Drought
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More than 500,000 at risk in drought-hit Namibia

BBC News
Tue, 07 May 2019 15:07 UTC

Namibia is facing a "natural disaster" because of poor rains, President Hage Geingob says.

He has declared a state of emergency - the second in three years - over the situation, mobilising all government agencies to respond to the drought.

The lack of rain has already left 500,000 people - one in five Namibians - without access to enough food, the government says.

The sparsely-populated country has seen a succession of droughts since 2013.

The government had set aside $40m (£30m) to buy food and water tanks, and to transport livestock to and from grazing areas.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has appealed for international help.

"We... call on all Namibians and development partners to assist in any way possible, so that we provide to our people who are affected, as well as the livestock," she said in the national assembly.

At least 60,000 domestic animals have died in the past six months.

Comment: Erratic seasons and extreme weather devastating crops around the world

Crop and cattle losses are on the rise everywhere, whether it is due to extensive drought, massive hail, epic flooding, huge dust storms, unexpected frosts, and even epidemics. See also:

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Upcoming food shortages blamed on farmers & fishermen

Adapt 2030
Wed, 01 May 2019 18:00 UTC

Bankruptcies slamming American dairy and grain farmers which has a feedback loop of banks less willing to lend because of risk, so less land is planted because of lack of financing. Kenyan and Ugandan fishermen square off over Lake Victoria fish, a look food usage globally and the Galactic Cross.

A Book Review - Prehistory Decoded

Cosmic Tusk
Thu, 25 Apr 2019 01:13 UTC

Any follower of Catastrophism the last few years has seen extraordinary confirmations of ancient cataclysm and novel contributions to our way of thinking. To the Tusk, three revelations have characterized the period: The discovery of an extraordinarily youthful late Pleistocene crater in Greenland; a series of popular, comprehensive and unrefuted major journal articles which exquisitely defined hard evidence for the Younger Dryas impact catastrophe; and the singular contribution of Dr. Martin Sweatman, as made in his fabulous book, Prehistory Decoded.

Dr. Sweatman has done our planet and history a tremendous favor by writing Prehistory Decoded. By employing the hard science of probability, he has managed to demystify the world's very earliest and most mysterious art.

Prehistory Decoded begins by documenting Sweatman's initial discovery, reported worldwide in 2015, of an empirical method for decoding the world's first art using pattern matching and statistics. Guess what? The code is a memorial and date stamp for our favorite subject here: the Younger Dryas Catastrophe, and its associated Taurid meteor traumas.

Sweatman has managed to produce a synthesis explanation for the previously indecipherable succession of artistic animal figures at Gobekeli Tepe in Turkey, Chauvet Cave in France, Lascaux Cave in France, and Çatalhöyük in Turkey, among others. Unsurprisingly to the open minded, the ancient artists are communicating using a universally handy and persistent reference set: Stars. Or, more precisely, the appearance of constellations as adjusted over time according earth's precession.

(Don't you love the internet? One hyperlink and no need to explain all that!)

It seems reasonable then to the Tusk that, if there were a code, someone, somewhere, would break the code soon given the global availability and intense interest in the information. In fact, if I waited much longer without someone cracking it, the Tusk may have become convinced the oldest art is simply stunning cave paintings, and heavy carved rocks, with no relevant common narrative (other than horses are pretty, and moving rocks is cool).

10 thousand hectares of cultivation in Bolivia affected by adverse weather events

Fresh Plaza
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 14:01 UTC

Producers are given ways to move water and prevent crops from drying out.

The department's tropical region has been affected by heavy rains and the southern cone by droughts. According to reports, both natural phenomena have damaged almost 10 thousand hectares of cultivation: 7 thousand hectares of fruit trees have been affected in Chapare, 2 thousand hectares of corn have been lost in Pasorapa, 80 hectares of watermelon and tomato in Omereque, and Aiquile also reports damages.

Pasorapa has already declared itself to be in an emergency situation due to the drought, while the municipalities of Omereque and Aiquile are preparing their declarations. The municipalities of Villa Tunari, Entre Ríos and Chimoré declared themselves a disaster area in January.

Extreme weather cost Scottish farmers £131m in 2018

Farming UK
Sat, 13 Apr 2019 01:32 UTC

Sheep farmers were the hardest hit because of the unpredictable weather of 2017-2018

Extreme weather contributed to losses of up to £161m for Scotland's farmers during 2017 and 2018 amid fears such unpredictable weather will soon become the norm.

Last year's adverse weather had an impact on livestock and yields of key crops across Scotland according to a new report published this week.

Sheep farmers suffered the biggest losses of £45m as the Beast from the East hit during lambing season.

The largest impact on beef producers was the increased cost of feed, as cattle were kept inside for longer during the bad weather and grass growth was low during the dry summer. This cost farmers £28m.

Cereal crops were also significantly impacted, costing the sector £34m. Total production, area grown and yields were down in 2018 due to previous year due to the poor weather conditions at key points in the season.

At the UK level, wholesale prices of some staples like carrots, lettuce and onions rose by up to 80%.

George Galloway mocks Macron lecturing UK on democracy while France burns every Saturday

RT
Sat, 23 Mar 2019 16:47 UTC

French president Emmanuel Macron, who rebuked British MPs for failing to respect the will of the people after they repeatedly refused to accept Theresa May's Brexit deal, has been criticised for ignoring his own people.

Former UK parliamentarian George Galloway said that Macron's lecture came from a leader whose country was "on fire every Saturday".

Macron, one of the European Union's harshest critics of Britain's indecisiveness over Brexit, told a meeting of the European Council on Thursday that the result of the British referendum must be respected.

Comment:

Weather extremes: Drought in Costa Rica causes losses of up to 50% of vegetables

Fresh Plaza
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 19:46 UTC

Horticulture in the upper area of Cartago is one of the most affected areas with the absence of rain.

According to MAG officials, the region most affected by the drought, which has affected products such as onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans, is the upper part of Cartago. Banana producers fear a 15% drop in exports due to the drought's impact in the Caribbean.

The drought, which has been caused by the absence of rains since October, resulted in the loss of up to 50% of the expected crops in onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans, in the upper area of Cartago. It has also affected the livestock sector in regions such as Brunca (south), according to officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).

Other areas are already beginning to experience problems, even in crop areas that have irrigation, due to the low level of natural water sources. Such is the case of Llano Grande de Cartago, where surface water sources (rivers and streams) are running out of liquid, which will impact strawberry, onion, flower, and milk farming.

Italy sees 57% drop in olive harvest - The worst in 25 years

Arthur Neslen
The Guardian
Tue, 05 Mar 2019 06:00 UTC

Olive trees in Italy infected by the xylella fastidiosa bacterium

Extreme weather blamed for plunge in country's olive harvest - the worst in 25 years - that could leave the country dependent on imports by April

Extreme weather events have been the "main driver" of an olive harvest collapse that could leave Italy dependent on imports from April, a leading climate scientist has warned.

A 57% plunge in the country's olive harvest - the worst in 25 years - sparked protests by thousands of Italian farmers wearing gilet arancioni - orange vests - in Rome earlier this month.

Olive trees across the Mediterranean have been hit by freak events that mirror climate change predictions - erratic rainfalls, early spring frosts, strong winds and summer droughts.

Prof Riccardo Valentini, a director of the Euro-Mediterranean Center for climate change, said: "There are clear observational patterns that point to these types of weather extremes as the main drivers of [lower] food productivity."

He added: "Freezing temperatures in the Mediterranean are anomalous for us. In any direction the extremes are important and indeed, they are predicted by climate change scenarios."

Several reports by the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) "all point to these climatic extremes as one of the major impacts of climate change", he said. "We know there will be more extremes and anomalies in the future."

Comment: This must read provides some crucial context for the drive behind the IPCC:

The Dark Story Behind 'Man-Made Global Warming', Those Who Created it - And Why

Comment: Crop and cattle losses are on the rise everywhere, whether it is due to extensive drought, massive hail, epic flooding, unexpected frosts, and even epidemics. See also:

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Global 'Peak Wheat' production has arrived - What it means for you

Adapt 2030
Mon, 04 Mar 2019 20:24 UTC

We have reached "Peak Wheat" production globally as the current 4% decline in yields is not enough to cover the demand on our planet. There is enough to supply if we continue to dig into carryover stocks and reserves, but at these rates this will last for five years maximum, all the while global yields will continue to decrease and more mouths to feed will drive consumption. This is the most detailed overall picture to show you where we are in terms of Grand Solar Minimum crop losses and where we are headed in the next five years. The information will allow you to map out the changes to protect your family and yourselves and get communities organized around you.

Comment: Crop and cattle losses are on the rise everywhere, whether it is due to extensive drought, massive hail, epic flooding, unexpected frosts, and even epidemics. See also: Erratic seasons and extreme weather devastating crops around the world

Millions of fish have been dying in Australia's major rivers

Ruby Prosser Scully
New Scientist
Tue, 26 Feb 2019 18:50 UTC

Australian fish are dying in their millions

Fish have been struggling to breathe and dying by the millions on the banks of Australia's largest river system. Experts say that without serious change, it will continue to happen.

Poor management, excess upstream irrigation and drought led to three mass deaths of endangered fish species during December and January in the Murray-Darling Basin. These deaths included Murray cod fish that were decades old, according to an investigation by the Australian Academy of Science that was published last week.

Craig Moritz at the Australian National University in Canberra, who chaired the investigation, says the sight of millions of dead fish should be a wake-up call. He described the mass fish deaths as a mainland equivalent of the coral bleaching events that have been hitting the Great Barrier Reef.

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Baybars

Drought
S

More than 500,000 at risk in drought-hit Namibia

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Upcoming food shortages blamed on farmers & fishermen

A Book Review - Prehistory Decoded

10 thousand hectares of cultivation in Bolivia affected by adverse weather events

Extreme weather cost Scottish farmers £131m in 2018

George Galloway mocks Macron lecturing UK on democracy while France burns every Saturday

Weather extremes: Drought in Costa Rica causes losses of up to 50% of vegetables

Italy sees 57% drop in olive harvest - The worst in 25 years

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Global 'Peak Wheat' production has arrived - What it means for you

Millions of fish have been dying in Australia's major rivers

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