I guess for many of my readers it is unusual to hear about summer in January, but for us down here at the bottom of the Pacific, January and February are usually our hottest summer months and the ideal time for enjoying the great outdoors naturally.
Well said. Climate Change is upon us and and hopefully Big Tech can help us in the right direction as well. i.e Wind power; Hydro power, Solar power, Desalinization etc together with maintaining forest growth amongst many other items.
I feel for you. It seems no one is untouched by the growing effects of climate change. And New Zealand was the place some wealthy people in the west planned to escape to if civilization falls.
We have had very unseasonable, heavy rains in the U.S. also. Much flooding that caused significant amounts of damage. The temperatures have been extreme with lower lows and higher highs than normal. There is also the ongoing issues ongoing, worsening drought in our western states. Do I blame global climate change. Absolutely. For all of us global citizens we will have to expect extreme variability in the weather with extreme highs becoming more disruptive to all life.
I think your point about the reality of sweeping water from your garage is a good one. Whether somebody believes in climate change or not, even those with their heads stuck in the sand are going to notice the sand is far more wetter than it ever used to be.
People are sense checking the air temperature rather than the marine temperature, which is the one we actually need to worry about.
The cyclone currently heading for NZ is picking up moisture and energy from the warmer than normal ocean. This is going to become a recurring pattern and sadly people will start considering that to be the norm.
On the point about tagging the environment, we volunteer to pick up rubbish from our local beaches.
Even when the beach looks “clean” we can still fill a 60L sack with plastic waste and other rubbish every single day!
I would argue that boaties are the worse offenders based on the type of rubbish we find. Anglers run a close 2nd. The amount of nylon line and tackle we pick up is terrifying.
Day trippers in a single day can produce a week’s worth of trash. Anything from spoiled nappies left for others to deal with, to food waste left in packaging at the beach.
If everybody was made to do trash duty in the community for just one week, they’d almost certainly change their behaviour as they witness first hand the impact on the environment.
That’s part of the problem in my mind. So many people have disconnected from the natural environment, they simply have no notion of what’s going on.
Maybe not until a big enough storm washes their house from its foundations and directly impacts them.
I take my hat off to people like you who make the effort to look after the environment and collecting rubbish is something we can all do.
My concern is that even though the rubbish is collected, we shouldn't even be creating the waste in the first place. I don't mean the people who discard it, I mean companies shouldn't package stuff in unnecessary plastic. Recycled plastic is still plastic.
We will never get rid of all the waste, so it is important that people dispose of it properly, and we can all do our bit to remove it from the environment when we see it.
I get heartily fed up with the greenies preaching at us that it’s all our fault and we have to stop using plastics, doing this or that. We have no choice about the plastics! As you say, so much of what we buy comes wrapped in the damned stuff. It’s not OUR fault! As for the rest of it, we’ve spent our lives doing what we’re told by those who’re supposed to know, and now we’re chastised for going so.
“Diesel cars are more efficient.” Now it’s “diesel cars are too polluting, stop driving them”. Now it’s “electric cars are the way to go”, but soon it’ll be “electric cars are destroying the planet because of what’s in the batteries”.
Sadly there aren’t enough caves and animal skins for us all to go back to.
We can each only do what we can. You are right that advice keeps changing and that the experts are constantly changing the goalposts.
Using the old 80/20 rule, it is likely that 80% of the pollution and waste comes from 20% of the world's industries, and yet it is the everyday people being blamed, so why do we bother?
As consumers, we do have a choice. Shopping at a specialty greengrocer or butcher rather than a supermarket for fruit, vegetables and meat, helps reduce waste, and supports those businesses that are struggling to compete and stay viable.
I recently saw an elderly gentleman in a supermarket take off the excess packaging on all his produce and give it to the checkout operator to deal with. The checkout operator was apologetic, people around the man applauded, and the store manager was embarrassed by the obvious waste. I am sure that one event won't change things, but it is actions like that that send a stronger message.
One person not buying vegetables wrapped in plastic, won't change the world, when everyone else is contributing significantly to the problem, but just because you are struggling against the immense flow from others, doesn't mean you shouldn't do what is right.
At least I can sleep at night knowing that I am doing everything I can to reduce my impact on the planet. It may be a waste of time and it might not stop the world from burning, but I know I am doing my bit.
I'm in the Northern hemisphere and I see the extreme weather you guys are having...take care. We're family. I have you in my heart and prayers. Stay safe and stay bare.
Well said. Climate Change is upon us and and hopefully Big Tech can help us in the right direction as well. i.e Wind power; Hydro power, Solar power, Desalinization etc together with maintaining forest growth amongst many other items.
Good read as always. As regards climate change it doesn't matter if you beleive it or not there is only one logical response. As follows.
If climate change is anthropogenic then if we try to take action we might just mitigate it.
If its not anthropogenic then any actions we take will have no effect.
Therefore logically taking action is the only course of action.
Add to that any reduction in current over consumption must reduce output pollution so is a logical way to live.
I feel for you. It seems no one is untouched by the growing effects of climate change. And New Zealand was the place some wealthy people in the west planned to escape to if civilization falls.
We have had very unseasonable, heavy rains in the U.S. also. Much flooding that caused significant amounts of damage. The temperatures have been extreme with lower lows and higher highs than normal. There is also the ongoing issues ongoing, worsening drought in our western states. Do I blame global climate change. Absolutely. For all of us global citizens we will have to expect extreme variability in the weather with extreme highs becoming more disruptive to all life.
Hopefully current bad weather translates into late long dry summer ahead. Hard to predict. Well said Peter. There is only so much we can do.
Cattle gas omissions regulation is absurd. Beach clean up crews are great.
I think your point about the reality of sweeping water from your garage is a good one. Whether somebody believes in climate change or not, even those with their heads stuck in the sand are going to notice the sand is far more wetter than it ever used to be.
People are sense checking the air temperature rather than the marine temperature, which is the one we actually need to worry about.
The cyclone currently heading for NZ is picking up moisture and energy from the warmer than normal ocean. This is going to become a recurring pattern and sadly people will start considering that to be the norm.
On the point about tagging the environment, we volunteer to pick up rubbish from our local beaches.
Even when the beach looks “clean” we can still fill a 60L sack with plastic waste and other rubbish every single day!
I would argue that boaties are the worse offenders based on the type of rubbish we find. Anglers run a close 2nd. The amount of nylon line and tackle we pick up is terrifying.
Day trippers in a single day can produce a week’s worth of trash. Anything from spoiled nappies left for others to deal with, to food waste left in packaging at the beach.
If everybody was made to do trash duty in the community for just one week, they’d almost certainly change their behaviour as they witness first hand the impact on the environment.
That’s part of the problem in my mind. So many people have disconnected from the natural environment, they simply have no notion of what’s going on.
Maybe not until a big enough storm washes their house from its foundations and directly impacts them.
I take my hat off to people like you who make the effort to look after the environment and collecting rubbish is something we can all do.
My concern is that even though the rubbish is collected, we shouldn't even be creating the waste in the first place. I don't mean the people who discard it, I mean companies shouldn't package stuff in unnecessary plastic. Recycled plastic is still plastic.
We will never get rid of all the waste, so it is important that people dispose of it properly, and we can all do our bit to remove it from the environment when we see it.
It would be good to see a mandate to move to biodegradable plant based plastics.
The other change that would be good to see is less disposal plastic goods. Also stuff that is repairable and worth repairing.
Whereas to the layperson all these things seem simple at face value. A lot of complexities are involved.
Even so, that’s not a reason to not try to bring about changes for the better.
I agree governments could do more to force companies away from harmful or wasteful packaging.
I get heartily fed up with the greenies preaching at us that it’s all our fault and we have to stop using plastics, doing this or that. We have no choice about the plastics! As you say, so much of what we buy comes wrapped in the damned stuff. It’s not OUR fault! As for the rest of it, we’ve spent our lives doing what we’re told by those who’re supposed to know, and now we’re chastised for going so.
“Diesel cars are more efficient.” Now it’s “diesel cars are too polluting, stop driving them”. Now it’s “electric cars are the way to go”, but soon it’ll be “electric cars are destroying the planet because of what’s in the batteries”.
Sadly there aren’t enough caves and animal skins for us all to go back to.
We can each only do what we can. You are right that advice keeps changing and that the experts are constantly changing the goalposts.
Using the old 80/20 rule, it is likely that 80% of the pollution and waste comes from 20% of the world's industries, and yet it is the everyday people being blamed, so why do we bother?
As consumers, we do have a choice. Shopping at a specialty greengrocer or butcher rather than a supermarket for fruit, vegetables and meat, helps reduce waste, and supports those businesses that are struggling to compete and stay viable.
I recently saw an elderly gentleman in a supermarket take off the excess packaging on all his produce and give it to the checkout operator to deal with. The checkout operator was apologetic, people around the man applauded, and the store manager was embarrassed by the obvious waste. I am sure that one event won't change things, but it is actions like that that send a stronger message.
One person not buying vegetables wrapped in plastic, won't change the world, when everyone else is contributing significantly to the problem, but just because you are struggling against the immense flow from others, doesn't mean you shouldn't do what is right.
At least I can sleep at night knowing that I am doing everything I can to reduce my impact on the planet. It may be a waste of time and it might not stop the world from burning, but I know I am doing my bit.
I'm in the Northern hemisphere and I see the extreme weather you guys are having...take care. We're family. I have you in my heart and prayers. Stay safe and stay bare.
Thank you.