by The Extinction Protocol
July 12, 2012 – CLIMATE - The
United States Department of Agriculture has declared natural disaster
areas in more than 1,000 counties and 26 drought-stricken states, making
it the largest natural disaster in America ever. The declaration—which
covers roughly half of the country—gives farmers and ranchers devastated
by drought access to federal aid, including low-interest emergency
loans. “Agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy,” U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday while announcing the
assistance program. “We need to be cognizant of the fact that drought
and weather conditions have severely impacted farmers around the
country.” According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than half the
country (56 percent) experienced drought conditions—the largest
percentage in the 12-year history of the service. And according to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the period from
January through June was “the warmest first half of any year on record
for the contiguous United States.” The average temperature was 52.9
degrees Fahrenheit, or 4.5 degrees above average, NOAA said on Monday.
Twenty-eight states east of the Rockies set temperature records for the
six-month period. A heat wave blistered most of the United States in
June, with more than 170 all-time temperature records broken or tied
during the month. On June 28 in Norton, Kan., for instance, the
temperature reached 118 degrees, an all-time high. On June 26, Red
Willow, Neb., set a temperature record of 115 degrees, eclipsing the
114-degree mark set in 1932. -Yahoo
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