ACG's Bolin shares podium with US Senator Durbin, urges farmers to prepare

Chicago, Illinois, April 18, 2012 - Keith Bolin, American Corn Growers Institute for Public Policy (ACG) board member, spoke from an ag producer's point of view about weather-related disasters at a press conference last Wednesday. Environment Illinois, the state's premier environmental watch dog group, released a report titled, “In the Path of the Storm: Global Warming, Extreme Weather, and The Impacts of Weather-Related Disasters in the United States.”  United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) also spoke to the seriousness of the weather situation. 97% of the senator's constituents live in counties in Illinois affected by weather-related disasters since 2006.

Bolin, who farms near Manlius, Illinois, and who served as president of American Corn Growers Association from 2004 - 2012, said he felt there was no doubt that the weather has become more extreme, with high rainfall and severe droughts more prevalent today. He expressed concern for the ability of farmers to deal with and adapt to the changing environment. Bolin urges public policy to further develop alternative renewable energy resources, along with efforts to educate and inform agricultural producers to prepare for and adapt to the changing environment, to ensure adequate food and energy production.

“There’s simply no substitute for good soil and a stable climate for growing crops,” Bolin said. “That puts farmers at the front lines of global warming — it’s a grave threat to rural livelihoods and quality of life. That’s why I support EPA policies to cut global warming pollution from automobiles and power plants.”

Bolin said efforts to supplement fossil fuels with renewables such as ethanol, biodiesel and wind energy have already been good for rural America and will help in the mitigation of the effects of climate change.  He added, “Without them, corn would be $2.50, and we’d be figuring out how many jobs off the farm we needed to pay the bills.”