Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Should climate change deniers be found liable?

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

In May, papers published by NASA and the University of Washington revealed that the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet is "irreversible" and will lead to higher sea level rises than have previously been projected.

Not surprisingly, this is bad news for agriculture. Britain's Guardian newspaper states that a May report by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the first to factor in the NASA findings, predicts a 25 per cent decline in American corn belt yields by midcentury.

But while these disturbing findings roll out, climate change deniers show no signs of relaxing their position. This is leading Lawrence Torcello, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Rochester, to say that organized climate change denial groups should be found liable for the destruction caused by climate change.

In Torcello's opinion piece in The Conversation, he says that "accurately understanding our natural environment and sharing that information can be a matter of life or death . . . With such high stakes, an organized campaign funding misinformation ought to be considered criminally negligent."

Torcello is careful to make the distinction between free speech and "the funding of a strategically organized campaign to undermine the public's ability to develop and voice informed opinions."

Are climate lawsuits our future? The Washington Examiner reported that Farmers Insurance sued 12 municipal governments for ignoring climate change and failing to plan for the heavy rainfalls and subsequent flooding of April 2013. The suit was later dropped, but Farmers told Insurance Journal they feel they made their point. BF

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth

Monday, June 30, 2025

Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online

Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility

Friday, June 27, 2025

Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online

Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost

Friday, June 27, 2025

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online

Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top