HELENA, Mont. – For Montana agriculture, the changing climate is not a future possibility – it's a reality that's already here.
Montana Farmers Union board member Erik Somerfeld is a malt barley farmer outside of the town of Power. He's seen yield on his spring planted crops decline over the last five years and lost about a third of his income last year.
Somerfeld says he isn't alone on losses, although he says other farmers don't tend to say climate change is the reason.
"They may not want to admit it's climate change,” he states. “They'll call it something else, 'weird weather' or 'it isn't like it used to be,' those kind of things, but they're seeing the effect. They're seeing a definite decline in their incomes."
A Montana Farmers Union study from 2016 found climate change could cost the state 26,000 farming and ranching jobs and more than $700 million over the next 50 years.
Bruce Maxwell, co-director of the Montana Institute on Ecosystems at Montana State University, helped author the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment. He says the increasing numbers of days above 90 degrees are most concerning for the agriculture sector.
The warmer temperatures are leading to longer and earlier growing seasons, which might seem like an upside. But Maxwell says it actually makes crops more vulnerable to extreme events, which show no signs of decreasing.
"We're still getting killing frosts in the month of May,” he points out. “If you have plants that are growing to the point where they're flowering and they get nailed by this frost, they're really susceptible to that frost. So that can have an even more detrimental effect than if they might start growing a little later than that."
To cope with the changing climate, farmers are taking steps to make their crops more resilient.
Somerfeld says genetics are a promising avenue, in particular, the so-called "stay green gene," which helps crops tolerate colder temperatures earlier in the spring. He says farmers are looking for more ways, too.
"Right now, research is probably the biggest thing that can help us try to avoid some of that without just flat out gambling and hoping you can seed really early and it doesn't freeze out or those kind of things," he states.
Maxwell says the country should take aggressive measures to mitigate climate change, though he points out it will still take decades for the current change to level off.
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Maine officials are stepping up land conservation projects as climate change continues to alter the state's terrain.
New funding from the Land for Maine's Future program will preserve more than 3,500 acres of farmland, forests and working waterfront.
Steven Walker, executive director of the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust, emphasized the effects of climate change make it more critical than ever to protect green spaces.
"We really are excited about adding it to our list of spaces that will forever be open to the public and available for public recreation," Walker said.
Walker noted new funding will preserve more than 80 acres off West Bay Bridge Road in Topsham, including more than 4,000 feet of shoreline on the Muddy River wetland complex. It is just one of a handful of land parcels identified as containing statewide ecological significance.
Other recipients of the state funding include the Town of Wells Conservation Commission, which will preserve more than 160 acres of critical habitat for the endangered New England Cottontail and other wildlife. The City of Ellsworth will add nearly 300 acres to its existing public forest.
Walker pointed out the funding will also help preserve some of the state's iconic salt marshes and freshwater tidal areas, already being altered as sea level continues to rise.
"This parcel will function to help mitigate that effect," Walker explained. "To make sure marshes continue to be part of the landscape moving forward."
Walker added climate change is affecting every corner of Maine and he's already seeing changes around Bowdoin, Brunswick and Topsham.
The Land for Maine's Future program was boosted by the state legislature in 2021 with an infusion of $40 million to step up the pace of land conservation projects. So far, the program has preserved more than 600,000 acres.
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Washington's clean energy law could bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the state, according to a new report.
Greenline Insights' analysis of the Climate Commitment Act, the state's cap-and-invest law passed in 2021, finds it will create 45,000 jobs and generate more than $9 billion in economic output over the next five years.
Jonah Kurman-Faber, founder of Greenline Insights and report co-author, said says the law has outsized returns for local economies and gains for the state as well.
"These investments from the Climate Commitment Act support labor-intensive local industries. We're thinking things like construction, manufacturing, business operations, transportation," he said.
The law could be repealed if Initiative 2117 on the November ballot is approved. Opponents of the Climate Commitment Act call it a "sneaky tax" on consumers.
Kurman-Faber noted that 45,000 jobs and $9 billion of return for the law is actually on the low end of their estimates.
The Climate Commitment Act is able to leverage money from sources like the federal government, and once this is factored in, the law could create 263,000 jobs and generate $50 billion over the next eight years. Kurman-Faber said states that get the most out of their money are the ones that use those investments to attract new sources to match funds.
"Think of things like federal dollars flowing in to provide grants or private industries investing in projects. The Climate Commitment Act is very good at attracting leverage," he continued.
The analysis finds jobs will be created in a wide range of sectors and that jobs created will pay, on average, 9% higher than the state median. Kurman-Faber said the new jobs will also have a high level of accessibility, too, since many will be open to people of any education level.
"With these jobs, there's not only a higher pay but also an easier route to career transition, or easier routes to opportunities for career transition for more residents in Washington," he continued.
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Oregon students are back in the classroom, but their classrooms might not be as energy efficient or climate resilient as they should be.
As the changing climate impacts the state, aging infrastructure in schools is driving up utility costs.
Juliette Poff, marketing specialist with Energy Trust of Oregon, said energy is the second-biggest cost to schools, after teacher salaries.
Poff is a former teacher and she said anything that can make the classroom more conducive to learning is a win.
"Things like lighting can look like more focus for students," said Poff. "Having energy efficient windows can help with air quality, heating and cooling can help with comfort, and all of these things are impactful to the humans that occupy these spaces."
Poff noted that schools are often strapped for resources when it comes to upgrading infrastructure.
Energy Trust of Oregon offers help on that end with expertise and cash incentives for schools.
Over the past two decades, the organization has distributed more than $38 million in incentives for energy efficiency projects like - installing new insulation and windows.
Liberty High School in Hillsboro benefited over the summer from a $2 million upgrade to its H-VAC system, with assistance from Energy Trust of Oregon and the Oregon Department of Energy.
Mia Hocking is the resource conservation manager for the Hillsboro School District and said the new system is much more efficient.
"The efficiency is anticipated to improve enough to save over $100,000 in the electric utility annually," said Hocking. "So, just that alone is incredible."
Poff said the model for upgrading schools in Oregon could be replicated in other states. She said one important element her organization provides is navigation on how to find funding.
"We also work with a number of partners like the Department of Energy," said Poff, "and often schools can combine funding from the state - bonds, as well funding from Energy Trust - and any opportunity to maximize that funding is amazing for schools."
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