Iowa will pay steep price if Trump continues to disregard climate change

A new federal report about climate change should be a wake-up call to Iowa, a state with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture. It should also be a wake-up call to the 90 percent of registered Republicans here who see truth-telling as an essential trait in an American president, according to a new Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll.  There are truths revealed by science. This country needs a president who believes them.Which brings us to this report, compiled by 13 federal agencies. It concludes that without major change, the effects of global warming, including extreme heat and heavy downpours, will pose increasing challenges to “the quality and quantity of U.S. crop yields, livestock health, price stability and rural livelihoods.” Corn and soybeans may not pollinate. The planting season could get even shorter. Soil erosion will be exacerbated. Nutrient runoff and algal blooms will further contaminate Iowa’s waterways. New diseases could be spread by insects and pests. The availability of food and water could be compromised. The grim forecast is part of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, a study mandated by Congress and completed every four years.