Senator Joe Bolkcom speaks on the floor of the senate about the effects of climate change in Iowa. Watch the 11-minute video for even more sobering climate change information specific to our state.

“Iowa’s weather and climate have changed right before our eyes.

We are spending like crazy to adapt to climate change that is already here.

What does the future hold?

U.S.  climate scientists are projecting by mid-century in Iowa, five day heat wave temperatures will increase by about 7 degrees fahrenheit and will increase by 13 degrees fahrenheit once per decade. Today an average heat wave is 90-95 degrees for five days.  So 7 degrees a couple times a decade would raise those temps to 100-102 degrees. If we had once a decade where temps were 13 degrees higher, temps would be 108-112 degrees for five days. Now I’m not an ag guy but I don’t know how you keep a hog cool when it’s 110 degrees without air conditioning.

US Climate scientists also suggest that the strongest rainfall events of the year covering areas as large as a third of Iowa are projected to double in intensity by mid century with most of that change coming before 2025.

What are we doing proactively? Unfortunately, not very much.