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Better Living Through Well Being
An old expression around where I live in Washington State is “summer doesn’t begin until after July 4th.” But though historically true, this spring was 15 degrees colder than normal in mid May, and it has been 10 percent wetter than most people remember. This has presented serious challenges for our local farmers.
The culprit is La Nina, the large-scale weather system over the Western United States that is notorious for bringing cold and damp spring seasons. There is high pressure over the Aleutian Islands and the North Pacific, and then low pressure, which brings cold and rain, sets up over the Northwest, delivering system after system into our area. But this spring weather may soon be a dim memory. Weather experts are predicting a hotter than average summer in 2022 for much of the U.S. It will be generally hotter than usual in the North and below average heat in the South. Forecasts are trending toward a third consecutive La Nina this fall and winter. Five of the past six summers preceding La Nina winters have been overall hot in the U.S. The setup for this summer looks similar to last year, including a “heat dome” period. **************************************** As the summer plays out, the true impacts to our food system will become apparent, but small farms may be best-positioned to address urgent food needs. While industrial farms are dependent on imports from abroad, small farms are able to source their needs locally. Farms on five acres or less grow more food crops, account for greater crop diversity, and produce less waste than large-scale agriculture. **************************************** A circular economy reduces material use, redesigns materials to be less resource intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. A circular economy can be an important instrument to tackle the current triple planetary crises on climate, biodiversity and pollution. By keeping resources in the loop for longer, we’ll avoid emitting greenhouse gases caused by the energy needed to make products. **************************************** **************************************** * National League of Cities and United Conference of Mayors present amicus brief to Supreme Court in support of the Clean Power Plan in response to recent EPA decision. * Almond trees impacted by water stress in drought-affected growing region of California show improved productivity after applications of a seaweed-based biostimulant. * Clean Earth Challenge offers way to restore land, oceans, waterways while enjoying the great outdoors. * Historically high temperatures threaten to impact vulnerable communities in the U.S. this summer. * Top trends for new product launches zero in on consumer concerns about environmental issues and responsibilities. * Flags Over Harvest campaign partners with Farm Rescue nonprofit to help struggling American family farms. * BenefitsCheckup.org online tool connects seniors with limited incomes to over 2,000 benefits programs. * British Medical Journal study that tracked 130,000 Americans over 24 years found an 11 percent lower risk of death from consuming adequate servings of fruits and vegetables. ***************************************
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Better Living Through Well Being
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