A new federal scientific report says global warming is rapidly turning America the beautiful into America the stormy and dangerous. The new National Climate Assessment, concludes that the harms of global warming will become more disruptive across the nation throughout the century and beyond. WVAS News Senior Correspondent Marcus Hyles talked to a local hydrologist and climatologist about the report. Dr. Ming-Kuo is a professor in the Geology and Geography Department at Auburn University and a hydrologist, he concurs with the report's finding and Dr. Chandana Mitra, a climatologist and assistant professor at Auburn University says it's time for the conversation to change from "Is climate change real?" to "What do we do about it?" The report does say it's still not too late to prevent the worst of climate change.
Agriculture Growth
The state's agriculture industry remains strong and is growing, according to the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner John McMillian. According to a federal agriculture census conducted in 2012, state producers sold more than 5.5 billion dollars worth of agriculture products, but it cost producers 4.7 billion to produce goods. Poultry and eggs account for 85.2 percent of the total livestock sold in Alabama. The state also ranks second in the pounds of peanuts, broilers and quail sold in 2012.
Alabama Scenic River Trail
The Alabama Scenic River Trail has added 200 miles of waterway. The new segment is the Alabama portion of the Tallapoosa River. It includes 13 primitive campsites donated by Alabama Power and four portages allowing people to walk canoes and kayaks around four Alabama Power dams on the river.
Weapons Ban Letter
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange and attorneys general from 21 other states have filed a friend of the court brief in opposition to a New York law banning certain kinds of semi-automatic weapons. Strange was the lead author of the legal papers. He argues the law is unconstitutional because New York failed to show that banning semi-automatic weapons would increase public safety or decrease gun violence.