Defining A Wicked Problem
One of the main problems in the Quad Cities is Climate Change. In a nutshell, climate change can be defined as the long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns which can be mainly accredited to human activities. Sources, such as the United Nations have expressed their concerns about human activities and their correlation with climate change. Moreover, the United Nations state “but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas (United Nations 1)”. It could be said that greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are all causes of climate change since they trap heat within the earth’s atmosphere. Ultimately, these gasses are being produced by burning fossil fuels. Specifically, activities like deforestation, oil, gas, coal and the industrial processes all contribute to the burning of fossil fuels.
The Quad City area, which includes Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, East Moline, and Moline battle severely with climate change everyday. Increased flooding and extreme weather events have led to many concerns. Excessive rain periods have caused delays in corn and soy-bean harvesting seasons. With this being said, farmers are more worried about the effect that climate variability has on their soil health.
Temperature is one of the many concerns farmers and pedestrians living in the Quad Cities have regarding agriculture. It should be noted that warmer temperatures can expedite the growing process for crops as they are developing. Heat Stress is another factor that contributes to the reduced production of crops. Prolonged periods of heat can result in lower crop yields and are proven to shorten the process of pollination. Not only this, but, higher temperatures can aggravate air pollution, which can increase the health risks for people who deal with asthma or lung conditions. Vector-Borne diseases are also a huge concern for citizens living in the Quad Cities. It can be said that warmer conditions permit bugs like mosquitos and ticks to surface for longer periods of time, which could possibly spread Lyme disease and the West Nile virus. Ultimately, extreme heat exposure puts pressure on plants by slowing the process of their development and introduces the risks of many diseases. With this being said, farmers are finding that increases in temperatures result in reduced production quality.
Increased flooding is another concern that pedestrians and farmers have. Due to climate change, the Quad Cities have been experiencing more rainfall compared to the last couple of years. In 2019 floods along the Mississippi River caused huge delays in planting, and extensive damage to homes. Since the river borders the area, floodwaters cause soil erosion and nutrient loss for plants. Soil Erosion is one of the leading problems when explaining the correlation it has with increased flooding. Many scholars define soil erosion as a process in which the top layer of soil is removed from its original location by natural forces. In conjunction, it can lead to reduced production, nutrience loss, and soil degradation. Commonalities such as water saturation make it difficult to plant crops and often correlate to diseases in crops.
Droughts are another underlying issue of climate change. Normally, the Quad Cities don’t encounter droughts, however this community has been experiencing an influx of droughts recently. Dry spells occurring within these cities reduce availability for water irrigation and put more stress on crops by taking their natural resources away. Highly water dependent crops, such as corn and soy-beans become the most affected agriculturally. Both of these crops depend solely on water to produce high yield. An influx of droughts has caused a reduced production in all crops and has created inconsistency for the growing seasons. It can be concluded that droughts have a huge impact on the community’s agriculture.
Climate change also has a huge impact on businesses in the Quad Cities. Floods have been proven to damage the infrastructures of many buildings in areas such as Moline and Davenport. Small businesses located on the border of the river are struggling to operate and stay open to the public due to floods. Nevertheless, flooding has disrupted the work for companies such as the John Deere plant located in Moline. More specifically, flooding makes it hard for the community to receive goods and services internationally. Climate change also raises the price of essential agricultural products. It can be said that climate variability has resulted in lower crop yield, which has made the prices of crops higher. Commonalities such as livestock, have also stressed the challenge of heat stress which is currently affecting the health conditions of animals.
In conclusion, climate change has presented many challenges for the Quad Cities region. Agricultural conditions, infrastructure damages, reduced crop yield, and health concerns are all problems associated with climate change. However, capitalizing on innovative ideas to build stronger sustainability when combating climate change is influential.