If you are suffering the effects of extreme heat or drought, I hope you will have some respite soon. Strangely, for many of my family and friends in Europe including the Netherlands and the UK, it has not felt to be exceptionally hot, though I have heard from the Netherlands that the lack of rainfall is becoming serious.
The impact of sensationalist reporting, and in particular the trend this year to report surface temperatures rather than air temperatures (something I don't recall from previous years) is quite interesting. For those not experiencing it, it inures people to extreme headlines. If every article is about how exceptional it is, people cease to think that it is exceptional. For those who are experiencing extreme heat, it is probably little solace to see it being endlessly repeated.
Wildfires in Canada have been particularly severe in number and extent this year, as many of you in North America will be able to attest either from the fires themselves, or from the smoke that has affected so much of both Canada and the US since spring. As the article linked makes clear, while this fire season is extreme, fire itself is not exceptional and has in fact played a role in the evolution of those boreal forests.
However, when combined with prolonged drought and lightning storms, the effects are much more pronounced than in an average year. It may not be the first time the US has seen smoke from Canadian wildfires, but it is the most extensive. We should not underestimate the role of grazing in reducing fuel load, and its ability to reduce the extent and intensity of wildfires.
If you haven't seen it yet, I strongly recommend the film Too Close to Home: "With the rise of devastating and intense fire events in British Columbia, it is clear that wildfire mitigation strategies are urgently needed. After witnessing first-hand how grazing can impact fire behavior, ranchers, researchers and municipalities have come together to collaborate on a series of pilot projects utilizing cattle to reduce fire risk adjacent to urban communities."
Here in the Southern Hemisphere it is, of course, winter. Certainly New Zealand has had its share of severe weather events over the past year (farmers are still battling with the after effects of cyclone Gabrielle in February). So far winter has been mild for most of the country, with elevated sea surface temperatures. As we are seeing a transition from La Niña conditions to El Niño, we can probably expect a drier year to come than the one past. For those of you familiar with NZ, I was amazed to see that the West Coast has been one of the sunniest regions in the country this year. That is certainly not normal!
All of these things directly impact food producers, so weather extremes and their knock-on effects are felt keenly by farmers and ranchers. I sometimes wonder what the wider public thinks, other than the inconvenience factors or energy bills that result. Will the relentless coverage actually galvanise governments into more collaboration and cooperation towards action on climate change?
After 27 CoPs, and the 28th coming in an oil state, should we still have faith in these processes to bring about real change? Despite what oil companies want consumers to think, the actions that count have to come from governments. Tinkering at the margins of economies while continuing massive support to and profit from fossil fuel industries will not achieve a reduction in emissions. Emissions have increased every year since CoP started.
Global fossil fuel subsidies were $5.9 trillion (ie. 5.9 million million or 5.9 x1012 ,) 6.8% of global GDP in 2020, and are set to rise to 7.4% of GDP in 2025.
That money, in some cases, goes to supporting developing economies. We must recognise the right of lower income countries to develop, so in 2015 in Paris, high income countries promised $100 billion a year to developing countries to help transition away from fossil fuels.
That money (1.7% of current annual fossil fuel subsidies) has never materialised, so hope for the Loss and Damage Fund, proudly announced at CoP 27 in Egypt, seems forlorn.
I think while we must remain involved in the discussions, primarily to present evidence that the beef industry is doing its part, as all industries must, but we cannot make the difference needed against rising fossil fuel extraction.
We must also present why livestock production is central to healthy and sustainable food systems, and what can be done to adapt to the changing climate. This is the area where all food producers need to focus, because without adaptation, food supply will become more and more difficult. The impacts will be felt first in those most vulnerable countries and will continue to spread.
Our world has faced constant change during its evolution. If you are interested in the impacts of variations in climate throughout history, I can highly recommend Peter Frankopan's book The Earth Transformed. It is fascinating to view the rise and fall of empires through the lens of changes brought about by volcanic eruptions, solar activity, floods and droughts as well as links between commerce and pandemics. Adapting to change has been a hallmark of successful cultures throughout the ages, and there are valuable lessons for us to learn from how they did so.
