All I Want for Christmas

1) This year, Santa, my wish list starts with you--and your home at the North Pole. I'm worried it's going to melt. So although the international agreement reached in Paris is progress, I'm asking for your help. We need you to spread the word about what the global agricultural sector can do to mitigate and reverse the impacts of climate change. Santa, did you know that agriculture accounts for about 13 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)? Some of the main causes are conversion of forests and wetlands to farming, soil management practices that result in large releases of carbon and nitrogen, and livestock digestion, which results in methane emissions. (Sorry, Rudolph.) On the other hand, green plants: trees and crops--can fix carbon dioxide from the air by photosynthesis. With the right mix of farming practices and incentives, agriculture can help reduce GHG emissions. We know, for example, that planting cover crops and reducing tillage helps keep carbon stored in the soil, besides enhancing soil health, reducing water erosion and reducing pollution. And we know that new precision and digital agriculture techniques can help farmers increase their yields while reducing their inputs of water and fertilizer -- by telling them exactly when and where to place those inputs and how much to use, and much, much more. Now the key is to expand awareness and adoption of these practices as rapidly as possible. We need farmers and government and everyone in the food ch...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news