"As the climate warms in the decades ahead, billions of acres, most of them in the northern hemisphere, including Russia and Canada, will become suitable for agriculture and could, if plowed, emit a massive, planet-altering amount of greenhouse gases. [...] Scientists estimate that, with a projected global population of nearly 10 billion by 2050, the world will need to produce 70 percent more food. How—and where—to produce that food remain open questions. Pressure to produce more could push farming into these new agricultural frontiers if policies aren't put in place now, the researchers say." "We hope this is a wake-up call," Hannah said. "Canadian and Russian governments are trying to promote agriculture in these areas. They're already working in micro-pockets that are beginning to get more suitable. Climate change is a slow process, so these areas aren't going to open up overnight, but it could lead to a creeping cancer if we're not careful."