Living the life of a Texas farmworker 1has always been a precarious proposition. But as Scientific American reports, the onset of global warming is making this work even more difficult.
Each year, ever-increasing heat, drought and mosquito-borne diseases are causing farm workers to worry on a very personal level about the effects of climate change.
While some in the State Capital of Austin may view global warming through an intellectual lens, Texas farm workers are experiencing the effects in a very real way.
Some workers down near the border fear their babies will be born with small heads “if mosquitoes from the irrigation canals slip through a hole in the screen.” While others lament losing a day’s pay when crops wither and die before they can be harvested.
In the Texas Panhandle, several months of heavy downpours last year were followed by an unprecedented drought. And the shifting climate is leading to fewer workers.
Linda Martinez, who runs a farming crew, said, “the young generations don’t want to work in the field anymore.”