Intense heatwaves directly threaten crops and native species. Here’s what we can do
3mon 29d ago by piefed.social/u/hanrahan in environment@aussie.zone from theconversation.com
During Australia’s unprecedented heatwave in late January, air temperatures reached 50°C in inland South Australia.
Days of sustained heat and hot nights did real damage. A flying fox colony was all but wiped out in South Australia, while Western Australian mango growers suffered major crop losses as fruit literally boiled.
These increasingly extreme heatwaves are now posing a real threat to the crops and livestock on which we rely, as well as Australia’s wildlife and ecosystems.
But in coming decades, intensifying climate change will push summer temperatures beyond the records set this summer.
Everything in Australia has to cope with heat. But the continent’s wildlife and peoples are not prepared for the heat to come,
Welp, it is why we moved to Tassie 3 years ago. Met a guy 2 days ago from Townsville who said him and his family had enough and were in the process of moving down, the heat/humidity were unbearable back in T'ville.
The key point of this interesting article, imo, is that we have to start planning NOW for what is up ahead. This is not happening as urgently as it should so we need to ask our esteemed politicians what they are doing to prepare all the different communities and ecosystems so they may be better protected and also our food security is not put in jeopardy. We should ask them straight out and test their understanding and what solid strategies they have in mind. It'd be 'interesting' to hear what they have to say.