Markey: Climate Change Induced Dust Storms Evoke “Dust Bowl” Era

Questions USDA, NOAA about Devastating U.S. Drought

WASHINGTON (January 14, 2013) - 2012 was the hottest year on record for the continental United States and sixty percent of the country is currently experiencing moderate to severe drought. Devastating dust storms have ripped across the Great Plains damaging crops and endangering the lives of millions of Americans. In mid-December a dust storm tore through West Texas killing one person, injuring others and closed large portions of a major highway.

In letters sent today to Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), Tom Vilsack and Administrator Jane Lubchenco, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass) expresses his concern over the number of dust storms that occurred in the Great Plains this year and the effect climate change is having on our crops and the livelihoods of Americans.

“The dramatic effects of climate change can be seen throughout America’s heartland. Families and the agriculture industry are persevering through some of the worst conditions since the “Dust Bowl” era of the 1930s, but time is running out. The devastating disasters and wildfires of 2012 will become the norm if swift action is not taken on climate change.”

Warming temperatures combined with low precipitation dries out soil, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and creating conditions for dust storms writes Rep. Markey in his letter to USDA. Rep. Markey questions the agency on what they are doing to monitor drought situations, incentivize protection of fragile and highly erodible landscapes and whether USDA has the sufficient resources to monitor rates of erosion and collect data on the damage from dust storms.

The full letter to USDA can be found HERE.

In his letter to NOAA, the agency charged with understanding and predicting changes in climate and weather, Markey writes “The Dust Bowl lasted for several years, but eventually the rains returned and the region recovered. Unfortunately, our current drought may be more than a passing natural phenomenon.” Rep. Markey also questions whether there is sufficient funding to research and monitor dust storms and about the scientific understanding of the relationship between climate change and dust storms in the United States.

The full letter to NOAA can be found HERE.

Rep. Markey and other top ranking Natural Resources Democrats introduced drought relief climate legislation during the 112^th Congress but the climate change denying GOP controlled House has failed to act on any comprehensive legislation, leaving millions of Americans and their families at risk.