Topic: Climate Emergency is already here. How much worse it gets is still up to us (?)

[Elmo!]

Water is totally seperate down here, nothing to do with council tax.  You have to be it, no matter what. 

I'm guessing even if they made meters mandatory up there, they could always give discounts to people who pay zero council tax.  Anything is possible if the will is there.

Yeah I suppose it is different when everyone is having to pay anyway.

There is absolutely no way I would want to see a move away from our system to meters though.

[Jiminy Cricket]

Yeah, there are incentives each way. The net outcome might still be reduction in uses, but that also needs to be balanced against other pros and cons of metering such as putting extra costs for one of lifes necessities on those who cannot afford it.

With meters, perhaps exponentially incentivise low consumption with a sliding tariff. I would favour one something along the lines of the following. The figures are applied per person, per household, and are for purely illustrative purposes

1,000 litres/person/month 100% tariff. The tariff would slide according to variance to the 100% allowance. For example:

1,100 litres/person/month would increase the tariff by 10%; 900 litres/person/month would decrease the tariff by 10%.

If the 100% tariff is, say, £30/month, and there are three people in the household, and the total consumed by the household for the month is 1,500 litres (an average of 500 litres/person = 50% of standard tariff):

(50%) = £30 x (0.5^2) x 3 = £22.50/month (household)

Same, except total consumed is 800 litres (per person) = 80% of standard tariff:

(80%) = £30 x (0.8^2) x 3 = £57.60/month (household)

Same, except total consumed is 1,000 litres (per person) = 100% of standard tariff:

(100%) = £30 x (1^2) x 3 = £90.00/month (household)

Same, except total consumed is 1,200 litres (per person) = 120% of standard tariff:

(120%) = £30 x (1.2^2) x 3 = £129.60/month (household)

Same, except total consumed is 1,500 litres (per person) = 150% of standard tariff:

(150%) = £30 x (1.5^2) x 3 = £202.50/month (household)

Same, except total consumed is 2,000 litres (per person) = 200% of standard tariff:

(200%) = £30 x (2^2) x 3 = £360.00/month (household)

Same, except total consumed is 3,000 litres (per person) = 300% of standard tariff:

(300%) = £30 x (3^2) x 3 = £810.00/month (household)

Same, except total consumed is 5,000 litres (per person) = 500% of standard tariff:

(500% - lunatics) = £30 x (5^2) x 3 = £2,250.00/month (household)

The reason I like this system is that those who save water not only pay for fewer litres, but the cost of each of those litres decreases with each litre they save. They save twice! And, conversely, those who over consume are penalised twice (pay for more litres and at an ever increasing rate for each extra litre).

You will note that those who use 500% of tariff compared with those who pay 50% of tariff do not pay ten times as much, but 100 times as much!

We could also vary the 100% tariff according to economic circumstances of the household - similar incentives would hold true.

[west_london_red]

As said previously, metering actually saves you money.

If there’s less then 4 of you in a household a mater is supposed to be cheaper, 4 people is supposed to be the same, more then 4 and the meter costs more.

[Red-Soldier]

If there’s less then 4 of you in a household a mater is supposed to be cheaper, 4 people is supposed to be the same, more then 4 and the meter costs more.

That's the price you have to pay for having a big household.

[west_london_red]

That's the price you have to pay for having a big household.

Maybe we could just start culling people.

[Elmo!]

That's the price you have to pay for having a big household.

That sounds a bit "you shouldn't have kids if you can't afford them".

[Red-Soldier]

That sounds a bit "you shouldn't have kids if you can't afford them".

Not really.  Larger households generally pay more for energy, as they use more, so why is water any different......?

Like I said, I don't understand why it's so socially unpalatable for some to pay for the water you actually use.  It's the fairest why (you will never please everyone).

I look forward to the day when everyone is on a meter.

[Elmo!]

Not really.  Larger households generally pay more for energy, as they use more, so why is water any different......?

Like I said, I don't understand why it's so socially unpalatable for some to pay for the water you actually use.  It's the fairest why (you will never please everyone).

There are options in energy - you can use different methods for heating etc, you can generate your own, and there is a much more direct relationship between how much you use and how much it costs to produce.

On the one hand you're complaining about big oil and their profiteering, and then on the other arguing for the same system to be set up for water.

[Jiminy Cricket]

Maybe we could just start culling people.

That sounds a bit "you shouldn't have kids if you can't afford them".

People, generally, probably should have fewer children. By some estimates (I may be outdated), Earth can support only a population of less than 1Bn humans in the long term. Whatever the correct figure (and it will vary wildly depending upon for specific resources we need to continue in the long-term), it is surely a fraction of the present population.

[Red-Soldier]

There are options in energy - you can use different methods for heating etc, you can generate your own, and there is a much more direct relationship between how much you use and how much it costs to produce.

On the one hand you're complaining about big oil and their profiteering, and then on the other arguing for the same system to be set up for water.

No, I'm not.  Water companies earn less from meters, as people with meters pay less.  I'm also in favour of renationalisation of all utilities - hardly championing profiteering.

You are the one trying to deflect and conflate the issue (because you disagree with it).  Whoever owns the water companies (private or public) should take action to reduce waste, just like end users.  That's the case in point.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It may mean that some may pay more in water, but it will also mean people are more aware of the environmental impacts of water use, how valuable it is, and do their bit to use less.

Around half of households now have a water meter and this number is growing all the time.

On average, customers on water meters use less than those not on a meter as they think more about their water use, as they can save money by saving water.

[Elmo!]

No, I'm not.  Water companies earn less from meters, as people with meters pay less.  I'm also in favour of renationalisation of all utilities - hardly championing profiteering.

You are the one trying to deflect and conflate the issue (because you disagree with it).  Whoever owns the water companies (private or public) should take action to reduce waste and usage, just like end users.  That's the case in point.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It may mean that some may pay more in water, but it will also mean people are more aware of the environmental impacts of water use and do their bit to use less.

I'm not trying to deflect at all, of course they should try and reduce waste, haven't said otherwise. I just question whether the benefits of making families who will use disproportinately more water pay per litre is worth the downsides.

As I said, I'm more sympathetic to your argument for England given the existing setup you have already. It seems like a crappy compromise where a move in either direction - to your solution or the other extreme like we have here - would be beneficial.

And I didn't say you were championing profiteering.

[Mahern]

I would imagine lots who are opposed to metering just don't trust where that will lead, and looking at other utilities they can hardly be blamed. Nationalize the water, make it not for profit, fix the wastage issues, then you may earn trust for metering.

Also, I think there is something that doesn't sit well psychologically with having to be metered for a fundamental of life. What if air was scarce, would you be happy for that to be metered? Metering just means those who can pay will pay and screw everybody else.

Lastly, water for non-residential buildings - meter the shit out of that, if you have to. I don't think anybody will have an issue with that.

[thaddeus]

I grew up in a house where every drop of water used was queried by my old man.  I remember him sitting and watching the TV, trying to distract himself from the sound of the bath filling up.  Eventually he'd snap and go and inspect if the bath had "too much water" 

Had it not been for that water meter I reckon as a household we'd have easily used double the amount!

One of our immediate neighbours don't have a water meter but do have a wonderfully luscious garden (edit: that sounds very resentful when it's not!  They're a lovely couple.  With a very well watered garden...).

[Red-Soldier]

I grew up in a house where every drop of water used was queried by my old man.  I remember him sitting and watching the TV, trying to distract himself from the sound of the bath filling up.  Eventually he'd snap and go and inspect if the bath had "too much water" 

Had it not been for that water meter I reckon as a household we'd have easily used double the amount!

One of our immediate neighbours don't have a water meter but do have a wonderfully luscious garden (edit: that sounds very resentful when it's not!  They're a lovely couple.  With a very well watered garden...).

Sounds like one of my neighbours.  We've had the driest July on record here, but you'd neevr guess it looking at their garden 

[Red-Soldier]

UK rivers on ‘red alert’ as water firms face call for more hosepipe bans

Campaigners say ‘our rivers are dying’ after driest July in England for more than 100 years

Most of the UK’s rivers are on “red alert”, according to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), as campaigners say “our rivers are dying” and call for immediate nationwide hosepipe bans.

This summer, water companies have come under intense criticism for their apparent failure to plan for drought and deal with their leaking pipes. Sarah Bentley, the chief executive of Thames Water, received a £496,000 bonus last year, which is nearly double the performance-related payout for the previous year, and a salary increase to £750,000 from £438,000 in 2020-21, annual accounts show.

Sources at Thames Water have ruled out a hosepipe ban being announced this weekend despite the dry status of rivers around the south of England.

Most water companies have held off from banning excessive use of water such as watering gardens and washing cars with hosepipes, but river experts hope the August forecasts from UKCEH will spur them into action. The Rivers Trust has accused water companies of waiting until the last minute to implement bans so as to avoid negative reactions from customers. Only two so far, Southern Water and South East Water, have announced hosepipe bans.

Last month was the driest July in England for more than 100 years and some areas have had their driest summer on record. According to the latest forecasts, rivers are set at the most severe drought warning level across the country, even in areas where there has been rain in recent weeks. For many, it is almost certain that the flow will be the lowest it has been this century.

The forecasts show major rivers including the Avon and the Waveney flowing more slowly than they did during the droughts in 2011 and 2006, when there were hosepipe bans in place in many areas of the country. In Scotland, rivers including the Tyne and the Tweed are forecast to flow much more slowly than usual.

Next week, the government and UKCEH will produce a report based on these forecasts that will analyse how dire the situation is in the UK, with rivers running dry.

Campaigners hope that an urgent action plan is put in place, with fears that rivers could face long-term effects from the lack of water.

Last month, the Environment Agency’s National Drought Group, made up of farming groups, environment experts and representatives from government agencies, met to discuss the response. They had been due to meet in October, but the meeting was moved forward due to the drastic conditions. However, the government does not enforce hosepipe bans, leaving it to water companies. It can give advice and has been urging for further action to be taken.

But charities do not think this is good enough. Josh Jones a senior technical analyst at the Rivers Trust, said: “It just shows we need to implement management. Without managing the demand when there’s a limited supply we are headed for rivers and wildlife in rivers heading for a difficult time. We need to slow the flow of water into rivers in the first place and replenish soil moisture, and we need more wetlands which also store water. Water companies should be putting hosepipe bans in place across the country and they should be pro active rather than retroactive, this problem has been brewing for a long time. Even if you look at a 12-month average, it’s below average rainfall across the country. This problem was predictable.”

A spokesperson for the Angling Trust said: “Let’s not sugar-coat this, our rivers are dying. The situation is farcical, predictable and entirely a result of our abject failure to plan properly in this country. There hasn’t been a new reservoir built in southern England since 1976, coincidentally responding to the last major drought, yet since then millions more people are living here and using more and more water. With climate change impacts being felt here and now, the government and water companies have known this is coming. Yet they have prioritised profits over the needs of our environment and wildlife.”

The consequences for nature could be dire because of this lack of action, he added. He said: “We are seeing an increasing amount of fish kills being reported, starved of oxygen and a lack of water, and having to cope with this on top of the pollution being poured into our rivers. And the lack of water is killing our chalk streams, for which we have a global responsibility to protect. Many of them, from the Pang in Berkshire to the Ver in Hertfordshire, are no longer flowing along long stretches of their upper reaches, some of the most important habitats for wildlife.

“Reducing demand and introducing hosepipe bans is important. We are in a drought, it is a crisis, we all have to play our part. But all of this is just a sticking plaster. What we are experiencing is the new normal. We need urgent action, and a much faster response from the government, regulators and water companies.”

Thames Water told the Guardian that its teams had been working 24/7 to maintain the water supply but that if the dryness continues, water-saving measures including restrictions may become necessary. The company has a statutory drought plan, and implemented the first stage of that plan in May, which was a media campaign with water-saving tips.

“The next stage of the plan would be to introduce a temporary use ban which is likely to include hosepipes. The timing will depend on the amount of water used by our customers, which determines the speed at which reservoir storage declines and the amount of flow in the rivers, which determines how much water we can take to refill them,” Thames Water said.

It added: “Customers can really help us with this long-term planning by using water wisely – only using what they absolutely need.”

The Guardian has approached Defra for comment.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/05/uk-rivers-on-red-alert-as-water-firms-face-call-for-more-hosepipe-bans

[reddebs]

UK rivers on ‘red alert’ as water firms face call for more hosepipe bans

Campaigners say ‘our rivers are dying’ after driest July in England for more than 100 years

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/05/uk-rivers-on-red-alert-as-water-firms-face-call-for-more-hosepipe-bans

I'm not meaning this as a way of poo pooing the article but I remember in Sheffield back in 1995/96 it had been so dry ladybower reservoir was so low the remains of the village that was flooded to build it were uncovered.  I remember being a bit freaked out stood on someone's front doorstep and the hearth stone for the living room fireplace was clearly visible.

Anyway the council announced plans to convert miles of dried up river beds and streams into cycle paths so that people had easy access to the countryside. 

They spent fortunes with signage and clearance to get it all ready only for us only to be hit with floods pretty much every year after. 

They've never been used as Sheffield and most of South Yorkshire is flooded now sometimes several times a year.

[Red-Soldier]

I'm not meaning this as a way of poo pooing the article but I remember in Sheffield back in 1995/96 it had been so dry ladybower reservoir was so low the remains of the village that was flooded to build it were uncovered.  I remember being a bit freaked out stood on someone's front doorstep and the hearth stone for the living room fireplace was clearly visible.

Anyway the council announced plans to convert miles of dried up river beds and streams into cycle paths so that people had easy access to the countryside. 

They spent fortunes with signage and clearance to get it all ready only for us only to be hit with floods pretty much every year after. 

They've never been used as Sheffield and most of South Yorkshire is flooded now sometimes several times a year.

Not at all.

Flooding is just as big an issue in the UK, as droughts.  They both will become even greater as the years go by too!

The building regs are not fit for purpose (unsurprisingly) and areas that should have never been built on, have been.  It's a complete mess and I nfeel for all the people who have to deal with their homes being regularly flooded!

A report on flooding was published in 2008 under the last Labour government - it has been ignored.  The facts are that this country is woefully prepared for droughs and floods, and they are the things that will hit it the most, with regards to climate change.

This really has been a lost decade (12 years now and counting).

[reddebs]

Not at all.

Flooding is just as big an issue in the UK, as droughts.  They both will become even greater as the years go by too!

The building regs are not fit for purpose (unsurprisingly) and areas that should have never been built on, have been.  It's a complete mess and I nfeel for all the people who have to deal with their homes being regularly flooded!

A report on flooding was published in 2008 under the last Labour government - it has been ignored.  The facts are that this country is woefully prepared for droughs and floods, and they are the things that will hit it the most, with regards to climate change.

This really has been a lost decade (12 years now and counting).

Flooding where we lived for 20yrs was ridiculous though thankfully it never effected where we lived.

Old pit land that was earmarked for housing was built on a flood plain, in between a lake that was created to wash the coal and an rspb wetlands with a river feeding both and the first few that were built couldn't get insurance. 

The last part they built the houses on stilts, not like in places like Bora Bora but rather they didn't have traditional footings.  Instead they used huge, solid concrete cylinders for the corners then steel girders attached on top of them.

It seemed to work as I can't recall anyone having problems.

I understand that flooding and drought are both issues connected with global warming and also again back in the 90s a lot of people misunderstanding and saying "bring it on" when discussing a rise in temps.

[west_london_red]

And just like that, the letter has come through the post this morning, the WLR household is now being forced to have a meter installed by the fascists of Affinity Water and OFWAT.

[Red-Soldier]

And just like that, the letter has come through the post this morning, the WLR household is now being forced to have a meter installed by the fascists of Affinity Water and OFWAT.

You'll certainly care how much water you use now.

[Elmo!]

You'll certainly care how much water you use now.

Will Mrs WLR though? 

[wampa1]

What's wrong with a meter?

[Red-Soldier]

Will Mrs WLR though? 

Marital bliss 

[Red-Soldier]

What's wrong with a meter?

Nothing.

[west_london_red]

You'll certainly care how much water you use now.

Your assuming I didn’t previously.

[west_london_red]

Will Mrs WLR though? 

I might as well file the divorce papers now!

[afc tukrish]

I might as well file the divorce papers now!

 

[thejbs]

Fell into a bit of a rabbit hole today reading about preppers - the people who think society will collapse. The cultural differences between the us and eu are stark. EU guys are planting food and becoming self sufficient. US guys have bunkers, guns and tinned food.

[Red-Soldier]

UK braced for drought conditions to last until October

Lack of rain could have dire consequences for farming and crop harvesting

The UK is braced for drought conditions until October, with rivers forecast to be low and exceptionally low in central and southern England, according to the UK Centre of Ecology and Hydrology.

This could have dire consequences for farming, as soil in much of the country is too dry to drill, and many crops for harvest next year and the end of this year need to be drilled by the end of October to be viable.

South-east England has had 144 days with little or no rain since January, which is the longest dry period since the 1970s, according to Met Office figures.

This comes as Minette Batters, the head of the National Farmers’ Union, called in the Guardian today for the Conservative leadership candidates to outline urgent water plans. The issue of running out of water has been barely addressed during the contest.

Modelling from UKCEH with data from the Met Office shows we need above average rainfall to get rivers in much of the country back to normal levels. The rain we are forecast to get is likely to hit in the north-west, where rivers are faring better, with the south-east remaining drier.

Catherine Sefton, hydrologist at UKCEH, said: “Whilst it is not unusual to have periods of low rainfall, we have seen an extended period of below average rainfall, particularly in the south-east of England where it was the third driest November to July on record (from 1836). Far from being relieved, the dry conditions intensified in July, with less than 10% of the usual July rainfall recorded across much of the south-east of England (Anglian, Thames and Southern regions each saw their driest July on record, from 1836). The situation has continued into August, with south-east England receiving no rainfall so far this month.”

These dry conditions are set to continue. The report states: “July received below-average rainfall for almost all of the UK, with the exception of the far north of Scotland. Areas of southern and eastern England saw less than 10% of the average July rainfall, and for England as a whole it was the driest since 1935.

“The temperature outlook for August and August – October … shows an increased likelihood of warmer than normal conditions, with an increased likelihood of heatwaves. The precipitation outlook for the same periods suggest that while average rainfall is forecasted, it is likely there will be a contrast between a wetter north-west and a drier south-east of the country.”

Things are looking up for the north-west, with rivers potentially returning to normal flows around October, but the report says: “It is likely flows will remain exceptionally low in central, southern and eastern England over the three month period.”

For parts of southern England, above average rainfall would be needed consistently every month until November in order to combat dry conditions. This currently looks unlikely, though long range forecasts are subject to change.

Wildlife are under threat due to the low river forecast conditions, according to the Rivers Trust, and rivers could face irreversible damage.

A spokesperson told the Guardian: “The exceptionally low river flows forecast for much of England mean that there will be additional stress on the wildlife in our rivers. It is critical that flows are managed above the ‘hands off’ levels.

“We could see irreversible damage to some rivers if flows dry up or stagnate, especially in our precious chalk streams which are not adapted to cope with these wide fluctuations. Our chalk streams have evolved to their current levels of unique biodiversity over millennia. They cannot fast-track evolution to deal with the climate crisis and our over-abstraction, so we are going to have to adapt quickly to give them a chance.”

This week, the weather will remain hot, with temperatures hitting the mid to high 30s in southern parts of the country.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued the second heat health alert of the summer, which came into effect on Monday, and will last until the weekend. People have been advised to avoid the sun from 11am to 3pm and to stay hydrated.

Fires could break out across the country again by the weekend, as the Met Office said its fire severity index will reach “exceptional” for southern parts of the country.

Tony Wardle, the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, said: “Heatwave criteria look likely to be met for large areas of the UK later this week, with the hottest areas expected in central and southern England and Wales on Friday and Saturday.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/aug/09/uk-braced-for-drought-conditions-in-october

[[new username under construction]]

UK braced for drought conditions to last until October

Lack of rain could have dire consequences for farming and crop harvesting


https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/aug/09/uk-braced-for-drought-conditions-in-october

meanwhile

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-62463771

[Indomitable_Carp]

UK braced for drought conditions to last until October

Lack of rain could have dire consequences for farming and crop harvesting

It´s all happening pretty fast now. Still there seems no real wake up to the urgency of it all. It´s depressing albeit fascinating to see the collective psycological failure towards action that is rapdidly landing us in the shit.

[thaddeus]

It´s all happening pretty fast now. Still there seems no real wake up to the urgency of it all. It´s depressing albeit fascinating to see the collective psycological failure towards action that is rapdidly landing us in the shit.

It feels like there's always something more urgent.  Globally there's been Covid-19, Russian invasion and recession, and on top of that we have the ongoing national issues of failing public services and government corruption.  Global warming just seems to hover around 2nd/3rd on the list of concerns and has the problem that the up-front costs to tackle it exacerbate many of the other problems.  "Green taxes" are likely to be diminished if not completely removed as a response to the cost of living, for example.

This image - albeit a bit dated now - captures it well for me.

[Red-Soldier]

It feels like there's always something more urgent.  Globally there's been Covid-19, Russian invasion and recession, and on top of that we have the ongoing national issues of failing public services and government corruption.  Global warming just seems to hover around 2nd/3rd on the list of concerns and has the problem that the up-front costs to tackle it exacerbate many of the other problems.  "Green taxes" are likely to be diminished if not completely removed as a response to the cost of living, for example.

This image - albeit a bit dated now - captures it well for me.

No, Climate Change makes all those other things worse.  Climate inaction costs all of us, but continues to line the pockets of Big Oil.

Climate impacts have worsened vast range of human diseases

More than half of human diseases caused by pathogens have been aggravated by hazards associated with climate change, study finds

More than half of the human diseases caused by pathogens have been worsened at some point by the sort of impacts associated with the climate crisis, a new and exhaustive study of the link between disease and climatic hazards has found.

Diseases such as Zika, malaria, dengue, chikungunya and even Covid-19 have been aggravated by climate impacts such as heatwaves, wildfires, extreme rainfall and floods, the paper found. In all, there are more than 1,000 different pathways for these various impacts to worsen the spread of disease, a cavalcade of threats “too numerous for comprehensive societal adaptations”, the researchers wrote.

Global heating and changed rainfall patterns are expanding the range of disease vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, resulting in the spread of malaria, Lyme disease, West Nile virus and other conditions.

Storms and flooding have displaced people, bringing them closer to pathogens that cause outbreaks of gastroenteritis and cholera, while climate impacts have weakened humans’ ability to cope with certain pathogens – drought, for example, can lead to poor sanitation, resulting in dysentery, typhoid fever and other diseases.

“We are opening a Pandora’s Box of disease,” said Camilo Mora, a geographer at the University of Hawaii who led the research. “Because of climate change, we have all these triggers all over the world, over 1,000 of them. There are diseases out there just waiting to be unleashed. It’s like we are poking a stick at a lion – at some point the lion will come and bite us in the ass.”

The researchers combed through more than 70,000 scientific papers that analysed the links between different climatic hazards and infectious disease. Some of these papers look at evidence stretching back 700 years, before the advent of the human-caused climate crisis. Of the 375 different infectious diseases mentioned in these papers, the researchers found that 218, more than half, have been aggravated by climatic impacts now being made more common by global heating.

A smaller proportion of infectious diseases, about 16%, were diminished by climate impacts, according to the paper, published in Nature Climate Change. Kira Webster, co-author of the study, said that as the database of disease grew “we became both fascinated and distressed by the overwhelming number of available case studies that already show how vulnerable we are becoming to our ongoing growing emissions of greenhouse gases”.

Mora said there were probably multiple ways that the climate crisis worsened the spread of Covid, such as habitat disturbances by fire and flood that dislodge wildlife, such as disease-carrying bats, into new areas closer to humans. Mora said he has himself suffered from chronic aches in his joints after contracting chikungunya during an outbreak in Colombia a few years ago after a period of intense rainfall caused a boom in mosquito numbers.

“If there are pathogens that cause us harm, climate change is trying to get to every single one of them,” he said. “For me it’s shocking we don’t take this more seriously.”

The World Health Organization has warned that the climate crisis “threatens to undo the last 50 years of progress in development, global health, and poverty reduction” and has estimated that an additional 250,000 people will die each year from 2030 to 2050 due to proliferating diseases such as malaria and diarrhea, as well as malnutrition and heat stress.

The new research is an “impressive mining of what’s been studied to demonstrate that climate shocks, on balance, make our already daunting task of combating microbes harder”, said Aaron Bernstein, director of the center for climate, health, and the global environment at Harvard University, who was not involved in the study.

“Climate science has shown that climate change makes more parts of the world too hot, too dry, too wet and, ultimately, too unsuitable for people to sustain their livelihoods,” Bernstein added.

“Mass migrations of people may spur infectious outbreaks of all kinds, from meningitis to HIV. In short, an unstable climate creates fertile ground for infectious disease to establish roots in and spread.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/08/climate-crisis-study-human-diseases

[Indomitable_Carp]

It feels like there's always something more urgent.  Globally there's been Covid-19, Russian invasion and recession, and on top of that we have the ongoing national issues of failing public services and government corruption.  Global warming just seems to hover around 2nd/3rd on the list of concerns and has the problem that the up-front costs to tackle it exacerbate many of the other problems.  "Green taxes" are likely to be diminished if not completely removed as a response to the cost of living, for example.

You´re right that with the current crop of politicians we have, then any likely measures might exacerbate many of the other problems in the immediate term. Abolition of "Green Taxes" may well end up being a sad, unneccesary and completely counter-productive strategy.

But as Red-Soldier says, ultimately the climate crisis will exacerbate all of these problems and associated up-front costs ten-fold in the medium-to-long term (and increasingly even in the short term). It really isn´t a choice as such. It is happening. We have to deal with it now. Or deal with it slightly later at a much much higher cost.

And ultimately, many of the measure that might alleviate the climate crisis will also alleviate the problems you have outlined. Breaking with fossil fuels ASAP means breaking with dependence on states like Russia, whilst simultaneously breaking our dependence on fluctuating oil and gas prices, which have done much to contribute to the current cost of living situation. Taking action on Privatised Water Companies who are leaking 25% of our water supplies. Lessening dependence on cars in favour of public transport infratructure, bikes, and greener, less polluted and more livable cities will only lessen the pressure on the NHS through myriad health benefits. Lessening our dependence on industrial-scale meat likewise. Jobs in manufacturing, maintaining and erecting wind turbines, solar panels and batteries, jobs in research, and jobs retrofitting homes might actually go some way to help regions "level up". I could go on. It won´t all be rosy of course, some measure might require genuine sacrifices - but for many other measure it is more a reset in outlook and what we consider to be the ingredients of a high standard of living.

[Indomitable_Carp]

Just another example of how our failure to implement measures to combat climate change is feeding into the high cost of living:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/aug/10/poorly-insulated-homes-will-spend-almost-1000-more-on-gas-study-says

[thaddeus]

You´re right that with the current crop of politicians we have, then any likely measures might exacerbate many of the other problems in the immediate term. Abolition of "Green Taxes" may well end up being a sad, unneccesary and completely counter-productive strategy.

But as Red-Soldier says, ultimately the climate crisis will exacerbate all of these problems and associated up-front costs ten-fold in the medium-to-long term (and increasingly even in the short term). It really isn´t a choice as such. It is happening. We have to deal with it now. Or deal with it slightly later at a much much higher cost.

And ultimately, many of the measure that might alleviate the climate crisis will also alleviate the problems you have outlined. Breaking with fossil fuels ASAP means breaking with dependence on states like Russia, whilst simultaneously breaking our dependence on fluctuating oil and gas prices, which have done much to contribute to the current cost of living situation. Taking action on Privatised Water Companies who are leaking 25% of our water supplies. Lessening dependence on cars in favour of public transport infratructure, bikes, and greener, less polluted and more livable cities will only lessen the pressure on the NHS through myriad health benefits. Lessening our dependence on industrial-scale meat likewise. Jobs in manufacturing, maintaining and erecting wind turbines, solar panels and batteries, jobs in research, and jobs retrofitting homes might actually go some way to help regions "level up". I could go on. It won´t all be rosy of course, some measure might require genuine sacrifices - but for many other measure it is more a reset in outlook and what we consider to be the ingredients of a high standard of living.

I agree entirely.  I think my initial post may have suggested it was a lower priority for me when it isn't.  When the so-called climate sceptics were still muddying the waters I was all for investing in green technologies to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and those countries with large deposits of them.

I think we've made an OK start since the first wind farm in 1991 but things would be so much better if we'd gone twice or thrice as far in the past 30 years.  I'm sure every penny spent would have been recouped many times over.  If Truss gets her way and the "green taxes" are axed then it's going to slow things down massively and store up more problems.  Unfortunately that short termism is rife throughout all of politics.

When Truss and her ilk badge it as green revolution OR cheap energy bills they're being very misleading.  Given that choice a lot of people - I think a majority - will choose cheap energy bills.  Hopefully Labour don't water down their Green New Deal and do a good job of selling people the benefits of it (as you've eloquently done).

[Red-Soldier]

Firefighters ‘completely unprepared’ for high fire risk in UK, warns union

‘Exceptional’ fire risk in much of England on Sunday when temperature is expected to top 35C for fourth day

The Fire Brigades Union has warned that the UK is “completely unprepared” for the fire risk posed by the latest soaring temperatures, as the Met Office issued its highest warning under its Fire Severity Index.

The “exceptional” red fire risk warning covers much of central of southern England this Sunday, when temperatures are expected to have exceeded 35C for fourth day in a row for the first time since 1976.

During last month’s record-breaking heatwave, scores of homes were destroyed as dozens of blazes broke out.

Riccardo la Torre, national officer for the Fire Brigades Union, has warned that cuts to services across the UK have left fire service unable to deal with a repeat of those scenes.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “These are brutal, brutal fires to fight. The temperature that they burn at, the speed at which they spread at.

“The reality is we’ve been left completely unprepared to do that as a fire and rescue service.

“We’ve had over a fifth of the workforce cut since 2010, that’s over 11,500 firefighters cut. Yet we’re asking them to deal with these extreme weather events in increasing regularity and increasing severity.”

La Torre warned that the lack of preparation threatened the lives of fire officers.

“The professionals on the ground have been warning that these conditions are coming and we very much saw the reality of that in these last few weeks.

“Firefighters have been injured, firefighters have ended up in hospital, we’ve seen families lose their homes, we’ve seen businesses lost, infrastructure burn to the ground, because we simply can’t get to these fires quick enough.

“When we do, we simply don’t have the resources to deal with them adequately.”

Mark Hardingham, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said the fire service was “well prepared” to respond to a high volume of calls.

But in an interview for the Daily Telegraph, he warned that the prolonged dry and hot spell created an “unprecedented” risk of fires.

He said: “I can’t remember a summer like this and I’ve been in the fire service 32 years.”

A Met Office amber extreme heat warning came into force on Thursday and will be in place for the next four days. It covers many parts of southern and central England and part of Wales.

Meanwhile, the trade body representing water companies said a decision on the declaration of an official drought was imminent.

Stuart Colville, director of policy at Water UK, said that it was looking “increasingly inevitable” that the Environment Agency would declare a drought in England.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he added that this would be the “right decision given some of the pressure on the environment that we’re seeing at the moment”.

Several water companies have imposed hosepipe bans or are preparing to do so, and have been criticised for the failure to prevent leaks.

Colville said companies had a “constant battle” to stop water leakage but that the industry was doing “everything possible” to do so.

He said: “Although we are currently seeing the lowest level of leakage on record, it is a constant battle because, particularly in hot, dry conditions, what happens is the soil dries out, cracks, and it moves, and that puts additional pressure on the pipes, and that can cause additional bursts.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/aug/11/firefighters-completely-unprepared-for-high-fire-risk-in-uk-warns-union

[Red-Soldier]

Mass crop failures expected in England as farmers demand hosepipe bans

Leaked documents predict crop failure rates of up to 50% as water companies resist calls to prioritise food production

Experts have warned of widespread crop failures across England, as charities and farmers criticised water companies for dithering over hosepipe bans despite drought being declared across much of the country.

On Friday, the Environment Agency classified eight of the 14 areas of England as being in a drought. Despite this, water companies, including Anglian Water, Southern Water and South West Water have not brought in hosepipe bans. Thames Water said it does not plan to expedite a hosepipe ban expected next week.

Leaked documents seen by the Guardian from a meeting of the National Drought Group show concerning figures about the state of farming in England.

Half of the potato crop is expected to fail as it cannot be irrigated, and even crops that are usually drought-tolerant, such as maize, have been failing.

The group was told “irrigation options are diminishing with reservoirs being emptied fast”, and losses of 10-50% are expected for crops including carrots, onions, sugar beet, apples and hops. Milk production is also down nationally because of a lack of food for cows, and wildfires are putting large areas of farmland at risk.

Farmers are deciding whether to drill crops for next year, and there are concerns that many will decide not to, with dire consequences for the 2023 harvest. Cattle and other livestock are expected to be slaughtered early at lower weights because it is likely farmers will run out of feed for them in winter.

One of the driest areas is East Anglia, which is also home to much of England’s farming, including more than two-thirds of its sugar beet crop and a third of its potato crop.

However, Anglian Water has ruled out a hosepipe ban for this summer, arguing that it has good levels of water in reservoirs.

A spokesperson said: “Today’s declaration of drought across the region we supply serves to underline the seriousness of the situation. But because of the investments we’ve made and the support of our customers, we still do not envisage needing a hosepipe ban in our region this summer.”

But farmers disagree. Tom Bradshaw, the deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said: “We have members who can’t abstract irrigation water but still in East Anglia there is no hosepipe ban. We can’t believe that we aren’t allowed to irrigate to grow the fruit and vegetables the country needs but there is no ban on excessive consumer use.”

He suggested the government should be intervening to make sure that water companies did their part to mitigate the drought. “Defra ministers need to prioritise food production. Feeding people is critically important.

“The minister Steve Double was on the call today and we made it clear to him that we need to plan on there being a dry winter and we need to fill our reservoirs, or next year’s food production could be in the balance. Irrigated vegetables are something a lot of people will be eating; if we don’t have irrigation there will be very low availability [of vegetables].”

Stuart Singleton-White, from the Angling Trust, agreed, saying that chalk streams in East Anglia were facing perhaps irreversible damage due to the dry conditions.

He said: “It’s still not being taken seriously. Take East Anglia: pretty much every chalk stream except the Stiffkey is at exceptionally low levels. They have had next to no rainfall and have some of the most agriculture in the country, so need more water for irrigation. Yet for some reason Anglian Water has not put a hosepipe ban in place. And the drought being announced won’t change that. We are in the position where areas classified as in drought are not putting hosepipe bans in place.”

He has called for a hosepipe ban across the whole drought region: “There are still a number of water companies in the drought area who claim they have enough water and they don’t need to bring in hosepipe bans but that is just going to confuse customers.

“A hosepipe ban across the whole drought region would start to send the right messages about us all playing our part to conserve water.”

The areas under drought measures are Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and south London, Herts and north London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and the east Midlands. The Environment Agency expects a further two areas – Yorkshire and West Midlands – will move into drought later in August.

There was, however, one piece of uplifting news in the meeting: the National Trust told those assembled that while they have had low river flows, ponds drying up and wildfires, there are parts of their land which are “thriving”, with plenty of water – those where they have introduced beavers to create dams and store water.

A Southern Water spokesperson said: “We have restrictions in place in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and nowhere else because resources do not demand it.”

The other water companies have been contacted for comment.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/12/mass-crop-failures-expected-in-england-as-farmers-demand-hosepipe-bans

[Red-Soldier]

Near 500% increase in fires compared to 2021, says fire service

Dorset and Wiltshire fire service says there has been a near 500% increase in wildfires during the first 10 days of August this year compared with 2021.

Jason Moncrieff, area manager for the service, told the BBC’s Today programme:

    It is a massive difference. The first 10 days of August this year versus last year there were 492% more of these types of fires. So that’s field fires, grass fires, heathland fires – all those sorts of fires in the open, a 492% increase this year.

He also said a fire on Friday on the Studland peninsula near Purbeck could have been avoided. He said:

Amazingly, yesterday’s fire looks as though it was started by a disposable barbecue. There can’t be many people in Britain who don’t know the advice at the moment is not to bring a barbecue, do not use a barbecue, especially disposable barbecues at these places such as Studland Heath. That’s our message, bring a picnic - don’t bring a barbecue.

It’s under control, it’s a lot better condition than it was yesterday [but] we’re probably going to be carrying on operations throughout the remainder of the day. How much longer I can’t really tell.

We’ve managed to put in what we call an overland main to provide water to the scene of the operation. We’re in a lot better situation than we were at the end of yesterday.

[Red-Soldier]

Bottled water stations opened in Surrey after issues at treatment works

Residents of Cranleigh faced with empty taps and low pressure as country braved another heatwave

Bottled water stations have been opened in Surrey as residents were left without water due to a technical issue on one of the hottest days of the year.

Many residents woke up to a diminished water supply or low pressure in their taps due to complications at Netley Mill water treatment works, which serves 8,500 properties in Cranleigh and surrounding villages.

Thames Water said it was doing everything it could to resume supplies, but in the meantime had set up three hubs at which local people could pick up bottled water, and would open more if there was demand for it.

It advised that the supplies were for “essential use, like drinking, cooking, and hand washing” and urged people to be considerate, taking only what they needed.

“If you have a neighbour who’s unable to get to a water station, please let us know and we’ll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out,” it added in a statement.

Jeremy C*nt, the MP for South West Surrey, said he had “big concerns” over the water outage, and had contacted Thames Water’s chief executive, Sarah Bentley, on Saturday morning.

Households across postcodes GU5, GU6, RH4, RH5 and RH12 have been affected by the issue, which came one day after a drought was officially declared in eight regions in England.

Welsh Water, Southern Water and South East Water have all imposed hosepipe bans, while Yorkshire Water’s restrictions will be introduced on 26 August.

Thames Water this week admitted that its efforts to curb water wastage are not as effective as it hoped, and it loses more than 635 million litres of water a day.

The company is expected to introduce a hosepipe ban in the coming weeks, hitting 15 million people in London and the surrounding areas.

Increasing temperatures have sparked wildfires across the country, with four fire engines tackling a blaze in Derbyshire on Friday, while firefighters were also called to blazes in east London and Dorset.

The hot weather has prompted the Met Office to issue an amber heat warning as the UK could see temperatures as high as 35 degrees over the weekend.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/aug/13/bottled-water-stations-opened-in-surrey-after-issues-at-treatment-works