Global Warming and climate change are both huge issues faced worldwide, but how is it affecting Arkansas in particular?  How is it affecting Northeastern Arkansas in particular?  Recent studies have shown that climate change is affecting the environment in Arkansas by worsening smog and making plants produce more pollen which in turn is affecting people with asthma or allergies.  They’re getting worse because of this.  This doesn’t seem to be happening everywhere, but it is happening to most of the United States.  In the Northeast cities of Arkansas, such as Paragould and Jonesboro, they are in the “Brown Zone”.  This isn’t the worst possible one, but it’s pretty far up there.  What this means is that the Ozone layer is being worsened more and more frequently, a few weeks in a year total.  The worst is the “Red Zone” which means that the ozone layer is getting worsened a few months in total.  There are places in Arkansas that are in this zone, but not in the Northeastern area of the state.

         According to Dr. Reba Michael, when asked about Climate Change affecting the food supply, she said that actually growing rice is contributing to Climate Change.  Whenever rice is being soaked in water it releases methane in a process known as methanogenises.  Whenever rice is being grown it makes methanogen, a methane-producing bacterium, especially an Archaean that reduces carbon dioxide to methane.  What this does is release into the atmosphere and increases greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.  Since Arkansas is one of the top producers of rice, this is a problem for the state.
When Dr. Reba was asked about climate change affecting any jobs in particular she said that it was greatly affecting agriculture, especially in rice producing farms.  Now farmers have to measure the methane output with multiple devices they put in different parts of the farm.  The way the device does this is by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide and water in each parcel of air.  It also measures the flux of methane, carbon dioxide, water, oxygen, and heat. 

Arkansas grows a little under 50% of the United State’s rice.  The mid-south grows about 75% of the United State’s rice.  Since Arkansas alone grows so much of the rice, there is now a huge production of greenhouse gasses being released into the atmosphere.  Farmer’s have the chance to help with greenhouse emissions.
When asked about how many people actually believed in this Dr. Reba said it’s the more educated people.  This was completely her opinion, but she does think the people who listen to scientists, look at the research, or anything along those lines were more likely to believe in Global Warming and Climate Change.  When asked about how many people that believe in climate change in Arkansas are actually trying to make a difference, Dr. Reba replied with her opinion.  She said that, “People think that they’re making a difference.  Everyone wants to so what I think, and this is my opinion, is that everyone who believes in it wants to think that they’re making a difference.  Like, my daughter’s friend’s parents just bought a leaf car.  A leaf car is a fully electric car.  They just thought, ‘you know what?  We’re done with gas,’ so they bought a leaf car.”
So many people are trying to help with this situation, but there are still so many people contributing to it.  Researchers have predicted that by the year 2060, greenhouse emissions will have gone up by 80%.  Greenhouse gasses are already at a high this year.  Just imagine if they went up by 80%.  The days would get even hotter, the climate around us would change even more, there would be so much more rain than usual.  If this actually happens, and researchers are correct in their predictions, then Earth will become an even worse place to live in.  With this information people should be trying to help with it, by buying electric cars, but they’re all so expensive.  Maybe people could try buying smaller vehicles, but in Arkansas it seems the car everyone wants to get are the huge trucks and SUV s.
Even if the people trying to help would do these things, it still wouldn’t be enough.  There are still so many people, in Arkansas especially, who don’t believe in Climate Change and Global Warming.  If people would pay attention to the facts and listen to them, then they could make Arkansas, and the rest of the world a better place to live in.