“Record early start again for Tokyo’s cherry blossoms… In past years the country’s meteorologists have linked the increasingly early blooms to climate change, and temperatures in Tokyo have been unseasonably mild in recent days.
“Tokyo’s official cherry bloom records go back 70 years and the delicate white-pink flowers have only appeared this early in 2021 and 2020, according to the weather agency.”
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230314-record-early-start-again-for-tokyo-s-cherry-blossoms
“A firefighter died while trying to put out the main wildfire at Mount Jiri National Park in southern South Korea, 21 hours after it started, having burned more than 900,000 hectares of woodland.
“A firefighter was killed in responding to the blaze that began in the mountainous town of Hadong, 286 kilometres south of Seoul…”
“In early March, the temperature in China was the warmest in the same period of history, breaking the record set just last year.”
https://twitter.com/yangyubin1998/status/1635131481260711936
“Pakistan braces for intense heat wave during summer season.
“… temperatures are predicted to be higher than usual not only for March but also for April and May. Previously, the average temperature during March was recorded as up to 26C [78.8F], with a slight increase observed last year. However, this year’s temperatures are expected to be even higher, with the PMD forecasting an intense heat wave in the coming months.”
“Iraqi PM Promises Action Against Crippling Climate Change.
“Climate change for years has compounded the woes of the troubled country. Droughts and increased water salinity have destroyed crops, animals and farms and dried up entire bodies of water. Hospitals have faced waves of patients with respiratory illnesses caused by rampant sandstorms…”
https://www.voanews.com/a/iraqi-pm-promises-action-against-crippling-climate-change/7001453.html
“More than 100 killed as Storm Freddy returns to Mozambique and Malawi.
“Mozambique and Malawi have been left counting the cost of Tropical Storm Freddy, which killed more than 100 people, injured scores and left a trail of destruction as it ripped through southern Africa for the second time in a month over the weekend.”
“Declare drought an emergency now or we die, governor pleads [Kenya].
“Mandera Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif has spent the past few weeks knocking on doors to seek relief aid for the humanitarian crisis afflicting his people. Khalif has met national government officials and development partners, explaining the dire situation facing residents of Mandera and those from the Northern region as a whole…”
“Today Matam in Senegal with 45.7C [114.3F] rose to an unprecedented level of heat for the first half of March for Western Africa.
“We need to go to the 2nd half to find historic temperatures that high. And it might get worse.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1635386357471399936
“EU Warns of Heavy Droughts in North Africa and Turkiye…
““Following the extreme drought and heatwaves in 2022, two large regions in the Mediterranean show severe dry conditions in early 2023,” an announcement about the report said. “These may trigger potential impacts on agriculture ahead of the 2023 summer season.””
“Terrifying footage has captured a 42-vehicle pile-up that left one person dead and 39 injured when a dust storm swept across a motorway in Hungary.
“Five lorries and 37 cars were inadvertently caught up in the horrific M1 motorway collision, near the village of Herceghalom, on March 11.”
“Part of Europe (Spain, France, Germany and Switzerland) is living a historic warm spell, with hundreds stations at record levels.
“Today Germany with 23.9C [75F] at Rheinfelden set a new record for the first half of March; 23.4C at Basel, Switzerland, 23C in Liechtenstein and Andorra.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1635313639975714818
“Flocking to the beaches as Mallorca registers record high temperatures for March; 28.4C [83.1F] in Son Servera.
“What a difference a week makes. Last weekend, there were pleas for people not to go into the mountains to see the snow. Temperatures were recovering, but this Saturday they were breaking records”
“Incredible summer heat in Spain with 33.1C [91.6F] at Xativa but also widespread 30C more in the North.
“New March record at Zaragoza Aero with 28.6C (29.0C in the town). 28.9C at San Sebastian Aero, near the French border. 29.2C in Catalonia.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1635355871877435394
“Mind blowing warmth in France today with 20 stations above 27C [80.6F]! Even in places above 500m above sea level. It’s no less than a July average afternoon.
“Verdun located at 550m asl reached 28.7C. Many monthly records were broken including Agen with 26.5C and Serralongue (700m) with 25.8C.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1635368559089184768
“UK river levels already at record lows forecast to be ‘devastated’ by dry spring.
“River levels across the UK have been at record lows and are likely to be “devastated”, as new data forecasts broadly dry weather until at least May. Campaigners have said the government and water companies have not done enough to conserve water supplies.”
“Peak District village battered by possible tornado.
“Strong winds, that have been compared to a tornado, have taken down trees, blown over walls and taken off roofs in a Derbyshire village. Severe gusts hit Great Hucklow in the Peak District at about 06:00 GMT.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-64944242
“Marine heatwaves are sweeping the seafloor around North America.
“Heatwaves unfolding on the bottom of the ocean can be more intense and last longer than those on the sea surface, new research suggests, but such extremes in the deep ocean are often overlooked.”
“Huge seaweed bloom that can be seen from space threatening beaches in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.
“A vast blanket of seaweed about 5,000 miles across is threatening beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean… ocean currents are now pushing tonnes of the seaweed on to beaches, causing big problems. There it can choke corals, wreak havoc on coastal ecosystems and diminish water and air quality as it rots.”
https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/huge-seaweed-bloom-seen-space-103500075.html
“Las Vegas water agency seeks power to limit residential use.
“Nevada lawmakers are considering a remarkable shift in allowing the water agency that manages the Colorado River supply for Las Vegas to limit single-family residential use in the desert city and surrounding county.”
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/las-vegas-water-agency-seeks-power-limit-residential-97817894
“The Southern Sierra Nevada now officially has its largest snowpack in recorded history, passing 1982-1983. The snowpack is a staggering 244% of the peak snowpack average.”
https://twitter.com/US_Stormwatch/status/1634623851874369537
“Another atmospheric river creeps into storm-ravaged California, fueling more evacuation alerts and flooding concerns…
“More than 30 million people across the state were under flood alerts as the West’s 11th atmospheric river of the season pushed into northern California and aimed towards central and southern California Tuesday, battering ground already saturated with water from the last round of rain and swollen rivers that have overflowed their banks.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/14/weather/california-atmospheric-river-flood-tuesday/index.html
“‘I lost everything’: Cyclone Yaku unleashes destruction in Peru.
“Powerful Cyclone Yaku has unleashed torrents of rain on Peru’s northern region in recent days, burying homes and cars in mud and leading to the deaths of at least six people… The cyclone is the latest crisis hitting Peru, where anti-government protests have rocked the country…”
“Buenos Aires had a red weather warning, reaching a record 38.6 °C at 2 p.m.— the highest temperature in 117 years [of record-keeping] for March, according to the SMN [also beats the February record].
“The agency also said that for the first time in history, the city of Buenos Aires exceeded the maximum temperature threshold for a heat wave (32.3 °C) for 12 consecutive days.”
“Record heat also in Uruguay with more than 40C [104F] in Mercedes which broke its record of highest temperature in March.
“New records were also broken at Carrasco Airport of the capital, Montevideo, at Colonia near the border with Argentina and at Durazno.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1634725103660302338
“The east coast of Australia is set to be blasted by four days of 40 degree heat this weekend – as forecasters officially declare La Nina over.
“The Bureau of Meteorology officially announced the end of La Nina on Tuesday, after the weather phenomenon brought three years of disastrous wet weather across Australia.”
“A record-breaking flood has hit Australia’s Queensland state with residents being told to limit their movements due to crocodile-infested waters…
“The Gregory River peaked at 12.3 metres, topping a previous record of 6.78 metres (22.2ft) by almost double, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.”
“Water disasters on both ends of the spectrum – dry and wet – are getting more intense as planet warms, study finds.
“From lengthy droughts to severe flooding, the intensity of water-related disasters around the world has increased over the last two decades as global temperatures climbed to record levels, according to new research.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/13/world/water-extremes-drought-floods-nasa-study-climate/index.html
“Food brands struggling to weather the ‘polycrisis’ unleashed by war and climate change.
“While business and government leaders have been dealing with risks such as geopolitical tension and natural disasters for centuries, others, like ecosystem collapse and the consequences of failing to mitigate climate change, feel more like uncharted territory.”
“Insect Pests Attacking Crops Are Developing Resistance to Biopesticides…
“As the world’s population grows, the evolution of resistance to biopesticides, a critical tool in the development of sustainable crop protection, has huge implications for global food security.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
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Hello Panopticon
The time ‘of plenty’ is over stated French minister of ecological transition Bechu. Now it’s about drought and water availability. A copy of this kind of statement in the autumn when it was about energy
These are interesting times when ‘ scarcity’ suddenly takes centre stage. Let’s see if that will actually land.
……Drought: “The situation is worse than last year on the same date”,
The Minister of Ecological Transition outlined the national water management plan,
Although rain is currently falling in part of France, there is a “complicated situation” in some regions due to persistent drought. The “concerns” are particularly concentrated “in the Rhône corridor and in the Mediterranean”. According to Christophe Béchu the ecology minister, “the current situation is worse than last year at the same time”. In the past 18 months, there have been 15 with a rain deficit. Some 50 measures will be put in place. The plan will include measures on “wastewater reuse, rainwater recovery, the fight against leaks and awareness of drinking water use”. Every day, the French use “150 litres of water, we live in an illusion of abundance”. “However, water is life, so we must be careful not to waste it”. Christophe Béchu does not rule out an increase in the price of water in certain departments. Currently, the price of water is “around 4 euros per cubic metre”. The national plan will also mention “a financing plan” for individuals and municipalities to “finance rainwater recovery”. Meanwhile, it is clear that people in the south of France in the PACA region will no longer be allowed to fill their swimming pools!!!!
This is a tragedy in one of the most expensive regions of France.
https://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/secheresse-la-situation-est-pire-que-l-annee-derniere-a-la-meme-date-alerte-christophe-bechu-20230309
Up here in the UK we can no longer afford to heat many of our pools; it seems like southern France won’t have enough water to fill theirs. Down in Greece they have a history of pretending not to have them in the first place 😂: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wELSaDxkSY0
“Up here in the UK we can no longer afford to heat many of our pools; it seems like southern France won’t have enough water to fill theirs. Down in Greece they have a history of pretending not to have them in the first place 😂: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wELSaDxkSY0”
Hahahaha – ahh, the poor Greeks during their ‘austerity’ measures!
Meanwhile, I watched this recent Nate Hagens talk on “Loss Aversion” in relation to the SVB collapse – part of the human psyche – we are more emotionally distraught about losses, than joyous of our gains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKqu3gH1Mz4&t=3s
Thanks, Rain. I need to check that out. Nate Hagens does some excellent work.
IIRC, it isn’t just loss aversion but also status anxiety that afflicts us simians, so that it is how much we have relative to others that is as psychologically important as how much we have in absolute terms.
All of this bleeds across into very sensible spiritual teachings about the human egoic self being a fundamentally dissatisfied entity. You can somewhat circumvent that by noticing that abundance is not so much an external, objective reality but a state of mind, which starts with being grateful for whatever you have in the present moment.
Always appreciate your reports, Zip!