And with it, lies, damn lies, and statistics.
Just because global warming doesn’t feature as the main story in the news any more doesn’t mean temperatures aren’t still rising. This summer there are going to be so many new forest fires and areas hit by drought that parts of British Columbia (Canada)/ Alberta (Canada)/ Saskatchewan (Canada)/ Manitoba (Canada)/ Ontario (Canada)/ and Minnesota (USA) will probably become permanently uninhabitable. Right now, in the middle of winter, Spain is experiencing drought.
Here in Shetland a 3C rise in sea temperature has killed off 750 tons of farmed salmon. Around the coast of the Scottish mainland the rise was even higher, 6C. This could mean the end of fish farms in the UK.
We have to wake up to the fact that this is our new future. Major crop failures will be next, which given the ridiculous number of people there are on the planet right now, means starvation. Especially in the UK. Not that long ago the UK was self-sufficient in food, but then there were just 4 million of us. Today it’s 68 million and rising.
Oddly enough there is not a single sign of concern, not in the news or from our political leaders. Indeed it’s been very much the opposite. Shetland Islands Council (SIC) just unilaterally decided (as is their way) to cut yet more of the most necessary services (even though it is still the second wealthiest council in the UK), to divert more money into the pockets of its political and business friends. This time a private company called EnQuest, who wants to start producing hydrogen fuel from seawater. What that has to do with the council’s remit is anyone’s guess, but even the most stupid among us can see such a venture is pointless, if there’s not going to be anyone left to use it. Same goes for the millions they want to spend building a new school. What SIC and our MSP/ MPs need to be focussing on right now is how we are going to deal with this climate emergency, and food security comes at the top of my list. Being able to grow enough food in Shetland for when TESCO is no more.
We certainly can’t count on individuals doing the right thing. Not when the average couple still believes a wedding is worth spending the equivalent of what could feed them for five years (or pay their mortgage for two). Then topping that off by having children. They haven’t even begun to realise what is happening out there.
They’re still eating meat/ fish/ and dairy, for goodness sake. Despite a plethora of information about the health risks of industrially produced food, as well as the obvious toxicity of eating anything taken from of our polluted oceans. They certainly don’t care a jot for the suffering of those creatures either. Makes me weep.
We have to be the most mentally deranged species on the planet. To watch ourselves become extinct and do nothing, while buying yet another Lottery ticket and praying to a god.
The only question left then, is what will it take before we (in the UK) wake up to what’s really happening? This summer will certainly be a turning point. Then after that there’s no going back, next stop extinction.
(photo image by Sam Carana at Arctic News)
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How to live off-grid 