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Subscribe to RSSOn Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported half of the nation's counties have been declared disasters because of severe droughts that has affected the West, Midwest and Southeast. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.
Just over half of the counties in the U.S. are now labeled "natural disaster areas" after the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday added 218 counties in 12 states to the list.
With drought drying up food crops and animal feedstock, the USDA also said it was allowing haying and grazing on 3.8 million protected acres, many of them wetlands, and that insurance companies agreed to a 30-day grace period for farmers on insurance premiums.
"The assistance announced today will help U.S. livestock producers dealing with climbing feed prices, critical shortages of hay and deteriorating pasturelands," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement announcing the moves.
The Nature Conservancy said it was OK with the emergency haying and grazing as long as it is "carried out with minimal impacts to wildlife and habitats."
Across 32 states, ranchers and farmers in 1,584 counties -- 50.3 percent of the total -- are now eligible for low-interest loans. Some 90 percent of those counties were listed due to drought conditions.
That's a new record and one that's been broken repeatedly in recent weeks as more counties have been added. The declarations first started on July 12.
On Monday, the USDA rated as "good-to-excellent" just 24 percent of the corn crop and 29 percent of the soybean crop, both down 2 percentage points from the previous week.
The ratings are the worst since 1988, another year of severe drought in the nation's crop-growing mid-section.
CNBC's Bertha Coombs reports on the worsening condition of crops.
Crop shortages in turn mean higher food prices. The USDA last week raised its estimates of food price inflation, saying prices could rise as much as 3.5 percent this year and up to 4 percent in 2013, led by meat.
And while the latest USDA steps might help ranchers and farmers, those groups on Monday joined forces to ask that the Environmental Protection Agency curb the mandate to produce ethanol from corn, saying it was driving up prices for animal feed.
Related story: Give us an ethanol break, livestock producers say
A state or ethanol refiner must ask for such a waiver, and that hasn't happened, at least not yet.
In a statement to NBC News, the EPA said it was in "close contact with USDA as they and we keep an eye on crop yield estimates, and we will review any data or information submitted by stakeholders, industry and states."
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don't most americans believe in the power of prayer? well there you go - pray and he will make it happen! (good luck)
What you Obama haters dont seem to see.Is that for the past 100 yrs we have been cutting down trees by the millions. and not replacing what we cut.So think about this and its just common sense .When you take away allot of the things that help filter the air ,we have more carbon in it . Also when you have area's that don't have allot of trees(IE- Fla and Texas) the is more of a drought condition. when you have areas ( IE- Washington and Colo) you have more rain .Just use common sense and think that trees are like the hair on our bodies .the less hair we have the harsher the weather will be for us . so in closing wake up and quit blaming the prez and start blaming the Dem's and rep's that don't pass laws to counter the raping of the land .
How about the population of China and India? Think they are concerned with Greenhouse gas? You think our measley 300 mil population will have an effect on the over two billion who are now polluting the atmosphere?
We are not the ones cutting down trees uban. Set your sights a bit further out to the rest of the world.
Recent studies show that the effects of global warming are accelerating. The direct cause has been atributed to the huge amount of greenhouse gasses being added to the U.S. Atmosphere due to the numerous Air Force One flights back and fourth across the country while O-Num-Nuts continues his campaign for re-election.
seek help asap.
Or opens his mouth...
pea sized brain you dolt.
Yeah, I heard all the trees they cut down for all of the new golf courses made for Obama and all of the Obama Biden 2012 bumperstickers on Liberal cars has shortened the life-span for all life on Earth to just Wednesday of next week!
so much for the T party trying to stop spending,or maybe we should let these food producers rot eh? also, hey people hows that ''liberal hoax'' look to ya now?bet you wont think its a hoax when you cant get food to stuff your fat stomachs,and this aint nothing baby,just wait your gonna find out what the old hoax can really do in the years coming up. Sweating yet? Your gonna be.
You have no idea what you are talking about joe. Doubt if I will be around to see disaster, so none of this little kerfuffle means anything to me.
As far as global warming, it has been warming since the last ice age. Anyone remember the Great Depression of the 30's? That was a drought, the middle country was nicknamed the DUST BOWL. This happened waaay before all these global warming nuts were even born. This drought PALES in comparison. Droughts happen, deal with it and stop panicking.
Now on to more common sense things, such as what are you going to eat NOW? (look around you, THAT's where you are) Time to go hunting and fishing and to break out that 50 pound bag of dried beans and rice I keep in the cellar! Oh wait if you are a PETA loving vegetarian you are REALLY screwed, especially all of those city people that like to make FUN of the country people that feed them.
Don't say rice and beans unless you want some undocumented immigrants on your porch.
When the food riots start make sure you have a trusty sidearm to protect your children... unless you are a gun control freak, then grab a rock or a stick. You arn't allowed to protect yourself without being a hypocrite.
It wasn't that long ago, 1973 when scientists were convinced we were heading towards another ice age due to a decline in temperatures. More alarmist BS by ideologues wanting to sell their adgenda.
That's all you got...50 lbs.?
I've got 100+ lbs. of each (rice and beans) plus more honey, cooking oil, sugar, salt, bleach, water (ca. 700 gallons) and corn you could shake a stick at.
Well like I said in a below statement, it isn't really dry where I live and I have veggies growing in the garden and wild game all over the place. I doubt the emergency reserves I have right now even get touched.
It's called Haarp people,. we've been controling the weather for years,. wake up this is self inflicted,. nbc sign in process complete trash,.
So what's haarp Stupidppl? Some kind of new musical instrument. How can it possibly control the weather? Any relationship to EMP?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse
You can link me emp but you can't research Haarp yourself?
Haarp is just a peice of the puzzle, Research Chemtrails and GE seeds, then tie that together with flouride they've been feeding us since birth.
Global freezing sucks. All the plants are dying from these arctic temperatures.
It rained over five inches in just a few hours just north of Phoenix, Arizona yesterday.
That is not normal.
It's called a Monsoon and, yes, it's completely normal, happens every year like clockwork..(I live in AZ)
Oh but it is normal Atheist. It's called a cloudburst or heavy rain, associated with the Summer Monsoon, that occurs every summer in that part of the country. Some years stronger, some years weaker. Good try, but you still don't have the science down.
Take an online basic 7th grade science course, it would obviously double your scientific knowledge...
FYI, monsoons are associated with oceans and other very large bodies of water. Would either of you two please tell us which ocean is splashing the shores of Phoenix, AZ?
they have not mentioned Kansas ANYWHERE! Kansas is hotter than any states mentioned in this article. Dodge city is 104 daily, Wichita was 110 , these have been consistent for many weeks now. Why doesnt this article mention the disaster in kansas, where most of the wheat is grown, this year there IS NO wheat harvest. The drought has stricken even the milk thistle. Today Dodge City is 106.. You should be putting this on your news cast... oh well but who cares., You will just go buy your loaf of bread at the store like you always do.. but next year, bread will be 7 $ a loaf.
"What is the cost if those who believe man is changing our climate are wrong - and we act to prevent climate change that isn't real?"
Since there are no real solutions available other than nuclear that your side doesn't want, we destroy the economy and watch the ensuing poverty that engulfs the world cause starving people that can not support or feed themselves to destroy the earth as they search in desperation to survive.
"What is the cost if the deniers are wrong - and we don't act?"
No big deal, we just adjust to the slightly warmer temps.
Nothing will ever be done about it Wils59, because people depend too much on fossils fuels and governments are out of money to try to mitigate what up to now, is unsettled science, perhaps evern faux or junk science.
The Farmer's Almanac predicted winter 2011/2012 to be mild, summer 2012 hot & dry, winter 2012/2013 mild, & summer 2013 hot & dry. Winter 2013/2014 is going to nail us with cold & snow, as per Farmer's Almanac.
Global Warming is said to be unpredictable, so why can Farmer's Almanac be so right? May not be the boogie man after all. Can you say dynamic weather shift? It's been happening for MILLIONS of years.
Disagree...ENSO is now neutral and is trending to El Nino. We are coming off the final effects La Nina. I suspect that his coming winter will be much colder and snowier than last, especially in the West and Midwest.
Stopped at a local vegie and fruit stand here in Michigan. Tomatoes were .99 EACH Beefstake tomatoes were 1.25 EACH. Watermelon forget it 7.50 Each lmao highway robbery the legal way i guess. Needless to say i went home with just sweet corn 3 for a buck.
That's about what you pay at a farmer's market for really fresh produce. Support your local farmers
Now the US will see what happened to the Anasazi Indians, not a pretty sight. Wake up people, it's over with, the World needs a minus population growth.
The ancestors of the Anasazi are alive and well. Many (like the Hopi) are living in the same pueblos that they have been in since before the first Spanish arrived in the 1540's. Ever hear of the Pueblo Revolt of 1683? Who do you think the Spanish were running from...ghosts?
Yep, just because they left the Mesa Verde cliffhouses doesn't mean they died out.
To be honest, we are getting TOO MUCH rain here in the mountains of North Carolina. It is raining just about every single day. I would be more than glad to send some to the midwest if I could. It's like a rain forest around my house right now and I have fresh tomatoes, corn, greens, okra, and peppers growing in my front yard.
Saw about a dozen wild turkeys on the property and 2 deer yesterday, no starving here.
Brian, hope you have acres and acres of your fresh vegies. Because just a few will not last but a few days.
Anybody else hunting in your area. Won't take long for the game to be gone. This is not the 1700 or 1800s with veryfew humans running around.
I have emergency stores in the house as stated in an earlier comment. Seriously doubt I will need them anytime soon. And being a single man, I am positive a deer or two and a few turkeys would keep me with meat for a year or more.
Since it is MY land, 69 acres of it, I am sure I will be the first one hunting anything. Their is also possum, raccoon, pheasant, rabbits and squirrels everywhere. Bobcat, bear, etc etc. Right now the garden is small but I could easily plant a few acres.
Legalize Industrial HEMP for American Farmers to help save the economy and the climate.
Burning more carbon begets warmer temperatures, which begets more burning of carbon, which begets warmer temperatures...
Oil and Coal: Where (very bad) Dreams Come True!
The science is still unsettled on this issue Atheist.
This drought has nothing to do with "global warming" and everything to do with nature and the way the highs, lows and jet stream get set up. I am so tired of everytime there is a drought - or flood, blizzard, etc - it is man's fault. Yes, some things are, but not this. Forty years ago when I was in grade school, the talk was about us going into another ice age. We had very cool summers. I have a feeling that man-made pollution was alot worse back then. Weather on a local, regional or continental level is never "normal". Just last year in the upper mid-west (ND, SD, Mont and Wy) we were having major flooding. Was that "global warming" too? In the thirty years that I have lived in the country, we have had small droughts, a large one lasting eight years - bet nobody heard about that one! - and wet springs and snowy winters. It's called LIFE. You hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
You are correct. Instead of all this finger pointing and grandstanding we should be having a serious discussion on what we will do if we actually have a food shortage (we do not currently) or if the power grid fails or some other man made or natural disaster. These things happen frequently in history if you look at the big picture, but man is so incredibly short sighted and thinks they and the time they live in are the only thing that has ever existed. I don't know what year it was off the top of my head, but in the 1800's(?) there was a year that summer never came to eastern and northern North America. The crops failed and people died. Weather is very dynamic and unpredictable. Stop your bitching about it and take action people. Sometimes you just have to fend for yourself.
So what's your advice then? You say don't bitch but you fail to offer a plan of action. Being aware of history is good to know but it's not going to save your crops if you can't get the government and the common folk behind you. How about some rich country western singers who pride themselves on being from farming parents and being brought up in the country and all that but I don't see one of them stepping up to the plate to help. Discussing a food shortage is already on the global stage. The power grid is another lost government mess. Talking doesn't do anything unless you've got a plan behind it and that's not bitching. People have to be made aware of what's going on and then someone with money has to make a statement and get media attention. You can accuse me of bitching if you want but I've offered at least a few ideas.
Here's my advice. Consider what you need to live in the absence of electricity. Be prepared to live without a steady supply of food to your store. Think about what medicines you might want. Learn to gather your own food and water. Have cash in the drawer. I am by no means a survivalist and love my air conditioned fast food life, but I have considered what it would be like to wake up one day without modern conveniences. By virtue of being out in nature in sparsely populated country I have an immediate advantage over my fellow citizens in the city. We as a society are so far removed from the reality of nature that many people could not cope without goods delivered to their corner store or water coming from the faucet when it is turned on. My job is to make sure there is enough food showing up just in time everyday in downtown L.A. that people don't starve. If it gets to the point we can only grow enough to fend for ourselves the artificial societies of the mega city will be screwed. I don't delight in that reality, but can't see it going down any other way. Will it happen? Probably not, but modern life is more fragile than it ever has been in the history of man.
A few other things that I find obvious. Obtain and learn how to use a weapon. Gain the skills necessary to grow crops. Consider how you will obtain protein, whether raising animals yourself or hunting them. Get the hell out of the city. If you prepare and have food and water it won't matter with 10000 hungry crazies beating down your door to take what you saved.
LongFarms, it was in 1816 and over 1,800 people died. The main cause was the eruption the previous year of Mount Tambora in the Dutch East Indies. It caused summer frosts and crop failures and even snow in Canada in June. And a really cold winter the next year.
We really cannot control weather and nature. Even if we do in the short-term, in the long run nature will always win. All we can do is to be prepared the best we can.
That is the event I was referring to. You just can't control nature.
Better get used to these kind of headlines, folks.
One hot summer does not a climate trend make.
Just come in over the news wire Odumbo says the drought is Bush's fault.
The drought in the Ohio Valley has been relieved by some thunderstorms the last few weeks. Still, with the heat it has to go down as the most extreme summer here of my lifetime. All the talk about politicians being to blame is misguided. They don't do anything about this because they are afraid of being rejected at the polls for trying. No one thinks we have the common sense to pour piss out of a boot and they are probably right.
Yep. Very true. Politicians are worried about getting rejected at the polls. But, it would be nice FOR ONCE to see Politicians do what they think is best for the country, not whats best for their chances of election/re-election or their Party.
The government doesn't have money to help our farmers with agricultural loans but they've got our tax dollars to send to Israel. Our government sent another $70 million to Israel last week to defend them against attacks. Our fields and crops are dry but the priority is to make sure Israel has money to fight off their neighbors. Our #1 foreign aid recipient, Israel needs to be cut off. Maybe the Israelis should come and irrigate our fields and pick the crops since we've kicked out the Mexican illegals and have no Americans that are willing to do that work. It's the least the good people of Israel could do to help us in "our" time of need and taking our tax dollars since the beginning of their country in 1948. Our government needs to be us first and Israel last. They have enough of our money.
Don't forget...global warming is a myth. Chant it guys. Ignore the droughts, melting arctic, dwindling forests, extinction of species, and the rest. It's liberal propaganda. Just buy a bunch of guns and hole yourself up in some rural cabin, drive your gas guzzling truck, continue to support deregulation and wait for the second comin' of Jesus Christ.
It's not liberal propaganda, just unsettled junk science with no basis in provable fact.
...except generally accepted scientific theory and observable data.
I mean, by your definition, the general theory of relativity is junk science. We, of course, have atom bombs and iPhones none the less.
Wally
Don't worry, it's people like One-Eyed that will literally die off first when and if the poo ever really does hit the fan. Then all of the "I'm soooo intelligent" glibness from him and everyone like him will provide us with years of laughter.
(actually I'm already laughing)
Laughing like the folks were laughing at Noah before your god's flood? Perhaps laughing like the Pharaoh allegedly laughed at Moses? Or maybe laughing like the Sodomites laughed at Lot and the angels?
Just want to be clear regarding the sort of laughter you're laughing...because your holy book does generally proscribe a very specific fate for those who laugh at forewarners of tragedy. Interesting that the tables have now turned.
Half of all US counties declared 'natural disaster areas' due to drought
This ought to read: Half of all US counties declared 'unnatural disaster areas' due to Obama
These states are climate change deniers. So let them rot............right? Obama is for curbing auto emissions and their carbon. You must have failed science class!!!!!!!!! Obama my arse.............it's the Cheney energy policy Obama is fighting moron!!!!!!!!
Individuals control the weather in the United States?... You have got to be kidding me. Actually there is something called a jet stream that controls global weather. So who is in control of the jet stream? Man I want that job! Read a book.
And all the global warming deniers will say is "it's always hot and dry here".
Today is Chick-Fil-A Day!!!!
Eat there if you value your right to free speach!!!!
I wonder why msnbcommunism didn't cover this story? They seem all in a tizzy when a dead olympian "comes out" post-mortem..... hmmmmmmmmm
Eat your filthy chicken in filthy pens.
Hmmmmmmmm....
Ok Chris.
To..Dev""""
Ahh they did ..and it's still on the front page
Love them Chick-fil-A sandwiches! For some reason I have been eating them more than ever over the past month or so. Taste like FREEDOM!