La Nina: Met predicts a cooler year...

Okay, so met. experts predict a cooler year and we may get our feet wet again but the general trend is still warmer -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/10/eaclimate110.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox


Africa is set to have 250 million people threatened with sustained drought and likely to want to relocate...

The oil price is going through the roof, so jet fuel is becoming more expensive...

That means supermarket fresh cut flowers and luscious vegetables from Kenya will be pretty pricey because the supermarkets have undercut our own growers and they've all gone out of business... And the 250million drought victims will probably have eaten the vegetables anyway... That is if Kenya hasn't gone to Hell in a hand-basket in an attempt to catch up with the rest of Africa...

So, what happens when this all kicks in? Cue the Two Johns!

'Well, Minister; and what are you going to do about the food crisis?'

'Dig for Vict.. Oh, er, sorry, we can't do that anymore; the allotments have got executive homes on them and we've got high density housing on the wheat fields... Pity about the developments in Norfolk but now we've flooded that area they'll make wonderful artificial reefs!'

'Hmm, but what about the rest of Norfolk?'

'Well, it rather looks as though we'll have to knock it all down. Shouldn't get too much trouble from the residents; they've all defaulted on their mortgages... Some of the camps are really quite comfortable and it keeps all the trouble in one pla... it makes it easier to administer...'

'Yes, but that really doesn't answer the question about how you're going to return all the arable land, that you've built upon, back into food production! It could take up to sixty years before the ground could be re-established to its former productivity...'

Well, that really is a question for the farmers; I'm merely the Minister for Agriculture- you don't honestly expect me to know anything about all that dirt and grimy toil, do you?'

'Ahh, but that's the problem, you see, Minister. The last known remaining farmer committed suicide two years ago.'

'Oh, b*gger! ..Er, tell me; do you know anything about horses, you see we haven't got any fuel for tractors - have to keep enough for the official jet - just in case things get sticky - know what I mean?'

'Yes, Minister!'

 

A scarily unfunny scenario.

Our pig farmers are slaughtering their stocks because its costs more to feed them than they receive from the supermarkets.

Our dairy farmers are going out of business because supermarkets can import milk and dairy produce cheaper than they can produce it.

It costs sheep farmers twice as much to shear a sheep as the money they receive for the wool from the British Wool Marketing Board.

Arable farmers are growing bio-ethanol crops for fuel instead of grain for food production.

Absolutely BARKING MAD.

This country is neither energy or food sufficient.....

Sadly it will probably all end in tears.... Unfortunately it will probably be ours.

Will our "EU Partners" still provide food and energy to the UK at the detriment of their own populace?

Do we have the military capability to protect our overseas energy and food supply routes if it comes to the crunch?

JB

 

I tell you what's half-wrong with your statement above. It removes any personal responsibility. Although the supermarkets manipulate demand, it's the Great British Public that insist on buying the cheapest possible mechanically reclaimed sausages, want cheap dairy products etc etc.

 

The real reason for the cooler weather is that I've just finished building my patio. It was bound to cool off.

Sorry 'bout that.

 

Will our EU partners help.

Too late the Ities voted against the NUC option after Cernobil.

So nuc fuel for Italy so they import all their power (a lot of ) fro France . Who produce it in NUC power stations.

When this smelly does hit the fan the Itis have first dibs from the Frogs.

UK has no new NUC and it will take 20 odd years to get them up and running - if they start building NOW that is.

 

Interesting take on this from one Jo Abbess from the aptly named CACC, who got the Beeb to change their article on global cooling see the report HERE and her smug posting HERE.

 

True, but how many people understand what personal responsibility actually is?

Present company on this forum excepted but most consumers wouldn't recognise personal responsibility if it leapt up in front of them and gave them a meaningful kick in the testicles.

I may change my nickname to Cassandra because I can see a great lake of tears being shed on this account, perhaps not in the immediate future but still not too far down the line.

Our grandchildren will curse us for being greedy b*stards who, by neglecting our responsibilities, left our fate in the hands of greater and more irresponsible fools and knaves!

Edited for emphasis!

 

Couldn't agree more. I'm just tired of hearing about the great evil of the supermarkets. I don't like them, and infact am now 6 months Tesco-free, but they work within the trading framework and laws of the land.

I would love to see a more Gallic attitude amongst our shoppers with respect to using British and local produce. I don't think it will happen though, which means the state needs to intervene and change the framework the supermarkets operate in.

There is no doubt that climate changes, and in potentially turbulent years ahead I am staggered that energy and food sufficiency isn't the top of the list of "green" objectives.