The Jacob Shapiro Podcast Healthy Climate Skepticism (?)
Feb 23, 2026
Daryl Ritcheson, North Dakota State Climatologist who provides long-range forecasts for agriculture, offers a clear, data-first perspective. They cover the La Niña to El Niño shift and 2026 impacts. Gulf hurricane risks, U.S. farm-belt and Black Sea crop prospects get attention. The conversation dives into sea level measurement debates, extreme-weather trends, and the value of questioning clickbait narratives.
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Argentina Dry Spots Threaten Parts Of Crop
- Argentina's core growing regions have been very dry under La Niña and some areas may be too late to recover.
- Northern Brazil (Mato Grosso) remains strong, so South America overall may still approach near-record production.
Black Sea Winter Wheat Entered Winter Stressed
- Eastern Europe entered winter with winter wheat in poor condition and below-average moisture, raising spring rain dependency for recovery.
- Daryl cautioned the crop is resilient but will need well-timed spring rains, especially on the Russian side.
Skepticism About Global Temperature Averages
- Daryl argued global temperature averages have issues (urban heat island and methodology) yet agreed the planet is warmer than 130–140 years ago.
- He questioned the practical daily impact, noting human livelihoods (crop yields, living standards) have improved in recent decades.