Drought....

[Fab Foodie]

If you're in the UK and not in NI or Scotland and the North West, you may be experiencing a distinct lack of rain and some pretty hot days.
The South/South East and home counties bearing the brunt of a very dry spell as the articles below demonstrate. Even here now in the SW, everything is unusually parched and even the reservoirs of Dartmoor (a place known for it's rain) are running low. And it's just not the UK, but much of Europe, the Rhine will soon be impassable to shipping at a time when more coal needs ferrying than ever before. The Po is dry impacting rice production. In Switzerland the cows are coming off the high pastures early as the grass is becoming tinder dry - lower pastures and winter stores will be readily consumed earlier than usual which means either less animals or more bought-in feed (at ever greater expense). We're not immune, ground is too hard to sow which will impact next years crop yields and prices. Some wheat is so hard that it's part cooking in the mill rollers creating a slightly beige product. Harvest are also getting earlier. Another impact of rising temperatures is also the increased prevalence of many diseases
As water evaporates from here it has to dump elsewhere causing unusual and extreme flooding events.
As hosepipe bans sweep the land, moaning about not being able to water the garden, wash the car or have nice greens on the golf course shows a basic lack of awareness.

All the signs are that these types of years will become more frequent. Sadly it doesn't yet seem to be having any impact on our UK leaders to nudge people into better habits or make the investments needed for a very different climatic future.
If we don't wake-up we really will reap what we sow...and before being accused of hypocrisy am probably as guilty as many in my various ways....

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/aug/09/uk-braced-for-drought-conditions-in-october
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-being-hit-by-a-climate-driven-drought-crisis
https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...corched-britain-the-july-heatwave-in-pictures

Water, Power, Food, the most basic needs and all under threat in a country without a plan.
The future's so bright, you'd better wear shades....

 

[Poacher]

Maybe this was what was meant when we were promised "sunlit uplands".

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Hold on, is the sun now the fault of the Conservative government?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Hold on, is the sun now the fault of the Conservative government?

Odd that’s your take from it.

the most basic needs and all under threat in a country without a plan.

It’s pretty clear that this country’s government seems to be without a plan to tackle the consequences of climate change. A lack of preparedness or reaction is the fault of government, whichever party is in charge.

 

[jowwy]

Odd that’s your take from it.




It’s pretty clear that this country’s government seems to be without a plan to tackle the consequences of climate change. A lack of preparedness or reaction is the fault of government, whichever party is in charge.

It should be a cross party, cross government issue. Including devolved governments.

 

[Moodyman]

6 months ago, in February, we had back to back storms and flooding in various places.

If only the winter rains were stored for use later in the year. We could also plug the billions of litres of water leaking per day.

Countries that have far hotter and longer summers than ours seem to manage their water resources much better.

Yet again, it’s one more example of a country that is creaking due to a lack of planning by successive governments.

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

Created problem, aided by the fact that water management isn't a thing, but even in the Netherlnds their so up in the arse of a problem that doesn't exist that they talk about a water crisis, instead of thinking of soluttions.
Thames Water has a fancy pump that can convert sea water into normal water, but it's in mainternance again created problem not an real issue but created so they can start a other commitie/advisory group/tea moment to come to the conclussion we already known.

 

[BoldonLad]

6 months ago, in February, we had back to back storms and flooding in various places.

If only the winter rains were stored for use later in the year. We could also plug the billions of litres of water leaking per day.

Countries that have far hotter and longer summers than ours seem to manage their water resources much better.

Yet again, it’s one more example of a country that is creaking due to a lack of planning by successive governments.

Northumbria Water have a massive reservoir at Kielder. It was built to service Industry, which promptly closed down, so, we don't usually have hosepipe bans in my area. We don't normally have hot weather either, of course.

 

[Wobblers]

Thames Water has a fancy pump that can convert sea water into normal water, but it's in mainternance again created problem not an real issue but created so they can start a other commitie/advisory group/tea moment to come to the conclussion we already known.

That's a reverse osmosis plant you're talking about. Which uses rather a lot of electricity to run. Given current energy prices, consuming vast amounts of energy to produce fresh water that'll end being used to wash colossal wankpanzers may not be the most sensible choice.

 

[Beebo]

It should be a cross party, cross government issue. Including devolved governments.

And what are the chances of this current government setting up a cross party agreement?
It’s never going to happen with our current system.

 

[cookiemonster]

Hold on, is the sun now the fault of the Conservative government?

Is that your only take from this?

79bn pounds has gone into shareholders pockets, no new reservoirs have been commissioned since 1989 and 2.4bn litres of fresh water is lost due to leaks due to lack of investment as all the money's going to shareholders.

But, sure, troll a thread (again) so you can try (and fail again) to divert attention away from the failings of your beloved Tory Party.

 

[jowwy]

And what are the chances of this current government setting up a cross party agreement?
It’s never going to happen with our current system.

Totally agree beebo…….

 

[Deleted member 49]

To be fair Sarah probally has a big house and big bills to pay.

View: https://twitter.com/Feargal_Sharkey/status/1557256354280120321?t=5RNiuZW904dLRtSmw7I4mQ&s=19

 

[newfhouse]

To be fair Sarah probally has a big house and big bills to pay.

View: https://twitter.com/Feargal_Sharkey/status/1557256354280120321?t=5RNiuZW904dLRtSmw7I4mQ&s=19

That swimming pool won’t fill itself.

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

That's a reverse osmosis plant you're talking about. Which uses rather a lot of electricity to run. Given current energy prices, consuming vast amounts of energy to produce fresh water that'll end being used to wash colossal wankpanzers may not be the most sensible choice.

Maybe, but the option to use it is removed by placing it under maintenance during the very period it might become useful. Also the energy companies reported record profits, so maybe it's time to give back a little for them? instead of pretending where all in this together, it's a bit the same as the whole lockdown thing 'where all in this together'' but the big companies got richer and the small and middle sized companies and incomes suffered.
I'm not fan of communist leftish/labour like policy's, but i'm even less of a fan off all those mega corporations being allowed to enrich themselves on the back of less fortunate people and the climate.(look at how they successfully use fuel cell storage and solar energy in the US for example and here it's still treated like it's bomb material, with the main benefitionaries the oil and other mega corporations, or the lack of fuel cell cars in europe)

Also i assume when they build that plant they had a plan sounds a bit silly to say ''yeah but it consumes so much'' when the very use scenario comes into play. (unless it's off course developed to add extra water when the country is flooding once again..)