Skyrocketing fertilizer prices are renewing focus on other tools that could ultimately improve the health of soil and strengthen food production.
Why it matters: Shocks to the world's agriculture systems — including droughts fueled by climate change, as well as seed and fertilizer shortages due to conflicts and natural disasters — are likely to become more frequent.
President Biden on Wednesday approved a disaster declaration for New Mexico, which has been hit by a series of wildfires that have raged for weeks, razing hundreds of structures and causing thousands of people to evacuate.
Why it matters: The declaration orders federal aid to be made available for recovery efforts, per a White House statement — as six large wildfires burn across the northern and southwestern parts of the drought-ravaged state, driven by gusty, exceptionally dry conditions and low humidity.
Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached the highest levels on record for any calendar month during April, averaging 420 parts per million (ppm) for the first time since observations began in 1958, according to new data.
Why it matters: Carbon dioxide is a long-lived, planet-warming greenhouse gas, the concentration of which is increasing due to human activities, such as the burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas for energy. Studies show current levels are higher than any time in as long as 4.5 million years.
