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The research, led by the University of Leeds and co-authored by the University of York, shows for the first time the extent of the Northern Hemisphere's intercontinental crop losses caused by ozone - a chemical partly produced by fossil fuels.The study also suggests that increasing levels of air pollution from one continent may partly offset efforts to cut carbon emissions in another.The findings have important implications for international strategies to tackle global food shortages, as well as global climate and human health strategies.In a paper published in Biogeosciences, researchers show how ozone pollution generated in each of the Northern Hemisphere's major industrialised regions (Europe, North America and South East Asia) damages six important agricultural crops (wheat, maize, soybean, cotton, potato and rice) not only locally, but also by travelling many thousands of kilometres downwind.Of the yield losses to Europe caused by ozone, pollution originating from North America is responsible for a 1.2 million ton annual loss of wheat. This is the biggest intercontinental ozone-related impact on any food crop. The scale of the impact of North American pollution on European wheat has previously been unknown.Dr Steve Arnold, a senior lecturer in atmospheric composition at the University of Leeds's School of Earth and Environment, who led the study, said: "Our findings demonstrate that air pollution plays a significant role in reducing global crop productivity, and show that the negative impacts of air pollution on crops may have to be addressed at an international level rather than through local air quality policies alone."
Reasoning with a fundie is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock over the pieces, crap on the board and strut around like it is victorious - Anonymous
Let us drink like dwarves; Smoke like wizards and party like hobbits!
It's OK, they're Socialist farmers.
Now, now. Canada has also been making a valiant effort to fuck over the world through our greenhouse gas emissions.
