The jury is in: climate change is real and humans caused it. This week saw the leading climate change skeptic, prominent scientist Richard Muller, capitulate and declare global warming is real and that human activity caused it. The Berkeley Earth Project leader’s reversal is all the more remarkable because his research was heavily funded by science-deniers and prominent funders of the U.S. Tea Party which has been dedicated to defeating any and all attempts at reversing or adapting to climate change.
But even prior to this unexpected consensus, a Michigan State University survey revealed strong U.S. public support, 65 percent, for government programs designed to assist farmers with adapting to climate change – including genetic work to produce drought and disease resistant livestock and crops. This is a marked change in public sentiment in the U.S. The new-found support is largely credited to a sharp spike in food prices due to widespread drought rather than a warm embrace of the genetic sciences or empathy for farmers.
Nonetheless, the marked U.S. public shift in support of science, coupled with other pro-science support efforts around the world such as the scientists “Death of Evidence” rally in Canada, may ultimately lead to a green light for significant funding increases in public research and open the door for serious advancements in agriculture worldwide.
Another interesting ally is coming to fore: the biofuels industry wants disease and drought resistant crops and livestock too. Articles lamenting the lack of drought resistant genetic traits in commercial release and noting the drought induced push-back on ethanol production are becoming increasingly common. In reaction, public funding is increasing to keep biofuels in play.
In short, public money for research and private investments in livestock and crop genetic products may finally be on an upswing. This is good news, considering that investment in animal genetics has been so appallingly dismal in past years.
It is unfortunate that it took a widespread drought and the subsequent shortage of food, the very event agricultural producers have warned about for decades, to bring the majority of the public around to the logical conclusion. But alas, here we are. Perhaps the best thing to do from this point is to “make hay while the sun shines.”