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Subject: Tell Vilsack that climate change is impacting farmers
From: "Food Democracy Now! Team" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Thomas Mathews" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2012 17:53:02 +0000
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Reply-To: "Food Democracy Now! Team" <[log in to unmask]>
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   Farmers are bearing the brunt of a punishing drought. But Agriculture Se=
cretary
             Vilsack is avoiding any discussion of climate change.

                                    [1][IMG]

 [2]Tell Secretary Vilsack that we deserve the full story on how climate ch=
ange
                             is impacting farmers!

                                    [3][IMG]

   [4]America's farmers are bearing the brunt of a crushing drought right
   now. But Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack refuses to even talk about
   the role of climate change. Click here to tell him that's unacceptable.

   Dear Thomas

   America is boiling right now and the nation's farmers are bearing the
   brunt.

   Faced with the worst drought in 50 years, crop yields are down, grain
   prices are at record levels, and livestock producers are being forced to
   sell off entire herds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has
   declared the largest federal disaster area in history, spanning over 29
   states and 1,300 counties.

   Scientists are unequivocal about the links between climate change and
   increased droughts. But U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack seems
   afraid to even discuss the topic.

   At a press conference last Wednesday, a reporter asked Vilsack about the
   relationship between the drought and climate change. Vilsack responded:
   "I'm not a scientist so I'm not going to opine as to the cause of this."

   When pressed further, Vilsack punted again, saying: "Our focus, to be
   honest with you, in a situation like this is on the near term and the
   immediate..."

   This makes no sense. Of course it's essential that the USDA help farmers
   in need right now. But the agency's leaders must also speak clearly and
   consistently to farmers and the American public about how climate change
   is impacting our entire farming sector.

   This is not the last time that Secretary Vilsack will be discussing the
   current drought, which is expected to last all summer. We need to make
   sure that next time he doesn't dodge climate questions. Join us and our
   friends at Forecast the Facts, which works to ensure Americans receive
   accurate information about climate change, to send a strong message to
   Secretary Vilsack that supporting America's farmers requires him to tell
   the full story about climate change and extreme weather.

   [5]Click here to tell Secretary Vilsack to tell the full story about
   climate change and the drought.

   [6]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D23&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu

   After the Wednesday press conference, Vilsack continued to dodge the
   issue. On Thursday, he refused to answer a direct question about climate
   change in a Marketplace radio interview: "I'm not an expert on climate
   change so it probably wouldn't be appropriate for me to respond
   specifically to that question."

   Vilsack claims he's not a scientist, and therefore can't speak on the
   subject. But hundreds of scientists work for the USDA, and a core mission
   of the Department is to use scientific data to help farmers. In fact, the
   USDA has an entire Climate Change Program Office.

   In 1989, scientists delivered a report to Congress entitled "The Potenti=
al
   Effects of Global Climate Change on the United States," which had an
   entire chapter discussing how global warming pollution would cause
   droughts in the Great Plains even worse than the Dust Bowl era, with a
   decline in crop yields of up to 90 percent. Twenty years later, during
   Secretary Vilsack's tenure, the USDA contributed to a government-wide
   report, "Global Climate Change Impacts on the United States," which
   concludes that "Global warming is unequivocal and primarily
   human-induced." The study goes on to warn that current water shortages in
   the Great Plains would only get worse, "this time largely due to
   human-induced climate change."

   It's simply not credible for Secretary Vilsack to suggest he's unaware of
   the vast body of scientific evidence linking droughts to climate change.
   By publicly acknowledging that link now, Vilsack can help American farme=
rs
   manage the long-term challenges headed their way.

   Congress created the USDA "to acquire and to diffuse among the people of
   the United States useful information on subjects connected with
   agriculture." It is well established that greenhouse gas pollution is
   making droughts, storms, floods and other threats to agriculture more
   frequent and extreme.  Farmers, perhaps more than any other Americans,
   will have to contend with these harsh realities. They also have an
   opportunity to fight climate change with low-carbon farming and
   sustainable biofuels.

   We can protect the future of American farming, but only if we rely on
   well-established science. Secretary Vilsack should lead the way by talki=
ng
   about the facts of man-made climate change before disaster strikes again.

   [7]Please join our petition telling Secretary Vilsack to acknowledge the
   role of climate change in the current drought.

   Thanks for participating in food democracy,
   Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! team

   MORE INFORMATION

   Transcript of Vilsack press conference, 07-18-2012
   [8]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/624?t=3D24&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu

   Vilsack refuses to answer question about climate change, Marketplace,
   7-19-2012
   [9]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/626?t=3D25&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu

   Drought spreads, boosts corn to record price, Reuters, 7-19-2012
   [10]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/628?t=3D26&akid=3D600.51895.Z8=
n_Pu

   Livestock Liquidiation: Extreme Drought Forces Farmers to Sell Herds,
   Huffington Post, 07-17-2012
   [11]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/630?t=3D27&akid=3D600.51895.Z8=
n_Pu

   The Potential Effects of Global Climate Change on United States: Great
   Plains. Rosenzweig, Reibsame. (1989)
   [12]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/632?t=3D28&akid=3D600.51895.Z8=
n_Pu

   Global Climate Change Impacts in the US: Great Plains. (2009)
   [13]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/634?t=3D29&akid=3D600.51895.Z8=
n_Pu

   UCAR: Climate Change May Threaten Much of Globe Within Decades, 07-03-20=
12
   [14]http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/636?t=3D30&akid=3D600.51895.Z8=
n_Pu

References

   Visible links
   1. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D31&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
   2. Tell Congress to Label GMOs!
	http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D32&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu
   3. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D33&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
   4. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D34&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
   5. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D35&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
   6. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D36&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
   7. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D37&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
   8. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/623?t=3D38&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
   9. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/625?t=3D39&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
  10. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/627?t=3D40&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
  11. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/629?t=3D41&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
  12. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/631?t=3D42&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
  13. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/633?t=3D43&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu
  14. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/635?t=3D44&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n=
_Pu


You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
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<div style=3D"border: 1px solid #555555; padding: 8px; float: right; backgr=
ound-color: #ffffff; width: 210px; text-align: center; margin-left: 15px; m=
argin-bottom: 15px; margin-right: 5px;">
<h3><strong><span style=3D"margin: 1em 0px; font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans=
-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><strong>Farmers are bearing the brunt of a punish=
ing drought. But Agriculture Secretary Vilsack is avoiding any discussion o=
f climate change.</strong></span></strong></h3>
<p style=3D"margin: 1em 0px;"><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org=
/go/637?t=3D1&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu"><img src=3D"https://s3.amazonaws.com=
/fooddemocracynow/images/farmer_drought.jpg
" alt=3D"" width=3D"210" height=3D"180" border=3D"1" /></a></p>
<h3><a title=3D"Tell Congress to Label GMOs!" href=3D"http://action.fooddem=
ocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D2&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_self">Tell S=
ecretary Vilsack that we deserve the full story on how climate change is im=
pacting farmers! </a></h3>
<a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=3D3&akid=3D600.51895=
=2EZ8n_Pu"><img src=3D"https://s3.amazonaws.com/fooddemocracynow/images/takea=
ction.jpg" alt=3D"" border=3D"0" /></a></div>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><strong><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=
=3D4&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blank">America&rsquo;s farmers are=
 bearing the brunt of a crushing drought right now. But Secretary of Agricu=
lture Tom Vilsack refuses to even talk about the role of climate change. Cl=
ick here to tell him that&rsquo;s unacceptable.</a></strong></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><span>Dear Thomas</span></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">America is boiling right now and the nation&rsquo;s farmers are=
 bearing the brunt.</p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">Faced with the worst drought in 50 years, crop yields are down,=
 grain prices are at record levels, and livestock producers are being force=
d to sell off entire herds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has d=
eclared the largest federal disaster area in history, spanning over 29 stat=
es and 1,300 counties.</p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><strong>Scientists are unequivocal about the links between clim=
ate change and increased droughts.</strong> <strong>But&nbsp;U.S. Secretary=
 of Agriculture Tom Vilsack seems afraid to even discuss the topic.</strong=
></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">At a press conference last Wednesday, a reporter asked Vilsack =
about the relationship between the drought and climate change. Vilsack resp=
onded: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a scientist so I&rsquo;m not going to opine as =
to the cause of this.&rdquo;</p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">When pressed further, Vilsack punted again, saying: &ldquo;Our =
focus, to be honest with you, in a situation like this is on the near term =
and the immediate&hellip;&rdquo;</p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">This makes no sense. Of course it's essential that the USDA hel=
p farmers in need right now. But the agency&rsquo;s leaders must also speak=
 clearly and consistently to farmers and the American public about how clim=
ate change is impacting our entire farming sector.</p>
<p>This is not the last time that Secretary Vilsack will be discussing the =
current drought, which is expected to last all summer. We need to make sure=
 that next time he doesn't dodge climate questions.&nbsp;<strong>Join us an=
d our friends at Forecast the Facts,&nbsp;which works to ensure Americans r=
eceive accurate information about climate change, to send a strong message =
to Secretary Vilsack that supporting America's farmers requires him to tell=
 the full story about climate change and extreme weather.</strong></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><strong><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=
=3D5&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blank">Click here to tell Secretar=
y Vilsack to tell the full story about climate change and the drought.</a><=
/strong></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><strong><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=
=3D6&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=
=3D7&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu</a></strong></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">After the Wednesday press conference, Vilsack continued to dodg=
e the issue. On Thursday, he refused to answer a direct question about clim=
ate change in a&nbsp;<em>Marketplace</em>&nbsp;radio interview:&nbsp;"I&rsq=
uo;m not an expert on climate change so it probably wouldn&rsquo;t be appro=
priate for me to respond specifically to that question."</p>
<p>Vilsack claims he&rsquo;s not a scientist, and therefore can&rsquo;t spe=
ak on the subject. But hundreds of scientists work for the USDA, and a core=
 mission of the Department is to use scientific data to help farmers.&nbsp;=
<strong>In fact, the USDA has an entire Climate Change Program Office.</str=
ong></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">In 1989, scientists delivered a report to Congress entitled "Th=
e Potential Effects of Global Climate Change on the United States," which h=
ad an entire chapter discussing how global warming pollution would cause dr=
oughts in the Great Plains even worse than the Dust Bowl era, with a declin=
e in crop yields of up to 90 percent.&nbsp;Twenty years later, during Secre=
tary Vilsack's tenure, the USDA contributed to a government-wide report, "G=
lobal Climate Change Impacts on the United States," which concludes that &l=
dquo;Global warming is unequivocal and primarily human-induced.&rdquo; The =
study goes on to warn that current water shortages in the Great Plains woul=
d only get worse, &ldquo;this time largely due to human-induced climate cha=
nge.&rdquo;</p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><strong>It&rsquo;s simply not credible for Secretary Vilsack to=
 suggest he&rsquo;s unaware of the vast body of scientific evidence linking=
 droughts to climate change. </strong>By publicly acknowledging that link n=
ow, Vilsack can help American farmers manage the long-term challenges heade=
d their way.&nbsp;<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">Congress created the USDA &ldquo;to acquire and to diffuse amon=
g the people of the United States useful information on subjects connected =
with agriculture.&rdquo; It is well established&nbsp;<span>that greenhouse =
gas pollution is making droughts, storms, floods and other threats to agric=
ulture more frequent and extreme.&nbsp; Farmers, perhaps more than any othe=
r Americans, will have to contend with these harsh realities. They also hav=
e an opportunity to fight climate change with low-carbon farming and sustai=
nable biofuels. </span></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><span><strong>We can protect the future of American farming, bu=
t only if we rely on well-established science. </strong></span><strong>Secr=
etary Vilsack should lead the way by&nbsp;<span>talking about the facts of =
man-made climate change before disaster strikes again.</span><br /></strong=
></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;"><strong><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/637?t=
=3D8&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blank">Please join our petition te=
lling Secretary Vilsack to acknowledge the role of climate change in the cu=
rrent drought.</a></strong></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">Thanks for participating in food democracy,<br />Dave, Lisa and=
 the Food Democracy Now! team</p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">MORE INFORMATION</p>
<p>Transcript of Vilsack press conference, 07-18-2012<br /><a href=3D"http:=
//action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/623?t=3D9&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=
=3D"_blank">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/624?t=3D10&akid=3D600.518=
95.Z8n_Pu</a></p>
<p>Vilsack refuses to answer question about climate change, <em>Marketplace=
</em>, 7-19-2012<br /><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/625?=
t=3D11&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blank">http://action.fooddemocra=
cynow.org/go/626?t=3D12&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu</a></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">Drought spreads, boosts corn to record price, <em>Reuters,</em>=
 7-19-2012<br /><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/627?t=3D13=
&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blank">http://action.fooddemocracynow.=
org/go/628?t=3D14&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu</a></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">Livestock Liquidiation: Extreme Drought Forces Farmers to Sell =
Herds, <em>Huffington Post, </em>07-17-2012<br /> <a href=3D"http://action.=
fooddemocracynow.org/go/629?t=3D15&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blan=
k">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/630?t=3D16&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu=
</a></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">The Potential Effects of Global Climate Change on United States=
: Great Plains. Rosenzweig, Reibsame. (1989)<br /><a href=3D"http://action.=
fooddemocracynow.org/go/631?t=3D17&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blan=
k">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/632?t=3D18&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu=
</a></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">Global Climate Change Impacts in the US: Great Plains. (2009)<b=
r /><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/633?t=3D19&akid=3D600.=
51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blank">http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/634?t=
=3D20&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu</a></p>
<p style=3D"margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-=
left: 0px;">UCAR: Climate Change May Threaten Much of Globe Within Decades,=
<em></em>&nbsp;07-03-2012<br /><a href=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.or=
g/go/635?t=3D21&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" target=3D"_blank">http://action.fo=
oddemocracynow.org/go/636?t=3D22&akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu</a></p>
<!-- ak.wysiwyg=3Don --><img src=3D"http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/o.gi=
f?akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu" />
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w.org/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?akid=3D600.51895.Z8n_Pu">You can unsubsc=
ribe from this mailing list at any time.</a> </p>
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