Climate Change is Transforming Life on Earth

Scientists widely accept that greenhouse gases are changing the climate, and in Kansas they are already seeing some of the effects of higher temperatures and less water. The shrinking water supply will make it harder to grow corn. “Nebraska won’t be the Cornhuskers anymore. It will be the South Dakota Cornhuskers.” Disappearing surface water will make it harder for trees like sugar maples and bur oaks to survive, and birds like the red-headed woodpecker that rely on them may also disappear. The changes will make seasons unpredictable, disrupting the natural life cycles of honeybees and the flowers and fruits they pollinate. Each change will make life more difficult for humans, raising the prices of food and eliminating the state’s biodiversity.