'We’ve heard Putin say that he intends to have Russia benefit from the climate crisis...[he] is trying to hoard agricultural lands for Russia’s food security, thereby also increasing the world’s future dependence on Russia in agricultural markets' #Ukraine carnegieeurope.eu/2022/03/04/rus…
'The majority of wheat stocks not in the hands of major exporters are now in one country, China, which is expected to account for 131 million tonnes, or 47%, of global inventories at the end of the current season'
'The condition of China's winter wheat crop could be the "worst in history", the agriculture minister said on Saturday, raising concerns about grain supplies in the world's biggest wheat consumer'
'The study suggests... widespread drying & increases in agricultural drought by up to 200% over most of the Americas... Europe & the Mediterranean region, southern Africa, Southeast Asia, & Australia under moderate-high emissions'
Echoing others who have noted that we don't have a carbon budget:
Cumulative historical emissions have already resulted in millions of lives being impacted via increased frequency of droughts causing acute food insecurity.
"Global emissions have resulted in the rapid warming of the west Pacific, resulting in more rain around Indonesia and concerning but predictable rainfall deficits in arid, food-insecure eastern Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia."
Ongoing subsidies to oil and gas, & other policy decisions that unnecessarily increase emissions are policy decisions that condemn thousands, if not many more, to suffering and death.
Politicians who make these decisions must be held accountable.
'Everything is Gone’ New Jersey’s Largest Dairy Devastated by Hurricane Ida
-National Weather Service confirmed 5 tornadoes touched down in New Jersey & eastern Pennsylvania during the fierce thunderstorms triggered by the leftovers of Hurricane Ida
'Kazakhstan expects its 2021 grain crop to contract by 24% to 15.3mn tonnes amid the major drought across much of Eurasia that has hit main grain producing regions'
I am (likely unwisely) wandering into the fray of the current ‘doomism’ debate.
Let me start by saying I offer no clear solutions, just nuance for consideration; admit culpability to being doomist at times; and blame no one except for the fossil fuel companies...
...that have pushed us into this corner where we are anxious, frustrated and exhausted from the challenges of what at times seems like an intractable problem.
My hope is that we can all work and engage respectfully and work towards effective #ClimateAction, recognizing:
-on the one hand that climate scientists have no doubt dealt with tremendous bullying, harassment and misinformation, all the while being ignored and downplayed by government after government (I really can’t imagine the stress and angst this would engender)