As it is produced for common consumption, beef is inferior to bison in nutrition. Worse, it is a contributing factor in heart disease and cancer as well as a host of other ills. Cattle are ruminants. They do best being fed grasses among which is hay. Feeding them grain is madness. And I won't even start on all the hormones, antibiotics etc pumped into them. All that junk plus a ton of saturated fat ends up in the bodies of the humans who eat beef.
Thank God for the sane few who are returning to natural grazing and Bison. I eat very little flesh food but when I do it's grass-fed. The price difference is inconsequential compared to the benefits. Don't believe me? You've got a computer, education yourself.
Support family farms and buy from farmers' markets. Know who's providing your food.
Unfortunately for Red States and farmers across America, their Party of No representatives don't care.
Stop voting against your own interests, farmers and Red Staters!
Democrats have always been on the side of those that work for a living.
The first Dust Bowl was created by bad farming practices and other human activities that ruined the Great Plains. The current and increasing Second Dust Bowl is created by the same thing, but this time add to it the poisons our gasoline toys pour into the air, the massive heat-creating asphalt paving we've done to kill the living earth, and other problems. This is not caused by sun cycles or natural climate cycles. This is the most powerful creature in the universe playing with the planet like a two-year-old plays with toys.
One would think that farmers, as a large and powerful conservative lobbying group, would be more willing to entertain the reality of Global Warming...and help to push political will accordingly.
After all, some farmers are losing more than 1/2 of their crops in Ohio.
This is becoming increasingly common since the 1980's.
Texas has 500,000,000 dead trees on their hands as a result of long-standing drought....but I don't ever expect Texas to accept the reality of Climate Change.
Their state school board is actively discouraging "critical" and "higher level thinking" from their "curriculum."
That hits pretty close to home in nearby Arkansas.
One would think that farmers, as a large and powerful conservative lobbying group, would be more willing to entertain the reality of Global Warming...and help to push political will accordingly.
After all, some farmers are losing more than 1/2 of their crops in Ohio.
This is becoming increasingly common since the 1980's.
Texas has 500,000,000 dead trees on their hands as a result of long-standing drought....but I don't ever expect Texas to accept the reality of Climate Change.
Their state school board is actively discouraging "critical" and "higher level thinking" from their "curriculum."
check your facts...Tx has 500K dead trees not 500 million. Yeah farmers lost everything in the dust bowl years that was in the 30's and again in the early 50's...answers?
Higher level thinking? We have dying trees in Texas, but they aren't native trees. Throughout the nation, there are forests of trees dying that were planted in areas that they weren't native to. Please don't spread your propaganda. We DO teach a "higher level of thinking" here in Texas...it's called the TRUTH!
justredd64, my number of 500,000,000 dead trees in Texas is correct.
You must be sourcing Faux News, which is rapidly becoming the primary source for all education in Texas.
All other refereces will back me up.
Yep, 500 million tree's dead.
We are getting a little rain here in Texas, but it would take a month of floods to bring us out of the drought. We are also on a water restriction right now.
@kbehrends
doesn't change the fact that we are in a drought still. And if i'm wrong then why are we under water restrictions?
jkatze - A herd of 250 head of cattle probably IS a family farm. " Don't believe me? You've got a computer, education yourself."
I have never seen such non stop flooding where I live. I really should get that burst pipe fixed. I was told that the desert conditions in the U.S. are being caused by deliberate manipulation of the weather by Arab scientists. They are preparing the U.S. for their camel brigade invasion. Be afraid, this is real.
Having lived more than 8+ years in a cattle ranch state of NM, if this article meant to elicit any sympathy from me then consider it an EPIC FAIL. Not only do I and my whole family not eat red meat, but ranchers are the #1 reason for wolf killing in the US. A few less ranchers with cattle who are not native to the ecosystem here in North America, and more wolves who ARE a huge part of a healthy ecosystem, the better.
Of course this could have been averted by careful planning and taking climate change seriously, but hey, most ranchers vote GOP despite it being in their own worst interest to do so (same as when any blue-collar worker votes for those heartless bastards). Pres Carter may have been pretty much a big joke as Pres, but his idea for starting renewable energy plans back in the late 70's would have helped diminish the impact we have just started to feel. I can't say I support everything Pres Obama has done, but if we at least started the Green initiative he proposed, while not doing as much as the Carter plan could have done (having decades rather than years), could have helped. Why is it so hard for people to see change is already underway, and pre-planning, like having a National Water Reserve, like we do for oil, would help in periods of drought. When it rains, have catch basins all over the country and have that water transported to underground reservoirs in various places so water could be rushed to drought stricken areas? Simple plan, yet no one has done it. Instead, farmland is drying up, many states are quite literally engulfed in flames.
So sympathy for someone who added to the erosion of the topsoil by raising cattle, sorry no. Sympathy for those farmers and people who have lost homes (and in some cases loved-ones) to the raging fires, yes.
kjunme
Yes. Those are the only two options, right? There's no nuance with you people, is there? Everything is in absolutes.
Today's weather has been sponsored by Republican Party :)
Their motto...
Don't think, just vote...
kbehrends says:
This is from the Official Texas Republican Party Platform
I'm sure the Texan GOP's opposition to critical thinking skills and higher order learning is intended to disallow the teaching of science which may contradict Christian faith. But this is a verbatim quote from their official platform.
CelticPagan: I too live in ranching country. Texas. Now, didn't see any mention of destruction of farm and ranchland to build subdivisions and shopping malls. Thousands and thousands of acres of farm and grazing covered in concrete. Think urban sprawl and urban heat islands contribute to drought and global warming. Think trillions of tons of concrete covering arable land is a good thing? Most ranchers I know are extremely conservation oriented, they have to be.
Note as well that until not too long ago, most Texans were democrats. Today we have this paradigm shift in political ideology. Both parties have shifted to the extreme right and extreme left, democrats today resemble marxist/socialists and republicans resemble fascists, neither extreme is acceptable.
Never Stop Asking Questions- if farmers a large lobbying group at less than 2% of the population, what the hell do you call a majority? I need to start growing weed and being my best customer to even begin to understand your post. I said it a couple months ago, wait until this fall if the drought moves north, the food riots of 2012 will make the 60's and ows look like a boy scout jamboree. Great post, M.G.
Stonepipe,
It's Monsanto and their GMO soy and corn, as feed.
Now that was funny !
Last I looked, they were on the side of those who collect food stamps, the illegal aliens, the peaceful Muslims, the incarcerated, those protected by unions so they can show up drunk or on heroin for work and have it called "an illness", the sexually deviant homosexuals, protesters, rioters, and in general spend most of their time trying to get more benefits from those who work really hard for what they do have.
Funny thing is that these so called Republican 1% ers are actually regular working people who bust their ass to not go under because too many people are getting a free damn ride.
Another funny thing is that somehow 1% of the population is actually putting close to 50% of all elected officials in office for over 150 years now in small towns, counties, states and the federal government.
Another funny thing is that we are called "gunslingers" and "war-mongers" when most Democrats I know own multiple guns, hunt and go to radical fundamentalist churches.
Another funny thing is that the Democrats have brought us into every one of our deadliest wars for the past 100 years including the Spanish-American War, WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam.
Vietnam in particular was started by Kennedy, escalated greatly by LBJ, and ended by president Nixon who also ended the draft. Oh I almost forgot, the Republican North freed the slaves of North America.
Something tells me that those involved in the recent shootouts in Chicago may have possibly have liberal leanings as well; but that's just a guess.
Never Stop Asking Questions, I just have to call B.S. on that !
Did you expect that hardworking woman to be a model, an anorexic, or a welfare mama ? She looks to be over 55+ years old at least to boot.
Her families livelihood and a lifetime of hard work are in jeopardy, as well as those that they employ, and somehow you find humor in that ?
I hope you lose your income as well, you deserve to.
Gotta say if some of those above are accurate representatives of the liberals / Democrats I am at a loss as to how they think of themselves as being the kinder more compassionate group.
Are you people talking about "Carbon footprint" and all the other political stuff just crazy???? Can you read? Drought - lack of rain - is responsible for the dry land. You people are unbelievable. Being a Democrat isn't going to make it rain, Never Stop Asking Questions. And the first post was extraordinarily brilliant - anticipate weeks in advance you won't get rain and sell your cattle. Just unbelievable. Do you people have any sense? or heart? Congratulations on being absolutely ridiculous.
We haven't had rain in Arkansas for many, many weeks; sort of like the lack of oxygen some of you described above have obviously suffered.
PJ - you are absolutely right. This is truly tragic, and the "Tolerant" don't seem to grasp this woman's problems are through no fault of her own. She's from a "Red" state; therefore..... This is the "Enlightened"........... God help us.
WTF? Yes, it's drought that is responsible for the dry land, Einstein. But what is causing the massive droughts? It's obvious that it is God paying us back for being tolerant of GLBT's. But for the "less informed" it is the warming planet that we could have addressed 3 decades ago when climatologists predicted all the sh!t that is happening now...and this is just the tip of the iceberg. All this time the GNOP has been lying to the people about the huge costs of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, which was just basically putting off the inevitable to please their corporate energy masters. This is typical, they did the same thing when they controlled Congress and ran up the massive deficit that they complain about now. The real costs of climate change have only just begun as we clean up after larger and more destructive storm systems, fires, & floods, and as we pay the price of more and more droughts. Even with all the evidence, the GNOP continues to deny science, and their sheep will follow them right off the cliff, dragging the thinking people along. At the end of the day, they will blame the democrats for climate change...just watch. Their followers will believe anything.
Democrats vs. Republicans. Hmmm, guess most people aren't aware that the only thing dividing the two parties is, well, not much. Politicans will say and do anything to get votes and stay in power. They pander to their gullible base, realizing that anyone who embraces a party platform is beyond stupid. Think the democrats are for the 'little guy?' Silly you. Pelosi made five million dollars last year on her 'investments.' Now, she is sure for the little guy, especially since the little guy's votes allows her to profit mightily from insider trading. Both parties do it and if you don't understand that, you deserve the government you get.
Anyone with a brain knows that climate varies in cycles of 70 and 1500 years. The few thousand years of data is quite clear. There is a natural variability of climate that seems to follow these periods. Earth wobble, sun energy, earth orbit, ..... The crime is that local government and the Feds have failed to provide the resources to store water for periods of drought. We have elected peanut brain legislators. They react. They are too stupid to understand science and technology. It is time to oust this group of imbeciles and elect qualified individuals. Unfortunately, anyone with a brain doesn't want to be a politician because they know that politicians must be stupid. What a feedback loop!
Methinks anyone with a brain would have included massive CO2 emissions in your earth wobble, sun energy, etc. statement. The crime is being committed by the deniers who block efforts to change the exponentially fast warming of the planet.
Why should the Federal and State Gov have to provide water resources for the ranchers? Most cattle ranches these days are huge and corporate run. They can afford thier own. Why should the Gov have to put up all of the wind generators and solar panels all over the country? Where are the big energy companies, and why arent they doing thier share.
LOL...I see you are so woried about it that you are on here adding your contribution to the amount of Co2, Unless what you are doing is work related then you are using energy and contributing to the problem you claim that man is responsible for and you are doing it for personal entertainment, So are you a denier yourself or is it ok because you are exempt because you are special. The ones screaming the most about pollution never seem to have a problem with their own pollution.
Anyone with a brain knows that the GW we are seeing now is human enduced. Deniers like to use the "cycle" garbage. Scientist are in agreement with this one. Who do you think discovered the cycles? Scientist. You believe that but not what they are telling you now?
Royalstar: You need to do research, educate yourself and then start hurling accusations. Most ranches aren't huge EXCEPT for ranches in arid regions.
The ones screaming the most about pollution never seem to have a problem with their own pollution.
You are wrong. We are trying to convince others, just like you, that continuing with the policies of the "Conservatives"a bout drilling and using fossil fuels is bad for the environment.
Most beef cows in this country are produced on farms with 50 or less. There are some extremely large ranches around, but certainly don't make up the majority - even though you state it as a definitive. The reason energy companies aren't heavily involved in wind power is because there isn't any money in it. The next shoe to drop will be the ethanol industry. There won't be enough corn to keep the plants open even with the subsidies. Hang on, a lot of things are going to get expensive.
mygirl1, you dont know what your talking about. I am in the middle of all of this and know the situation FIRST hand. You are the one that needs the education little one. The larger ranchers dwarf the little ones as useless. If you are a little rancher and cant make it, well, i hate to say it but get out while you can.
It is not just cattle farms/ranches it is also farms that plant monsanto seeds. I say this based ont eh fact that over 90% of all corn and soybeans grown (also used to feed livestock with) now contain pesticides and HGH. And it has been found that the TE/GMO seeds containing these chemicals are killing the nutrients in soil----adding the the damage of droughts!
Remember Round-up and how just a tiny bit can spread up to 15 feet as it kills the weeds while also killing everything else in the soil it contaminates. Guess what Round-up is used by Monsanto!
on a good note rain has been coming down which may help this situation. Yet monsanto needs to be shut down immediately for thier seeds cause more harm than good.
Lastly I never knew ARK. was a State in the MidWest, I was once taught it was located in a geography class that it is in the Southern! states! So when did it move west and up into the midwest?????
Lost, you presume a lot. You have no idea how his electricity was made (fossil fuels or hydro or nuclear) and no one is saying that the solution to the problem is to give up on modern society. That's a red herring you guys like to toss around to pretend the problem is out of our hands. It's not out of our hands but if we all behave like denying dolts, it may as well be.
IRESPOND - so the ends justify the means.
I mean its not like we have ever had a summer like this before. Oh wait we have, but this time is different because we caused it.
Greg - "Scientist are in agreement with this one."
Really? You say that like it is fact, yet some of the earliest are changing their opinion because everything they have predicted to happen hasn't.
William:
I don't think you are correct that most beef comes from small cow/calf herds. I believe the feed lots overtook the small farmers about 10 years ago. I think I saw a stat a while ago that said the Texas Panhandle North of Lubbock produced more beef than Iowa and Minnesota combined.
Most cattle are from farms... not ranches over 70% have fewer than 100 head. 97% of farms and ranches are family owned and operated- NOT CORPORATE by nature, just corporate in name to avoid being sued out of existence.
Those ranches in arid regions are huge in land size but not necessarily in cattle numbers. It takes more acres per animal in the west than it does in the midwest or easter United States.
jkatze- "you've got a computer. educate yourself" Really, most people do not know the difference between popular press, opinion articles and true science. I don't believe a computer would be the method I would suggest people educate themselves. Go to a farm, ranch, feedlot, etc. Actual go see how your food is produced and then you can shout accuasations.
Yes they are corporate beef farms or ranches. Just like most hogs, turkeys and chickens come from corporate run farms and ranches.
You are confusing the vertical integration of hogs, turkeys, and chickens with the more pyramid structure of the cattle industry.
Most ranches and farms are under an LLC umbrella but are still family owned and operated. They have to be when dealing with outside people in this sue-happy environment. They are not corporations in structure just name.
We aren't talking Tyson or Foster Farms here. There is a lady in the picture talking about 150 cows that she uses for income and takes care of on a daily basis.
I am talking Tyson, Foster, Cargill, Hormel and the like. They raise 2 fold more than the families do. Plus, alot of the families are contracted out to these companies. You have to remember, if the families go under there are still going to be the giants bringing in this product. NO and i mean NO family farms around me ,plus mine are under LLC heading and we family owned. But we're getting off topic here.
Wanderinglostinthewoodsdude,
You don't know me well enough to make those accusations. I have found a lifestyle that does not require a personal vehicle, for starters. Works very well. Still use public transportation though. Being an old hippie I still practise many ecologically favorable practises. Grow as much of my own food as posible, try not to be the mindless consumer, etc. etc. Learned how to make carbon neutral electricity from wood scraps. Could make a longer list, but why? Agreed that it is almost impossible to completely separate onself from the polluting lifestyle (owning a computer bought some votes for the beast) we now have, but it would not cripple me in any way to see it all crash. I could probably walk barefoot in the pines, but certainly would not be lost.
Tom - Plymouth-3672298 It is a fact. 98% of all scientist involved in climate change are in agreement. You can put on your tin foil hat now.
BS. When you continue to pump more CO2 into the atmosphere what do you expect to happen. Again make sure that hat is firmly strapped on your head.
When you resort to name calling you lose any credibility that your post might have
I do not have to know you, If in fact you are on here for personal use and not doing it for gainful employment then you are a hypocrite, You are yourself contributing to the pollution you claim to be against, So I ask again...Is it ok for you to pollute and not someone else and if so why.
lostinthepinebarrens??
Does that make you feel better? Can't see much difference from here unless Pine Barrens are not woods. Never quite knew what "barrens" were. If you consider that "name calling" all I can say is you have too soft a skin to be playing on this forum. Certainly I am on here because I want to be. So are you unless someone is paying you for being a troll. So what's the difference? You certainly use the term "hypocrite" loosely. Did I not say that it is almost impossible to separate ourselves from this polluting lifestyle? I just choose to cut my pollution as much as possible.
But...........if you wish to get into some real name calling and low blow arguments I am always capable. Probably moreso than you. Cover that soft thin skin of yours with some armor first.
The most bogus argument ever. The fact is that a minority of individuals cannot make substantial changes. Only the collective can. The best use of time is to convince the collective so that all participate in change. Its like sharing a pizza with a pig. You may wish to save some pizza for later, so you eat less of it now. But the pig will eat whatever is left, so there is no more pizza. Even if you eat none.
Greg, 98% of scientists agree the climate is changing, well of course isn't that the definition of climate?
The percentage that think it is caused my Man is lower.
At the rate we have pumped CO2 into the atmosphere most "Scientific" Models had the ice caps melting by now and half of the east coast underwater, hasn't happened.
People find it weird that we are warming but yet we just came out of a minny ice age.
No wrong 98% agree that GW is anthropogenic. That mean it's being caused by man.
Another lie. Please provide your links to this claim.
This cycles take hundreds of thousands of years. We are seeing an enourmous increase in CO2 over that past 180 years. I expected you to bring up the cycle BS.
How we know we are causing GW?
And finally the most important sign: Increased posts from myth believing nuts like Tom - Plymouth-3672298 that provide misinformation about GW.
Somehow I doubt that
sillyshrinks
Excellent post. I felt it needed to be repeated.
There is much,much more about Monsanto that needs to be said.
They are a truly evil company that have had a lot of innocent farmers arrested and their seed is bad for environmental reasons.
Their seed are known as "Terminators". This seed technology produces plants that have sterile seeds so they do not flower or grow fruit after the initial planting. This prevents the spread of those seeds into the wild.
Monsanto sparked controversy nationwide with the introduction of recobbinant Bovine somatotropin. It is a synthetic hormone that is injected into cows to increase milk production. it produces adverse effects in non-infants, behaving as a cancer accelerator in adults and non-infants; this biologically active hormone is associated with breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer.
Milk from cows that are not treated with growth hormones that Monsanto makes are sold with labels indicating it is hormone free; this milk is popular with consumers. Dairies and closely affiliated with Monsanto, has formed and has begun lobbying to ban such labels.
Monsanto was the defendant in the longest civil jury trial in U.S. history, Kemner v. Monsanto This case ran from February 1984 through October 1987. The case involved a group of plaintiffs who claimed to have been poisoned by dioxin in a 1979 chemical spill that occurred in Sturgeon, Missouri.
There is so much more I can't say it all here. I have seen documentaries on this company causing farmer suicides, child labor violations, false advertising, a lot of toxic dumping. The list goes on and on.
WoodShed - I ditto what you say about Monsanto.
I dont believe "evil" exists, but if I did - there'd be a picture of Monsanto next to the defintion of evil in the dictionary.
corporate facism, alive and well in america...as evidenced by the fact that monsanto continues to become the monstrosity that it is despite all the harm that it does.
Two quick things
1: There is no such thing as hormone-free milk. You can produce without the use of rbST but the hormone-free label is inherently false.
2: rbST has no function in the human body as the protein folding doesn't allow it to bind to receptors in people. It's been shown as safe in scientific studies (independent studies).
I'm so sorry for these people. What a horrible way to lose your livelihood through other people's selfish behavior.
Selfish behavior? Are you crazy? How does anybody have the ability to stop it from Raining?
Exactly what Tom - Plymouth - 3672298 said, how is it selfish behavior, where in the article does it say selfish behavior. No one has the abiltity to make it rain. It is sad that they are losing there business. It has been some crazy weather.
Please explain how someones selfish behavior has caused this drought, The earth has experienced periods of drought and periods of heavy rain long before man existed, Great Salt flats are there because once great salt lakes have evaporated, Entire areas that are now dessert were once flourishing watershed areas, Research shows us that areas that were once covered by water are now dry land and that areas that were once dry land are covered by water, All these things happened without mans help and will continue to happen as our planet continues to change on its own. Adapt or face extinction.
The selfeshness is people of both parties contstantly putting politics, biases and personal greed before common sense. We should be working together to prepare for, prevent and deal with weather events. The problem is that NOTHING is ever done. Nobody wants to take any action. What's so upsettings in that, in the age of iPhones and other technology crazes nothing is done about controlling the climate, reducing poverty or creating better medicines.
I hope those who says all the stuff about lakes and how wonderful it was everywhere on this particular globe, know that almost the entire globe was green at various times--and that would be a completely different scenario, and those greens were converting all the CO2 from big fires.--and there was a little CO2 from animals developing/breathing later.---but I am happy to say there were no cars or billions of homes using electric and fires in each home, those humans are not really equipped to be far outside equator!!---No not even the ones here with a hotti!
The earth has experienced periods of drought and periods of heavy rain long before man existed,
What an ignorant comment. Anybody in Middle School and High School knows that 7 billion people, fossil fuels, and all the Industrial development has been increasing the temperature on earth. Time to refresh your high school education!
Leroy - "technology crazes nothing is done about controlling the climate, reducing poverty or creating better medicines."
Nothing is done to reduce poverty? Really trillions of dollars are taken from one group of people and redistributed to another group of people by the Government and poverty hasn't been reduced in 40 years and your solution is just to take more money. Maybe you should think that they current way of redistributing to the poor isn't working and try a different way that doesn't include the Government.
Nothing is done to create better medicines, You can't possibly think that is true.
Nothing is done to control climate? How is is possible to control the climate? If we all turn off our cars forever are things going to magically get better?
Tom asked:
God does!
and is he mad, because we are using oil as a way to make plastic or just mad because we use it to get from place A to B?
K I Smart Simple, maybe they were hoping the market would go up, maybe the cattle weren't ready for market yet. There are many reasons why they didn't get rid of them.
K1Simple smart, let me explain to you this lady's operation, I'll try to do it in simple terms because frankly you are NOT as smart as you think.
She is what is called a "cow/calf" operation. She owns the mother cows and the daddy cows, they make the baby cows. The average size herd in the #2 cattle raising state of MO. is 60 head, so we're not talking "corporate" farming here. She maintains her mother cow herd and sells the calves. When the baby cows are about 9 months old, 400-600#, she sells them at the auction and a person called a "backgrounder" buys them. They graze them on grass and most likely, begin to feed them grain. THEN the big feedlots get involved. A buyer representing them buys the "calves" at anywhere from 900-1,200 pounds. They then are on full feed so as to make the meat tender because some of you folks THINK you want grass fed beef but believe me, you really don't. Just go shoot a deer instead because it all amounts to the same thing.
Cattlemen and women are quickly losing ground to subsidized row cropping for corn/soy bean production, new highways, housing developments and shopping centers. I know of few other groups that are so dedicated to saving the earth for the next generation than the American cattle producer.
Not to mention that if you are a cow/calf producer, when you keep back a heifer for your own herd you are paying the costs to feed and house and maintain her health for two years (hopefully 22 months) before you ever get a calf out of her. Then add the months it takes to get that to a certain weight (depending on your marketing plan). How many other industries do you know of that it takes 2.5 to over 3 years for one capital investment to begin paying itself off?
Figure in a year or two of drought with increasing hay/grain prices, increased pasture rent, increased prices for bull power, drought decreasing conception rates... and the list goes on.
Yep, it's those damn greedy farmers and ranchers ruining everything. Sheesh, some people need to get a clue. kattlekween -- always nice to see someone on here with some sense!
Thanks Jake, people just don't understand the entire picture out here, most times it isn't pretty. One has to love the land and the cattle to endure the weather, the bad years and the bad markets. Yep, get rich(snark)....without government subsidies I might add.
Drought turns cattle ranch into Beef Jerky farm :)
Just keep voting Republican, so we can have more floods, tornados, droughts, and temperature extremes. Republicans will also be glad to fuel the surge in black lung disease. And remember to say it's what Jesus wants.
Wow, I was not aware that Republicans had been around for millions or billions of years because thats how long this earth has been changing, Great Salt lakes have dried up and turned to salt flats long before man was here, Once flowing estuaries have dried up and turned to desserts long before man walked the planet, Areas of our planet once covered by water are now dry land and areas once dry land are now covered by water and this all happened without mans help, It happened because our planet is a living,moving object with a will of its own.
Let me guess Raoul, you get all your entergy from renewable sources and ride a horse, a bike, or walk everywhere you go right. Now who is at fault?
That would be your liberal democrat unions fueling all of those Raoul. Just from the hot fuggin wind they blow constantly.
Holy kaka, Raol. The republicans cause fires and floods, etc? With that latitude of wisdom I fear all is
lost since you and several million geniuses like you have the vote.
So Raoul if we voted Democrat there will never be another natural disaster? Well then they got my vote.
(Whats the big deal its just another promise they can't keep, PS the Repubs can't keep them either)
Some of these comments are so funny. I am pretty sure we will make it through the drought and the heat. We have done it many times before. Sad, yes, but the sky is not falling!!
The Republicans need more Raoul's! He makes the Republicans look good!
Yer nuts !
Cattle are one of the least economically sound meat sources out there. They consume disproportionate amounts of water and destroy forage compared to several other domesticated animals. Sheep are kinder to the environment. Goats can survive on anything and have less fatty meat. Pigs and chickens take way less acreage.
I like beef as much as anyone, but I recognize it's not the best way to get my protein.
Yes but the animals you mentioned all tase like ASS! Give me BEEF.. Mooo...
How can you not like chicken?
How can you not like bacon?
All Animals are GOOD. Like Bacon, I like chicken, Goat is good, and lamb is very tender.
But you know what the best part of all of them are? The freedom to choose which one I get to eat if I can afford it.
Interesting generalization on protein sources. Everyone is able to choose what the prefer to eat but to say cattle consume disproportionate amounts of water? and destroy forage? Hmmm... I am not buying it.
If proper grazing techniques are used no animals destroy forage. But sheep, goats and horses have the tendency to do more damage if improper techniques are used. They have prehensile lips allowing them to take forage down to the ground. Cattle however use their tongue and hard palate to "rip" vegetation. This does not allow them to "graze to the ground."
Pigs and chickens take less acreage but for less meat. Most of pigs and chickens are raised in confined feeding operations. Thus, the animals themselves take up less acreage but the forages and grains used to feed them may be greater.
It takes less acreage to make a lb. of chicken or pork, but it's the kind of acreage that needs to be compared. An acre of prime Minnesota/Iowa prairie will produce quite a bit of chicken and pork, but an acre of say Wyoming, South Dakota or Montana won't produce either but will produce beef and lamb.
Sorry advocate, there's a lot of data supporting his supposition. Here is but a sampling of the data available, suffice it to say, meat of any kind is SIGNIFICANTLY more energy intensive to produce than any plant, and Beef is one of if not the MOST energy intensive.
h t t p : / / w w w . t h e o i l d r u m . c o m / n o d e / 6 2 5 2
AG99, you've GOT to be kidding me!!! Sheep???? Seriously???? You've not seen what they do to a pasture have you? You could putt golf on it. Most GOOD cattlemen I know use a system called r-o-t-a-t-i-o-n-a-l grazing. Geeezzzzzz......
My question is to Newsviner.... How do you know what A$$ taste like?
Tom Plymouth,
Well, let's hope things start getting better or your only choice might be longpig. LMAO
Sorry to see other states having a horrible drought. Yes, Texas got hit hard last year. Most ranchers were force to sell all there cattle due to water and feed shortage. Now this year is different only in Central Texas, since its been raining. But still the west part of the state is still in a dangerous drought. Now, what should be happening, it to build large pipelines from the Mississippi/Ohio Valley is the flood areas. Pump ONLY the flood waters out west to large storage/lakes. If we can pump oil from Alaska, then this is very possible. In turn, send feed/gain to these states during drought times. This should be setup as a "not for profit" but an act of kindness. Maybe stupid, but it's better then letting farmers/ranchers/cities who need water.
Not necessarily a bad idea but it's one that would take years to complete and very expensive. Many american people have a fit about spending money to give poor kids school lunches, a pipeline for farmers would never fly.
Talk about man controlling the climate?
The GOP would never have that. Government support to the hungry and down trodden, nope.
We are in a drought in the midwest too. I live in Cincinnati and everything is brown here too.
zexks, how is the trillions are dollars that are currently spent working for the poor?
Hey at leas they have health insurance, I mean thats good even if you are starving, right?
Water evaporates....................... Have you ever watched the sun dry out the sidewalk on a 100 degree day?
Tom your misunderstanding what is happening. Man doesn't have control over the climate. Man is changing climate.
Mom to 5 is it really a drought or does it just seem like the season is a month or so a head. What our situation reminds me of is our normal August-late August when the grass drys out turns brown and you don't have to mow as much
Dont these smaller ranchers have wells that they get their own water out of. For christ sake buy some water tanks and garden hose from Tractor Supply and water the cattle.
Along with the lack of water on the surface, the water tables go down. I don't know what it's like down there but here now days ever inch of farmable land gets tiled and the swamps and water holes that would normally resupply the the ground water gets carried away. I don't think the main problem is watering the cattle but getting enough rain to get the crops to grow so the cattle can be fed. The cost of shipping water in to irrigate would be phenomenal.
Royal, are you talking aboat irrigating millions of acres of pasture land???? yeah, that'll work. Get out of the city more and actually see how your food is raised.
Royal, it is NOT a lawn and they do not not have a steady supply of city water pumped in from some unending source that they never have to think about.
Oh and just to make it more fun try keeping calves alive in this horrible heat. I am in Virginia and we are getting rain but I am still losing calves just to heat stress.
PJ, I hear you, just talked to a neighbor tonight he lost a 500# calf today. Fall calving season is right around the corner, let's pray we get rain and cooler temps or it could be a real disaster!
The drought is a scam. There is plenty of water. We could use the Fire tankers and spread water over these effected areas. I was watching it on the news while they were fighting the fires in Colorado. They can lower large buckets into the Ocean and drop it on the ranches and farm land.
I cant believe people cant understand this. The Government wants these drought situations to keep us from focusing on the fact that they are tyring to poison us.
Sure glad you aren't taking care of my cattle. They'd all be dead inside a week!
Salt water will kill the cows and it will kill the grasses you spray it on and last I checked Arkansas was not even remotely close to either the Pacific ,Atlantic,Arctic oceans or the Gulf of Mexico
Newsviner:
I am sure you wrote your comment for my name's sake! It really was funny, hope it was meant to be funny!
The Ocean is SALT water brainiack. SALT! Can you drink salt water? I hope to God you are not serious, if you are I feel sorry for anything you are taking acre of.
OH BROTHER!! More from the peanut galary!!!
Newsviner,
Ye be in jest, right? Ocean water on farm/ranch land? Ever hear what salt does to plant growth? Go pee on your flowers and see what happens.
NEWSVINER-6126072
You remind me of the movie "Idiocracy" when people in the future were so stupid that they used Gatorade to water their farms, and wondered why their crops failed. BRILLIANT !
For the love of God, Newsviner I hope you are kidding, if not you're a complete waste of oxygen on this planet. Salt water, really????
@newsviner do you have any idea how far the "ocean is from the midwest"? you really can't be serious, plus the water that comes from the ocean isn't suitable for watering crops, unless your going to mine salt in a few years. Wow what has happened to our schools?
I pray for all these farmers who could lose their livelihoods! Wow.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
Isn't it obvious that Jesus hates those cows? Just look at the ground..
LetsGo, well said, but as always, the word of God falls on deaf ears, why? because it's too easy, it makes too much sense, no, the truth is people do not want to change or be told what to do.
Don't ever be afraid to offend when what you offend with is Biblical truth.
You know, last year everyone made fun of Texas for praying...well you know what? This year, Texas is doing a hell of a lot better. :)
Not saying it's "proof" or anything that praying worked, but I just find it funny how much everyone made fun of us, and now we're looking so much better. The Houston area is not in danger of drought at the moment.
Sh!t, a cow feeding another cow!!!
Yes dear and they BOTH are responsible for feeding your sorry *** so show a little manners.
What is with you people today? That woman never did anything to you and she is in trouble due to something that she has no control over but all you care about is her figure.
Tell me are you THAT good looking? Or just THAT shallow?
It is a tragedy. Is the cause earth wobble, 70 year cycle, C02 emmissions..... Seems to me that if one were looking to be helpful one might address the issues we can address. We could invest in water storage or address CO2 emmissions. What is congress doing today? Oh, thats right, they are going to vote to repeal a heal care bill for the 31st time. Contempt for this congress is a virtue above all others.
Actually they are working on another abortion bill.
Well, this isn't really happening. Ask any Right wing global climate change deny-er and they'll tell you that it's all left wing propoganda.
Its not "if its happening" you dolt, its whats causing it. Hum the suns solar flares are at at a peak of a cycle, naaa that has nothing to do with the temperature. The difference in CO2 your saving in your stupid prius vs my tacoma has more impact than solar flares? Look at the instance of Volcano's in the past 40 years compared with that of 80 years. There is a bit more CO2 from a volcanic eruption than the cars on the road. Open your eyes!
""
Volcanos produce more CO2 than human activity? Or no?
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/global_warming3.htm
Volcanos, both surface and submarine: 130-230 million tons
Human activity: 24 Billion tons
Human activity releases 150 times the amount of volcanos.
Volcanoes contribute most of the CO2 released into the atmosphere each year.
Less than 1% of annual CO2 emissions come from volcanoes.
from: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/Wh...as/volgas.html
Volcanoes contribute most of the CO2 released into the atmosphere each year.
Less than 1% of annual CO2 emissions come from volcanoes.
from: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/Wh...as/volgas.html
So your saying as a percentage of CO2 in the air today is dramatically more than the % of CO2 in the air 40 years ago. Or are you saying that the amount of CO2 in the air is dramatically more today than it was 40 years ago insinuating that the atmosphere is somehow more dense than it used to be meaning there is just more of it. What is the increase as a percentage? I notice you didnt mention anything about solar flares, that COULDN'T be the issue. What percentage of the climate is attributable to the sun vs other factors? Hmmm, Id rule the sun out!
i guess it's a good thing climate change is fake - you red states are fine. there is no drought, just more lies from those wacky liberal gotcha media ;)
Our cattle are important to the country. The present regime is so hot to give give give to our poor huddling
masses of sorry as aliens, how about air lifting water to our USA beef? WTF O? Where's that so proud
American ingenuity? Or the cattle owners put it together and get a water supply to keep their beef alive
and marketable. I'm about off of meat now. You up the price and I'll eat veggies, fish, hostess dingdongs.
You know the droughts will affect the price of veggies, too, right?
Makes me glad I live in Oregon. People always complain about how wet the northwest is....it's better to have a few months of rain than relentless heat/humidity/drought. Besides I like having 4 separate seasons.
Hey post #1.1, I have a crystal ball, it's called the Bible. This is just the beginning of end times Bible prophecy.
REPENT!! Make way in your hearts for the coming of Christ before it is too late.
So in the mean time sit around and do nothing because you will be raptured...
No man knows the time or date and if you sit waiting how do you think God will view that?
YOU religious nuts are what's wrong with this country. Keep believing in your invisible man and in the mean time do nothing about the biggest problem we humans have ever faced. You deserve what you are getting.
Workingman-
Um...so no Christians are working to fix climate change?
does the "o" stand for "off" jack?
You see, that's what I'm talking about in #11.2
ok i was wrong - arkansas beat texas to becoming a desert - but texas will eventually - all in bad time
The first Dust Bowl was created by bad farming practices and other human activities that ruined the Great Plains. The current and increasing Second Dust Bowl is created by the same thing, but this time add to it the poisons our gasoline toys pour into the air, the massive heat-creating asphalt paving we've done to kill the living earth, and other problems. This is not caused by sun cycles or natural climate cycles. This is the most powerful creature in the universe playing with the planet like a two-year-old plays with toys.
The people on this tiny planet has had at least 50 years of warnings that climate change is real. Guess what, it is happening and there is not a da...ed thing you can do about it. One day, sooner or later, clean safe water will be more valuable than oil.
I know some people are going to say because it would cost to much. But why doesn't the government build some large canal that stretch from these states that get flooded all the time to these states that get hit with droughts? Stop giving all are money to foreign countries and take care of our people first.
The Bible is not a crystal ball. That is a tool (crystal ball) used for the occult.
That's an insult to God's word. It's always accurate where as a crystal ball is a tool of man and man's ways. I
am an avid Bible reader. Not only is God trying to reconcile with people in general, He hopes that those of false
religions will make re conciliate as well. And, to the truth. He has a name. (what is his name) Not Lord neither.
He does not intend on destroying the earth or the universe. And, only a certain number of people are going to
Heaven. The majority of people will live on a new Earth where we intended to live. It's all in your Bible.
Wow! The bible is just a bunch of BS written by a bunch of old dudes. Nothing more.
Actually I prefer the Bhagavadgita. The Song of God. If we continue to destroy this environment here I think I'll choose to incarnate in a more human friendly planet, thank you. It would be God's justice to make all the deniers re-incarnate into the hell they are creating. LMAO
Too bad they ran all the Mexicans off now they have no one to carry water!
Damn that bigot thing will get you every time! Thank your Government!
rushless,
A little humor is a good thing. LMAO