Page 28 - BONDIA ARUBA AUG 16 2022

A28 u.s news
Diamars 16 augustus 2022

Northeastern farmers face new challenges with severe drought

(AP) — Vermont farmer shown by his research at
Brian Kemp is used to see- Penn State University that
ing the pastures at Moun- climate change is leading to
tain Meadows Farm grow a “stuck jet stream” pattern.
slower in the hot, late That means huge meanders
summer, but this year the of the jet stream, or air cur-
grass is at a standstill. rent, get stuck in place, lock-
ing in extreme weather events
That’s “very nerve-wracking” that can alternately be associ-
when you’re grazing 600 to ated with extreme heat and
700 cattle, said Kemp, who drought in one location and
manages an organic beef farm extreme rainfall in another,
in Sudbury. He describes the a pattern that has played out
weather lately as inconsistent this summer with the heat
and impactful, which he attri- and drought in the Northeast
butes to a changing climate. and extreme flooding in parts
of the Midwest, Mann added.
“I don’t think there is any
normal anymore,” Kemp Most of New England is
said. experiencing drought. The
U.S. Drought Monitor is-
The impacts of climate change sued a new map Thursday
have been felt throughout that shows areas of eastern
the Northeastern U.S. with Massachusetts outside Cape
rising sea levels, heavy pre- brush fires and crops are Massachusetts is dry, forcing The continuing trend to- Cod and much of southern
cipitation and storm surges growing poorly. local water restrictions. ward drier summers in the and eastern Rhode Island
causing flooding and coastal Northeast can certainly be now in extreme, instead of
erosion. But this summer has Providence, Rhode Island Officials in Maine said attributed to the impact of severe, drought.
brought another extreme: a had less than half an inch drought conditions really be- climate change, since warmer
severe drought that is making of rainfall in the third driest gan there in 2020, with occa- temperatures lead to greater New England has expe-
lawns crispy and has farmers July on record, and Boston sional improvements in areas evaporation and drying of rienced severe summer
begging for steady rain. The had six-tenths of an inch in since. In Auburn, Maine, lo- soils, climate scientist Mi- droughts before, but experts
heavy, short rainfall brought the fourth driest July on re- cal firefighters helped a dairy chael Mann said. But, he say it is unusual to have
by the occasional thunder- cord, according to the Na- farmer fill a water tank for his said, the dry weather can be droughts in fairly quick suc-
storm tends to run off, not tional Weather Service office cows when his well went too punctuated by extreme rain- cession since 2016. Mas-
soak into the ground. in Norton, Massachusetts. low in late July and tempera- fall events since a warmer at- sachusetts experienced
Rhode Island’s governor is- tures hit 90. About 50 dry mosphere holds more mois- droughts in 2016, 2017, 2020,
Water supplies are low or dry, sued a statewide drought wells have been reported to ture — when conditions are 2021 and 2022, which is very
and many communities are advisory Tuesday with rec- the state since 2021, accord- conducive to rainfall, there’s likely due to climate change,
restricting nonessential out- ommendations to reduce ing to the state’s dry well sur- more of it in short bursts. said Vandana Rao, director
door water use. Fire depart- water use. The north end of vey. of water policy in Massachu-
ments are combatting more the Hoppin Hill Reservoir in Mann said there’s evidence setts.

Clergy, social workers fear fallout from Okla. abortion laws

(AP) — Strict anti-abor- especially reproductive med- laws, which include both employers who have pledged ers who aren’t sure if they
tion laws that took effect icine, clergy members, social criminal and civil penalties, to pay for their employees’ can make referrals, if they
in Oklahoma this year led workers and even librarians as the strictest in the nation abortions as part of their re- can even tell people to go to
to the quick shuttering of have raised concerns about so far and sweeping in both productive health coverage Planned Parenthood’s web-
every abortion facility in being exposed to criminal or substance and scope. and their insurance compa- site or abortionfinder.com,”
the state, but left ques- civil liability for just discuss- nies face criminal liability.” Wales said. “We don’t think
tions for those who work ing the topic. The U.S. Supreme Court’s there’s any controversy about
directly with women who decision in June to overturn Although Alabama, Arizona being able to tell people what
may seek their advice or Those fears are well-founded, Roe v. Wade and remove and Texas have laws prohib- their options are and that
help getting an abortion says Joseph Thai, a professor women’s constitutional right iting “aiding and abetting” a they can access care in an-
out of state. at the University of Oklaho- to abortion immediately trig- woman in getting an abor- other state.”
ma who teaches about consti- gered a 1910 Oklahoma law tion, Oklahoma’s is the strict-
Beyond the profound reper- tutional law and the Supreme that makes it a felony, pun- est and the only one currently Others, however, are more
cussions the abortion laws Court. He described Okla- ishable by two to five years in effect, said Elizabeth Nash, concerned. No charges have
are having on medical care, homa’s new anti-abortion in prison, for every person a state policy analyst for the been filed in the seven weeks
who “advises” or provides abortion-rights supporting since the law against advis-
any other means for a woman Guttmacher Institute. ing or helping a woman get
to procure an abortion. That an abortion went into effect
law allows abortion only to While former providers in and it’s not known whether
save the mother’s life. Oklahoma may have halt- anyone is being investigated.
ed abortions, they haven’t Messages left with several
“That all-encompassing stopped giving advice. Oklahoma prosecutors about
language can make anyone how they plan to enforce
and everyone who helps a Emily Wales, CEO of the anti-abortion laws were
woman get an abortion or Planned Parenthood Great not returned, and the head
provides information about Plains, said giving a pregnant of the state’s District Attor-
access to abortion — includ- woman information about neys Council, Kathryn Boyle
ing a spouse, another family abortion care is guarded un- Brewer, said the issue hasn’t
member, a friend, a classmate der free speech protections in been formally discussed by
or co-worker, a librarian, the Constitution. prosecutors at its regular
or even an Uber driver — a meetings.
felon,” Thai said. “Likewise, “We’ve heard from provid-