Climate Change to Cause Massive Food Shortages by 2100

Study Says Drastic Steps Must Be Taken Now

A National Science Foundation study has found that climate change will likely cause food shortages affecting over half of the world by the year 2100, according to Voice of America News.

Co-author of the report, University of Washington professor David Battisti, told VOA News, "What we are saying is if you do not stop emitting CO2, and really reduce CO2 emissions seriously, starting almost immediately then this is going to play out."

Researchers cited the extreme European heat wave of 2003 as an example of the kind of temperatures that will be considered normal in these areas in 2100. The 2003 heat wave killed at least 20,000 people, and possibly as many as 35,000. The sweltering temperatures caught many residents who were accustomed to the area's typically mild summers off guard.

The outlook for the tropics is even worse. Battisti says even the most extreme temperatures the tropics have experienced in the past will be much colder than the normal temperatures in the future, according to VOA News.

The report projected a possible 20-30 percent decrease in staple crops such as rice, wheat, and soy by 2100.

According to the EPA, the Earth has warmed 1.3 degrees over the past century, and the temperature is expected to increase 3.7 to 7.3 degrees more by the year 2100. While this may seem like an insignificant change, the EPA points out that the Earth's average temperature during the last ice age was only 9 degrees cooler than today. Changes in the Earth's temperature that seem small to us can pose a significant threat to our food supply and health, and contribute to rising sea levels.

The Earth historically goes through heating and cooling trends, but scientists have confirmed that the recent drastic increase in greenhouse gases, and the subsequent global warming trend, is due to human activity, according to the EPA.