Page 9 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2023

less on others especially importing food
as the supply may be less reliable in the future remember the tomato and cucumber shortages of last winter.
At the time of typing this article it is
not long after the by-elections and the Tories won Uxbridge owing to the ultra- low emissions policy of the Mayor of London. This has led to the main parties beginning to doubt whether green policies are vote winners. The last thing we need
is politicians back sliding on green issues as they have done pathetically little so
far. Antonio Guterres the UN Secretary- General gave a speech this week saying the world is burning and we need to do more, Professor Sir David King a former government scientific adviser says we need to do more as does all the top scientists. We ALL need to do more; reduce our use of fossil fuels, leave them in the ground, reduce our use of resources, reuse, recycle and make do and mend. We need to take action now as it appears that there will be little if any leadership from the politicians. We need to set an example and show leadership to the rest of the country and world. Now the winter is arriving reduce your use of fossil fuels and save yourself some money, the energy costs may not
be as high as last winter, but we need
to reduce our effects on the climate to reduce the likelihood of worsening effects of hot summers and winter rainstorms. If you think Europe burning will have little effect on us, there have been hundreds of hectares of olive trees burn in Greece alone as well as other crops and it is likely similar catastrophes have happened in Spain and Italy. Food prices are likely to continue rising. As a side issue it is possible to grow and harvest olives in the southern U.K now so grow your own!
I have copied below the first five paragraphs of the Secretary-General’s speech and the last paragraph, it makes sobering reading, but he makes the point if we take action, we can do make a difference.
Secretary-General: A very good morning. Humanity is in the hotseat. Today, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service are releasing official data that confirms that July is set to be the hottest month ever recorded in human history. We don’t have to wait for the end of the month
Rotary cultivators
to know this. Short of a mini-Ice Age over the next days, July will shatter records across the board.
According to the data released today, July has already seen the hottest three-week period ever recorded; the three hottest days on record; and the highest-ever ocean temperatures for this time of year. The consequences are clear and they are tragic: children swept away by monsoon rains; families running from the flames; workers collapsing in scorching heat.
For vast parts of North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, it is a cruel summer. For the entire planet, it is a disaster. And for scientists, it is unequivocal — humans are to blame. All this is entirely consistent with predictions and repeated warnings. The only surprise is the speed of the change. Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning.
The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived. The air is unbreathable. The heat is unbearable. And the level of fossil-fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable. Leaders must lead. No more hesitancy. No more excuses. No more waiting for others to move first. There is simply no more time for that.
It is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C and avoid the very worst of climate change. But, only with dramatic, immediate climate action. We have seen some progress. A robust rollout of renewables. Some positive steps from sectors, such as shipping. But none of this is going far enough or fast enough. Accelerating temperatures demand accelerated action.
The evidence is everywhere: humanity has unleashed destruction. This must not inspire despair, but action. We can still
stop the worst. But to do so we must turn a year of burning heat into a year of burning ambition. And accelerate climate action – now.
Sobering stuff and he is right we need to take action now.
I believe I have mentioned before about a local farmer who writes in the village magazine and quoted from an article in the South East Farmer magazine, he has done so in the July edition and I feel his words are relevant so have set out the extract below it is by Tom Bradshaw, NFU Deputy President who writes:
“It was strange, in the spring, to be talking about a lack of salad foodstuffs on the shop shelves and with rationing taking place for the first time in many people’s lives. It started with eggs and expanded to cucumbers, peppers and other horticultural products.
It was strange because, for decades, we have taken it for granted that we could walk into any food retailer and a vast array of produce would be available, whether
in season or not. Perhaps we should be focusing on eating seasonal produce and reducing food miles?
These empty shelves are understandable causing concern and raising issues regarding consumer choice, food security and farm gate returns. We have been through a period of relatively settled geopolitics and the production of food across the globe has not been constricted.
Production has kept up with the ever- growing population, despite the volatility of the weather, but in 2022 we faced
the perfect storm. The worst drought in the U.K for at least 50 years, the highest temperatures ever recorded across the country, widespread drought across Europe and the awful war in Eastern
Simply Vegetables 9