01/25/07 Joinging Canada & New Climate Report

Joining Canada & New Climate Report. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The European Union, Australia, Argentina and Brazil have joined Canada in their complaint against the United States over what Canada calls illegal government handouts to American corn growers. The request for consultations threatens a major dispute at a time when global free trade talks remain stalled over agricultural tariffs and subsidies - and the U.S. begins debating a new multibillion-dollar farm bill. Canada lodged the original complaint just over two weeks ago - claiming that some nine-billion dollars paid annually by the U.S. in export credit guarantees - and other subsidies - unfairly and illegally deflated international corn prices Washington States Department of Ecology has released a report stating that it is especially vulnerable to climate changes due to the dependence on snow packs for summer stream flows and because the expected rise in sea levels will threaten coastal areas. The report was commissioned by the state departments of Ecology and Community Trade and Economic Development, and was researched and written by Climate Leadership Initiative at the University of Oregon, with guidance from Washington economists and scientists. The report also says that due to climate warming, wildfires will and have increased in number and that wine growing regions will become too hot to continue producing wine grapes. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. I report a lot on the hypocrisy of the food industry, so I found it fascinating to observe it full bloom in politics. Watching the President's State of the Union address was a not only a virtual education in body language but also a lesson in peculiar posturing and outright phoniness. How about Jesse Jackson's kid arriving over an hour early for a front seat and a photo op with someone he and his father abhor! Or the new Speaker of the House's quandary of when to stand during the presidents speech. I hurt for the poor dear the way she was biting the inside of her lip and fiddling, it was obvious the decision whether to rise was quite taxing or was she simply exhibiting frustration over the fact she wasn't the one receiving the applause? My, the contortions that senators go through to get the presidents signature, they looked better then some of the yoga positions I see at the gym ! Funny though midst the jostling the little mousy senator from my state of Washington placed herself front and center but was totally overlooked. Bewildered and lost in the crowd is hardly the image I want for my state in DC. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.