Peak News and Blog

70 percent of freshwater is used for agriculture The World Bank says that in most regions of the world, over 70 percent of freshwater is used for agriculture. By 2050, feeding a planet of 9 billion people will require an estimated 50 percent increase in agricultural production and a 15 percent increase in water withdrawals. The USGS says that…

Soil moisture monitoring: more important than you think Soil moisture monitoring improves agriculture, both ecologically and economically. Then, I’ll examine some of soil moisture monitoring’s less widely known—yet still extremely important—use cases. Finally, to aid you in your soil moisture monitoring goals, I’ll also investigate several different options for soil moisture monitoring. The California Almond…

Farmers Believe In Climate Change But Don’t Think Humans Are The Cause, New Poll Shows A new poll shows American farmers overwhelmingly believe climate change is real and will create significant weather problems. …but they do not think it’s caused by human actions. 80% of farmers* believe climate change is occurring, and more than half are concerned…

How Do Farmers Think about Climate Risk? *In this study, Vermont farmers identified many site-specific risks that they associate with extreme weather and climate change. From their standpoint, these risks are not new. Rather, they represent familiar risks that are being intensified by recent climate changes.What do farmers worry about? Flooding and erosion. They were especially…

Climate Impacts on Agriculture According to the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, Washington crops and livestock will be affected by climate change through warming temperatures, rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, increasing water stress and declining availability of irrigation water. The Climate Impacts Group is widely recognized for scientific discovery, as an experienced creator of impartial & actionable…

‘Kiss the Ground:’ Netflix Movie Features Soil Health Pioneers Ray Archuleta and Gabe Brown The movie, Kiss the Ground, features a lineup of some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names and faces, but two of its stars fly a little closer to the ground. The movie’s thesis proposes that by regenerating the world’s soils, humans can rapidly…