The economic situation in Africa has improved a lot since the 1990s. Yet rampant poverty and food insecurity still impact millions of lives there. Currently, there is a huge demand-supply gap in the agricultural sector. At least three hundred million are malnourished. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization defines food security as "a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, … [Read more...]
Does Climate Change Threaten the Global Food Supply?
Mainstream media tell us climate change has increased droughts and extreme heat events. (It hasn’t.) These, they say, reduce crop yields. For Christians concerned about poverty and hunger, this is an important issue. What does hard data say? Farmers are breaking all-time records for productivity. India for example, has produced record food crop output for three years in a row. The global picture is similar. World wheat production in 2020–21 will set a new record of around 768.49 … [Read more...]
Climate Change No Threat to India’s Agricultural Triumph
I meet a lot of farmers in India. Two-thirds of India’s 1.3 billion people depend on farming. When they learn that I do research in environmental sciences, the first question they ask is, “How is climate change going to impact agriculture in India?” Unpredictable Monsoon The answer is not clear. Indian rainfall seasons have shown no specific trend over the past hundred years, and it is extremely difficult to predict the impact of warming or cooling. The farmers … [Read more...]
The Best Way Out For The Poor
Thoughtful, sensitive, considerate people are rightly concerned about the multiple hardships that the poor in the world are subjected to. Is there something reasonable that can be done to alleviate their pain and dire straits? The good news is YES. The simplest, most effective change that we can offer these disadvantaged people, is to quickly make available to their communities: low-cost (the lower the better), reliable energy, 24/7. Giving citizens in third-world countries low-cost, … [Read more...]
The Forgotten Benefits of Global Warming
Most discussions of global warming, or “climate change,” proceed on the assumption that warming is bad, and only bad—for people, for animals, and for plants. That assumption is mistaken. While global warming will almost certainly bring some harms to some locations, it will also almost certainly bring some benefits to other locations. Indeed, in some places it will almost certainly bring both harms and benefits. Understanding a very basic element of “greenhouse” warming theory will help us … [Read more...]
Isn’t Gene Editing a Better Form of Crossbreeding?
Last month the Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety committee (ENVI) of the European Parliament voted to oppose the European Union’s plan to approve four crops—varieties of cotton, soybeans, and maize (corn)—genetically modified to resist herbicides. Their vote exemplifies the mistaken belief that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are unsafe. No one would be sadder than the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug. Aside from scientists and students in agricultural … [Read more...]
Evidence of Media Bias about Climate Change Part 1: Amazon Burning
This is the first in a series by Cornwall Alliance Senior Fellow Roy W. Spencer, Ph.D. (Meteorology), Principal Research Scientist, University of Alabama at Huntsville, exposing media bias in reporting about climate change. This first appeared as part of a longer article by Dr. Spencer on his blog. A few days ago, The Guardian announced Large swathes of the Amazon rainforest are burning. I don’t know how this has suddenly entered the public’s consciousness, but for those of us … [Read more...]
GMO: The Missing Link of India’s Agricultural Future and the Solution to Food Poverty
India’s agricultural sector is in danger of being left behind, as its neighbors China and Bangladesh are moving ahead with their embrace of genetically modified food crops. Are GM crops the secret to India’s Next Green Revolution? China and Bangladesh, have been keen on utilizing the newly invented GM crop varieties to boost their agricultural sector and also address their food security. Among the various GM crops they’ve introduced in recent decades, GM rice is of special importance. … [Read more...]
‘No Country for Radicals’: India Fights Back Against Obstructionist Nonprofits
Mark Scialla, a freelance journalist based in the United States, was deported from India two weeks ago (editors note, this article was originally published on Jan. 17) for reportedly documenting a controversial case surrounding the operations of a copper smelting factory. So why are countries like India becoming increasingly wary of foreign elements and their growing involvement in domestic developmental issues? The news of the journalist’s deportation did not come as a surprise to many … [Read more...]
Want to Have a Cornwall Speaker at Your Event? Here’s How!
The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation provides speakers for a wide variety of events every year from our pool of over 60 allied scholars. Our Founder and National Spokesman Dr. E. Calvin Beisner also speaks often each year for conferences, churches, schools, and civic groups. We are currently booking available time in 2019 and 2020. If you or someone you know is interested in booking a Cornwall Alliance speaker, please fill out this speakers request form and email Megan Kinard … [Read more...]
