The following is an excerpt.
A collection of satellite-imaged maps now confirm what were once only rumors: between 2006 and 2011, farmers in the United States’ corn belt – an amber swath of land encompassing North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa – converted 1.3m acres of temperate grassland and wetland into soybean and corn crops for biofuel.
The crops are infringing on delicate natural systems that are home to waterfowl, duck, and vulnerable species such as the sage grouse. Conservationists warn of an impending disaster for habitats already severely affected by agricultural change.
Read the full article here: The biofuel belt keeps creeping across the US – and it’s wildlife that loses out
