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You don't have to agree, but that fact is still true. I also have hesitations with buying land in the Midwest, mostly due to climate change factors.

prepend 9y ago
That’s an interesting perspective. What climate change factors worry you? The Midwest is one of the few regions in the US that stand to benefit from climate change. Easy/West will be worst hit.
- meritt 9y ago
  If you think the midwest is safe, I think you should spend a bit of time reading about the Ogalla aquifer.
  - dreamcompiler 9y ago
    Water is going to be the most immediate problem facing most Americans in the 21st century. For too long we've assumed fresh water would be infinitely available by simply drilling a hole in the ground. We now know that's not true. We're going to have to get very serious about rainwater harvesting, cross-country water pipelines from desalination plants on the coasts, sewage recycling, and humidity harvesting.
- adreamingsoul 9y ago
  My biggest concern with the Midwest is the erosion of healthy living top soil. https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest_.html https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climat...
  - catawbasam 9y ago
    Just read the text in that link, and didn't find the part about top soil. Coul d you be a little more specific? FYI - I'm pretty sure central Minnesota is gonna be just fine.
    - adreamingsoul 9y ago
      It's a combination of factors that will contribute to the loss of top-soil. Below I quoted the main references that briefly touch on soil health. "More heavy downpours may increase the likelihood of property damage, travel delays, and disruption in services. Sediment runoff and erosion may clog reservoirs and reduce storage capacity." Erosion is harmful because the top six inches of the soil has the majority of microbial life that contribute to healthy soil. When their ecosystem is disturbed, it takes years for it to come back. No amount of fertilizer or additives will help in it's absense and only worsens the health of the soil. "Midwestern agricultural lands make up two-thirds of the region's land area and produce 65% of the nation's corn and soybeans." Corn and soybean production has historically used harmful chemicals and harmful farming practices. These techniques harm the microbial life in the top-soil in addition to other ecosystems. Industrial farming practices are negatively impacting ecosystems such as insects, birds, and microbial soil life. "In the long-term, climate impacts are likely to have increasingly detrimental effects that increase variability in crop and agricultural production" When these crops start to die off, the soil is going to be exposed to severe weather conditions and will only make it worse for the microbial life to live. Healthy soil need's protection from UV, typically that's in the form of a mulch layer (leaves, twigs, bark, wood chips, plants, bushes, trees, etc...) 'Many tree species are expected to gradually shift their ranges northward." The forest edge is Nature's sign of the best growing conditions. Tree's provide protection, energy, and food for top-soil. Without them, it will require significant energy and expense to simulate what they naturally provide.

prepend 9y ago

That’s an interesting perspective. What climate change factors worry you? The Midwest is one of the few regions in the US that stand to benefit from climate change. Easy/West will be worst hit.

meritt 9y ago
If you think the midwest is safe, I think you should spend a bit of time reading about the Ogalla aquifer.
- dreamcompiler 9y ago
  Water is going to be the most immediate problem facing most Americans in the 21st century. For too long we've assumed fresh water would be infinitely available by simply drilling a hole in the ground. We now know that's not true. We're going to have to get very serious about rainwater harvesting, cross-country water pipelines from desalination plants on the coasts, sewage recycling, and humidity harvesting.
adreamingsoul 9y ago
My biggest concern with the Midwest is the erosion of healthy living top soil. https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest_.html https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climat...
- catawbasam 9y ago
  Just read the text in that link, and didn't find the part about top soil. Coul d you be a little more specific? FYI - I'm pretty sure central Minnesota is gonna be just fine.
  - adreamingsoul 9y ago
    It's a combination of factors that will contribute to the loss of top-soil. Below I quoted the main references that briefly touch on soil health. "More heavy downpours may increase the likelihood of property damage, travel delays, and disruption in services. Sediment runoff and erosion may clog reservoirs and reduce storage capacity." Erosion is harmful because the top six inches of the soil has the majority of microbial life that contribute to healthy soil. When their ecosystem is disturbed, it takes years for it to come back. No amount of fertilizer or additives will help in it's absense and only worsens the health of the soil. "Midwestern agricultural lands make up two-thirds of the region's land area and produce 65% of the nation's corn and soybeans." Corn and soybean production has historically used harmful chemicals and harmful farming practices. These techniques harm the microbial life in the top-soil in addition to other ecosystems. Industrial farming practices are negatively impacting ecosystems such as insects, birds, and microbial soil life. "In the long-term, climate impacts are likely to have increasingly detrimental effects that increase variability in crop and agricultural production" When these crops start to die off, the soil is going to be exposed to severe weather conditions and will only make it worse for the microbial life to live. Healthy soil need's protection from UV, typically that's in the form of a mulch layer (leaves, twigs, bark, wood chips, plants, bushes, trees, etc...) 'Many tree species are expected to gradually shift their ranges northward." The forest edge is Nature's sign of the best growing conditions. Tree's provide protection, energy, and food for top-soil. Without them, it will require significant energy and expense to simulate what they naturally provide.