Posted on 01/17/2007 7:13:10 AM PST by kellynla
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the federal government Tuesday for disaster aid because of an ongoing cold snap that has destroyed nearly $1 billion worth of California citrus, and industry officials said shoppers will feel the sting through higher prices for oranges, lemons and other produce. Visiting a Fresno orange grove, Schwarzenegger said he was asking the U.S. government for disaster status, which would allow California to seek aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Small Business Administration to offset losses to growers and other businesses.
"This is not just about the crop this year. It could also have a devastating effect next year," Schwarzenegger said. "My administration will make sure that we do everything we can to help the farmers and workers get through this."
Nearly every winter crop is affected by the freeze, from avocados to strawberries to fresh-cut flowers, but it's the state's citrus crop that stands to take the biggest economic hit.
"We may adjust the prices as we discover the full extent of the damage next week, but for now, if you bought an orange at the supermarket for 50 cents, expect to pay a dollar to $1.49 for it," said Todd Steel, owner of Royal Vista Marketing, which sells California citrus to markets throughout the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Frozen concentrated OJ is a fungible commodity (remember "Trading Places"?) -- it doesn't matter where the orange crop fails for OJ prices to be affected.
My girlfriend has five acres in De Luz (above Temecula, west of the 15) with several hundred exotic orange trees. I guess they don't make smudgepots anymore, but the fruit came through 100% okay and harvesting begins tomorrow.
I told Susan she should have her oranges sold in packages of one since hers is about the only unscathed grove. They're delicious.
I never said that humans are causing the climate change... maybe we are, maybe not. But there is indisputable evidence that weather patterns are changing.
Snow in Dallas/Austin/San Antonio today. Crippling freeze in Southern Cali. Flowers blooming in January in New England. Six days of rain during Christmas in Florida (usually dry). My Dad lives in West Virginia, and they were in the 60s last week.
No respectable scientist would make such a claim.
We know the average temperature of the planet is rising. I don't deny the earth is warming, but I do think the enviro-whackos are taking it way too far. I believe in the natural cycle of the earth's climate, and that we are probably on the uptick of the cycle. That doesn't mean we need to take an alarmist view, but we also can't deny it is occurring.
I think of it like the economic cycle. It rises and falls.
When I received news of the cold snap out there in Maryland West, I did think of how some people would blame this weather on global warming.
It wouldn't surprise me if environMENTALism is partly responsible for this outcome (no smudge pots).
Can I apply for personal disaster aid when things go bad with my business? Or do I have to employ a certain amount of people to be bailed out?
Do we have free markets here or not? When they have a windfall and good weather, do they pay it back?
In some parts of the country, there's global warming. In other parts, there's global cooling.
I've noticed the climate changes about every 3 months or so.
Why didn't anyone talk about this in 1985 when Knoxville,TN recorded -24F. I remember that one well as our oil lines froze and the power was out. Chopping wood at that temp is a real $itch.
Global Warming is a reality everywhere, except where it's COLD!!! LOL is right!
Yeah weather patterns are changing, as they always have.
Some winters are bitter cold, some are warm, some are a mixed bag with early freezes or late freezes. The same with all seasons. Remember how wrong the predictions were for Hurricane season 2006?.
We need clean air and water, however we don't need wild eyed hysteria about the environment that could lead to needless drastic changes in our way of life.
I'd much rather drive in this snow and ice in West Texas in my Chevy Silverado truck than be forced to attempt to drive through it in a tiny hybrid car.
that would be "buy" the darn orange..
You can't call one freak winter, a pattern. It seems as though we have a freak winter, every time we have an El Ninjo, it's always bad, and it's always unpredictalbe, but it's not human caused, global warming.
Well, actually, the effects of Global Warming are manifested as "Global Climate Change", you see.
/s
I thought that was called "nature".
...and the irony continues.
Us northerners have been living with climate change all of our lives. We call it the change of seasons.
BTW: The planet is what, 4.5 billion years old; Has gone through countless climatic cycles; What is the average mean temperature of Earth supposed to be?
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