For two decades, the public has been bombarded with dire warnings of an impending climate-induced agricultural apocalypse. The claim is that a climate warmed excessively by the carbon dioxide emissions of human activity will ravage the food supply and plunge humanity into famine and chaos.

For many reasons, none of this ever made sense. Now, a new study published in Scientific Reports has turned this narrative of catastrophe on its head, revealing that a global temperature rise of even 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) would not reduce crop yields—and might even increase harvests. 

The paper, written by economist Ross McKitrick, dismantles a key pillar of the Biden administration’s always-suspect upward revision of the “social cost of carbon”—a metric used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to quantify the supposed economic damage of carbon dioxide emissions. The fivefold increase of the social cost of carbon—from $51 per ton of carbon dioxide to more than $250—was based partly on the assumption that warming would devastate agriculture. 

The new findings aren’t just a minor correction to the scientific record; they are a reversal of dangerous conclusions drawn from sloppy—perhaps even fraudulent—analyses. Everything we’ve been told about climate change and food security is wrong. 

How did the EPA arrive at a social cost of carbon that equates with mass starvation? 

In 2014, a widely cited meta-analysis of crop-model studies claimed that a warming climate would slash global crop yields, an assertion that fed into subsequent models that influenced the Biden EPA’s social cost of carbon hike. 

That original dataset, however, was flawed—crippled by missing variables. Of its 1,722 records, nearly half lacked critical data, such as changes in CO2 concentrations, leaving only 862 usable entries. This incomplete picture painted a grim outlook of crop yields declining with only modest warming. 

McKitrick, undeterred by what had become climate orthodoxy, dug deeper. By revisiting the source material, he recovered 360 additional records, bringing the total to 1,222—about a 40% increase in usable data.

The additional information showed “positive average output gains for all crop types across the warming scenarios even up to 5 degrees Celsius”—a temperature jump far beyond warming predictions of the U.N.’s International Panel on Climate Change. This isn’t cherry-picking; it’s what happens when the full scope of evidence is examined.

“If over the next 100-200 years, yields of all crop types increase, it does not stand to reason that a global trade model could generate global welfare reductions,” writes McKitrick in his concluding remarks. 

McKitrick’s findings, grounded in a more comprehensive dataset, suggest the doomsday assumption was built on sand. Far from heralding a collapse, the data show crop yields at least holding steady and even improving with significant warming.

Moreover, plants are not too frail for a warming world. They’re built to thrive in the contemporary temperatures of the 20thand 21st centuries.

Most crops fall into two categories: C3 and C4 plants, so named to reflect their different photosynthetic processes. C3 crops, such as wheat, rice, and soybeans, flourish in elevated CO2 conditions characteristic of the 21st century.

Carbon dioxide is food to plants, necessary for the process of photosynthesis—a process where oxygen is a byproduct.

Higher levels of CO2act like a supercharger, boosting photosynthesis and water-use efficiency. Studies have long shown that CO2 enrichment in greenhouses can increase C3 yields by 20% to 40%. C4 crops—like corn and sorghum—are less responsive to CO2 but do well in hotter, drier conditions.

In summary, if crop yields don’t crash—if they hold steady or grow—the rationale for a sky-high social cost of carbon disappears. 

The McKitrick study is consistent with an extensive historical record that documents human flourishing during earlier eras warmer than today. The Minoan Warm Period 3,000 years ago and the Roman Warm Period and Medieval Warm Periods that followed are examples.

Unfortunately, the United Nation’s International Panel on Climate Change—relied on by many as the standard-bearer for information on climate change—favors adherence to climate dogma over rigorous scientific inquiry. It often ignores cutting-edge findings like McKitrick’s. 

So where do we go from here?

First, the social cost of carbon calculation needs a reset. A realistic assessment would show that carbon dioxide is a benefit, not a pollutant, and that increasing CO2 adds to global productivity rather than imposes costs on society.

The EPA must revisit its numbers, stripping out inflated agricultural damages and grounding its estimates in all the data available. It is time to look at the facts, trust the real science, and end the irrational governmental messaging that feeds climate hysteria.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.

The post Study Destroys Basis of EPA Climate Regulations appeared first on The Daily Signal.

In the state of Vermont, March 14 is considered Crossover Day, and despite being the home of Bernie Sanders, this doesn’t mean what you’re thinking, but I can’t blame you for going there. Instead, the name refers to a crossover deadline in the Vermont legislature when bills that fail to advance out of their chamber ... Read more

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Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday for his alleged crimes against humanity committed during his war on drugs, The Wall Street Journal reported. In an arrest warrant, the […]

The post Former Philippines President Arrested on International Criminal Court Warrant over Ruthless War on Drug Dealers appeared first on The Western Journal.

By Leesa K. Donner

The case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University activist being held in a Louisiana detention center, is rapidly turning into a contentious debate over freedom of speech. Khalil is an outspoken pro-Palestinian activist who has taken a leadership role in the increasingly volatile campus protests. Precisely who the Columbia graduate is – a US green […]

Future President Donald Trump met then-President Ronald Reagan on at least three occasions at the White House during the 1980s. In the second half of the 20th century, it’s safe […]

The post Trump's WH Meeting with Ronald Reagan 40 Years Ago Proved Prophetic appeared first on The Western Journal.

By James Fite

Last Week, the Trump administration cut $400 million in grants from Columbia University for ignoring a probe into the school’s response – or lack thereof – to antisemitism on campus. Since then, things have gone from bad to worse. The administration is willing to reconsider the cut in funding, but only if the university acquiesces […]

By Liberty Nation Authors

On this edition of Liberty Nation Radio, we tackle rudderless Democrats, Beltway Blues, using military planes to deport illegal aliens, and the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

By Sarah Cowgill

Amid the bevy of executive orders, revolving tariff policies, and the slash and burn of bloated government agencies, President Donald Trump seems to have broken the people who consider themselves Democrats and progressives. Heartlanders watch – and comment on – the president’s torment of the left, which he makes look so easy. Hey Mister! Koffee […]

By Corey Smith

Luke 9:28b-36 Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to […]

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On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III of Sweden was shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the Opera; he died on March 29th. Pictured is the masquerade costume worn by Gustav III when he was shot in the back. — March 16, 1769: Louis-Antoine de Bougainville’s expedition of two ships completed the first French circumnavigation of the world when they arrived in Saint-Malo, France. — Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky, in 1862. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …

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(Continued from Part 5. This concludes the article.) “All individuals are entitled to the utility to defend their humanity. Gun control has failed. You can’t stop the signal.” —from the original Deterrence Dispensed (now known as The Gatalog) website OPEN SOURCE FIREARMS “Open Source Firearms” is a term that I’ve used to describe those few firearms that are so popular that parts—as well as information about the firearms—are widely available. Moreover, these arms are so popular that even frames or receivers are being made by companies other than the one that first sold the firearms. An “open source” gun is …

The post 3D-Printed Gun Components – Part 6 by M.B. appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

The latest meme created by JWR: Meme Text: Just Another Day Of Work… …Making Egg Deliveries (Photo of Garda Armored Truck) News Link: Egg prices to increase by more than 40% in 2025, according to USDA report. Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks! Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.  

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“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore …

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