The Climate Crisis, Solutions and the Food We Eat

press release: Climate change is already having profound impacts, and climate catastrophe looms unless the world takes dramatic action within the next decade. It is tempting to just be resigned and take no action. But there are still things that can be done to mitigate the climate crisis--and they require us all to be involved.

The first part of our two-part program will briefly consider these questions:

    Why must we change?

    Is change possible?

    What can we do--individually and collectively--to  change?

We will then focus on a topic that’s close to us all--the challenges of feeding a growing world population in the era of climate change.  

Experts predict that by 2050 the planet’s population will grow by nearly 2 billion people and the demand for food will increase by over 50%. However, the stress of climate change may reduce agricultural production in the Midwest and elsewhere by 25%. Meanwhile, an unsustainable industrial agriculture model demands more energy to produce crops.

What can we do to feed ourselves, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and use less fossil fuels?  

Our speakers are Gail Nordheim and Paul Thompson.

Gail Nordheim is the co-coordinator of 350 Madison and a graduate of the Climate Reality Leadership Program. She is a long-time Madison resident whose career has included positions in state and local government and management consulting.

Paul Thompson was raised on a farm in Iowa, contributing to his lifelong interest in agriculture and food production. For thirty-five-years, he worked internationally in the management of natural disasters, refugee emergencies and recovery from conflict.