Water is critical to America’s meat habit. Cows, pigs and chickens drink it. Farmers clean barns and cool animals with it. Meatpackers sanitize plants and wash their product with it. But, most importantly, water grows the crops needed to feed the millions of animals raised and slaughtered each year that end up on Americans’ tables.
Congress passed the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005, mandating a certain amount of renewable fuel – namely corn ethanol – be mixed in with traditional gasoline. The goal was to minimize emissions and the country’s dependence on foreign fossil fuels. Instead, the policy caused a chain reaction of events that has likely led to even
Vertical farms stack rows of plants on top of each other. Those indoor farms control the lighting, water and temperature to create ideal conditions to grow fresh produce year-round close to customers. But the industry relies on artificial lighting and has a large carbon footprint. AMES, Ia. — People who subscribe to the Ames, Iowa,
URBANA – If you felt like December’s weather was mild – you’re right. According to provisional data, December 2021 was the fifth warmest December on record. The average statewide temperature was 39.4 degrees Fahrenheit – more than nine degrees above average. It was the warmest December on record in Carbondale, the third warmest in St.
Updated Saturday at 10:45 p.m. SHELBY COUNTY – On Saturday, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Central Illinois said an EF-2 tornado caused destruction in Shelby, Moultrie and Coles counties. So far, no injuries have been reported. According to the NWS, EF-2 tornadoes have winds of 111 to 135 miles per hour. They cause
Updated Saturday at 12:35 a.m. URBANA – Meteorologists issued several tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings on Friday evening. An approaching cold front and warm moist air clashed, spawning severe weather in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky late Friday. There are early reports of damage in the Illinois towns of Windsor and Gays in Moultrie County
MORTON — The great pumpkin shortage of 2021 is turning out to be as real as Linus’ Great Pumpkin. Neither ever showed. Instead, despite some national headlines about a pumpkin shortage this year, Midwestern farmers say there’s nothing to worry about. “God granted us quite a bounty this year,” says John Ackerman, who grows pumpkins
GIBSON CITY – In August, nine inches of rain dumped on one of Randy Aberle’s fields of corn and soybeans near Gibson City, Illinois. “We had some areas in those fields that the water was four feet deep,” he says. Luckily, he says, those fields have enough slope that the water drained off within a
Updated Sunday 7:40 p.m. URBANA – The National Weather Service in Central Illinois is forecasting heavy rains and severe storms, including possible tornadoes, late Sunday. Because of the predicted weather, a Flash Flood Watch has been issued for portions of Central Illinois from Sunday 1:00 a.m. to Monday 7:00 a.m. Springfield, Decatur, and Mattoon are
Some Midwestern farmers are involved in a research project to help determine how good some practices are for the environment, and it may help them take advantage of new attempts to establish a carbon credit trade market. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kcur2/audio/2021/09/CARBON-FEATURE-WEB.mp3 The project run by Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Soybean Association is looking at quantifying the
RAYMOND — A pig’s ideal temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. So on a 90-degree day in the middle of July, Phil Borgic keeps a close eye on his herd. “A pig can’t sweat,” he says. “So the only way that it can transfer the heat is by panting.” https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s138/audio/2021/08/livestock-climate-change-hpm-web.mp3 The air is humid and heavy
URBANA – Meteorologists say dangerous heat and possibly strong thunderstorms will continue in Central Illinois on Thursday. The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Heat Advisory until 8:00 p.m. It is the third advisory this week. Forecasters also say there could be strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, with the main
People who work outside increasingly risk their income, illness and even death as climate change ramps up extreme heat. That’s according to a first-of-its-kind study from the Union of Concerned Scientists, titled “Too Hot To Work.” The study focused on workers who spend some or all of their work time outside, including construction workers, emergency
Amid a push from the Biden administration for U.S. agriculture to help slow climate change, a new study shows farmers in the Corn Belt are dropping the ball on adopting a climate-friendly practice. A mountain of research shows the benefits of planting cover crops — from sequestering carbon from the environment to keeping waterways
URBANA — 80 years from now, Illinois’ climate may be unrecognizable. Summers could get a lot hotter, with temperatures reaching up to 114 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. The state could see up to 150% more rainfall per year than it does currently, with more storms dumping more rain more frequently. Snow days would mostly