Armadillos now, cotton in the future: Missouri’s climate is changing, and we must act

Global climate change, which has led to an increase in the number of natural disasters and amplifies the impact of many other crises, remains one of the most important domestic and foreign issues facing the United States. Perhaps forgotten amid our recent pandemic and political unrest was the fact that the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active on record. Meanwhile, the west coast saw apocalyptic fires rage for much of last year. Both are tied to climate change.

But there are many reasons why Missourians should also be concerned about climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that climate change poses a serious threat to “ecosystems and communities in the United States and around the world,” in the “things we depend on and value — water, energy, transportation, wildlife, agriculture, ecosystems, and human health.”

One of the sectors impacted most are Midwest farmers and their communities. A recent story by St. Louis journalist Eli Chen cited an Environmental Protection Agency forecast: “By 2050, heavy rains and rising temperatures could cause agricultural productivity in the region to fall to levels last seen in the 1980s. … It also notes that temperatures in southern Missouri could exceed the threshold at which corn and soybeans fail to reproduce.”

But we need not wait for 2050. There have been significant changes to Missouri’s climate already. Some indications are relatively minor. For example, as early as 2011, Scientific American noted the “totally unexpected” migration of armadillos into Missouri from the Deep South, driven by climbing temperatures.

Some indications are more concerning. Midwesterners recall the Missouri River floods of 2019. A 2016 EPA report noted: “Changing the climate is likely to increase the frequency of floods in Missouri. Over the last half century, average annual precipitation in most of the Midwest has increased by 5 to 10%. But rainfall during the four wettest days of the year has increased about 35%.”

The very nature of farming in the state is also at risk because of warming temperatures. Toby Dogwiler, head of the Department of Geography, Geology and Planning at Missouri State University in Springfield, believes that cotton — historically grown in the South — will become Missouri’s cash crop. The state’s average temperature has increased about 3 degrees since 1970, and is set to climb even higher going forward.

Climate change is set to bring many other problems associated with increasing temperatures, including higher levels of air pollution. Extreme heat and cold will also impact the most vulnerable urban populations — something that is becoming clearer as pandemic-related poverty threatens millions of Americans’ ability to pay rent and utility bills this winter.

Missouri’s aging infrastructure is also put at additional risk. According to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bryce Gray, climate change and accompanying extreme weather in Missouri are “testing roads, bridges, dams and utilities to unprecedented degrees, even as they age beyond their intended lifespan.”

If Gov. Mike Parson is to make good on his inaugural promise to protect all Missourians, he needs to outline a specific plan in the short term to assist farmers with their futures and protect Missourians from increasingly dangerous weather events. This includes dedicating resources to improved infrastructure, as well as aid to farmers and businesses. It also means developing policies designed to minimize global warming caused by man.

While it is in the long-term interests of Missouri and its people to promote environmental policy at the national level, it is also imperative to insist upon the same from our state elected officials. Without immediate action, the future could spell immense suffering, disaster and destruction across the state, country and globe. It is well past time to put our differences aside and come together, united on this front, regardless of party identity. We need to create a meaningful climate change plan of action, because our future is certainly worth our best fight.

Matthew R. Trout is a political science and security studies major at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, and a graduate of Blue Springs South High School. He co-authored this with Tobias T. Gibson, the John Langton Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science at Westminster College.

This story was originally published January 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Armadillos now, cotton in the future: Missouri’s climate is changing, and we must act."