Will Your Family Become Climate Refugees?

[Daisys and Diamonds]

too many people on this planet

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i wish we lived in a kinder more gentle WORLD were it was safe to use our real names

had to fix it !
world !!
i left out world

 

[Brigid]

Geez, that article is extremely naive. Build huge cities in northern latitudes to accommodate huge numbers of migrants from uninhabitable areas? Crowding billions of people in areas where natural resources are currently ok but are not capable of supporting so many people long term will deplete those resources. We have reached the point of non sustainability of our species. Mother earth is starting to shake us off like a dog getting rid of pesky fleas. Perhaps going underground will help for awhile. Like it or not, billions are going to die from lack of food, water, and disease and wars that will occur as people fight over dwindling resources. We've kicked the can down the road too long and now anything we do to fix one problem will create another problem.

I so agree, Mother Nature is not happy with us. The saddest part is that it seems the poorest areas of our earth are impacted the most by her displeasure.

We live in Victoria, Australia we have had some awful bushfires and floods. Thankfully more than a majorly of people and animals have survived, throughout Australia the same has occurred.

 

[Betty Baguette]

Geez, that article is extremely naive. Build huge cities in northern latitudes to accommodate huge numbers of migrants from uninhabitable areas? Crowding billions of people in areas where natural resources are currently ok but are not capable of supporting so many people long term will deplete those resources. We have reached the point of non sustainability of our species. Mother earth is starting to shake us off like a dog getting rid of pesky fleas. Perhaps going underground will help for awhile. Like it or not, billions are going to die from lack of food, water, and disease and wars that will occur as people fight over dwindling resources. We've kicked the can down the road too long and now anything we do to fix one problem will create another problem.

I totally agree @Matata. This part of the article is pure naive hopium IMHO.
Well said!

 

[Betty Baguette]

too many people on this planet

especially in the industrialized world

 

[Betty Baguette]

I so agree, Mother Nature is not happy with us. The saddest part is that it seems the poorest areas of our earth are impacted the most by her displeasure.

We live in Victoria, Australia we have had some awful bushfires and floods. Thankfully more than a majorly of people and animals have survived, throughout Australia the same has occurred.

I almost cried every time I saw stories about the Australian bushfires on the news. Devastating.

 

[Betty Baguette]

I was surprised/shocked that this interview was conducted on mainstream media channel CNN International. It's only about 5 minutes, but wow. :

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/07/25/exp-climate-crisis-disaster-eliot-jacobson-vause-intv-07251aseg1-cnni-world.cnn

 

[SparklieBug]

I read this CNN article on the world's ocean currents and it's very sobering. For everyone. For all living creatures.

 

[Betty Baguette]

I read this CNN article on the world's ocean currents and it's very sobering. For everyone. For all living creatures.

This will bring even more chaos this century. We'll be living in a climate casino.

 

[Betty Baguette]

a shocking tweet from well-known NASA climate scientist and author Peter Kalmus...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1656512546830950400

See new Tweets
Conversation

Peter Kalmus
@ClimateHuman
A few personal notes:
I was just at a NASA team meeting for 3 days in DC. The scientific findings are so ****ed up. Experts on tropical rainforests told me privately that they think the Amazon has already passed its tipping point. Let that sink in. The world needs to know
11:12 PM · May 10, 2023
·
4.1M
Views

 

[Betty Baguette]

I posted twice in case Twitter link doesn't work. ^^^

 

[mrs-b]

One my elective courses in college was a conservation class. I don’t think that class should be an elective anymore; in fact, I think it should be a requirement in grade school now, along with some kind of homestead management coursework.

Ooooooh, this! SO this!

 

[mrs-b]

My DH and I are from Australia and have been in the US over 20 years. I'd dearly love to move back home, but the lack of water there is terrifying. Only last night, in fact, I was looking up states in the US with the most rainfall, and was talking to DH about relocating from MA to CT. FROM MA, for Petes sake! It's way drier and hotter here than it was 50 years ago, and even noticeably different than when we moved here 9 years ago. I do love the fact, tho, that we're liberal heaven - so there's that.

Where we live, tho, the council still allows widespread chopping down of trees. I say this quietly, under my breath, while *wanting* to scream it from the rooftops at the top of my lungs -

Are people f*cking INSANE??

Cutting down TREES?? In THIS climate? Are you NUTS?

First thing we did when we moved here - planted a bunch of "will grow very big" trees. Also when we moved here, these were the 2 houses across the street from us. These photos are from Google maps, which haven't been updated in 11 years, but this is how they still were 9 years ago when we got here:





This is how they look now, as of 5 minutes ago:





The 2 story house, in particular, was filled with big, healthy trees - beautiful, shade giving, bird filled, trees. One day I got up and the tree loppers were here. Over the course of a day we went from lush and green - to Bates' Hotel. I mean, GOD FORBID we should have to RAKE A FEW LEAVES, right??? I sat in my living room, put my head in my hands and cried. It was weeks before I'd walk past it on my daily walks.

Apart from the widespread destruction of beautiful, gentle, living things, the sheer ugliness and environmental stupidity of it is just mind blowing. Some time, if ever you have an hour or two, a plastic face mask to protect yourselves from precipitation, a valium injectable and a stiff drink to give me, feel free to ask me how I REALLY feel. I feel as tho the destruction of trees is the greatest, AVOIDABLE, travesty of our age.

God, we're stupid.

 

[TooPatient]

My DH and I are from Australia and have been in the US over 20 years. I'd dearly love to move back home, but the lack of water there is terrifying. Only last night, in fact, I was looking up states in the US with the most rainfall, and was talking to DH about relocating from MA to CT. FROM MA, for Petes sake! It's way drier and hotter here than it was 50 years ago, and even noticeably different than when we moved here 9 years ago. I do love the fact, tho, that we're liberal heaven - so there's that.

Where we live, tho, the council still allows widespread chopping down of trees. I say this quietly, under my breath, while *wanting* to scream it from the rooftops at the top of my lungs -

Are people f*cking INSANE??

Cutting down TREES?? In THIS climate? Are you NUTS?

First thing we did when we moved here - planted a bunch of "will grow very big" trees. Also when we moved here, these were the 2 houses across the street from us. These photos are from Google maps, which haven't been updated in 11 years, but this is how they still were 9 years ago when we got here:





This is how they look now, as of 5 minutes ago:





The 2 story house, in particular, was filled with big, healthy trees - beautiful, shade giving, bird filled, trees. One day I got up and the tree loppers were here. Over the course of a day we went from lush and green - to Bates' Hotel. I mean, GOD FORBID we should have to RAKE A FEW LEAVES, right??? I sat in my living room, put my head in my hands and cried. It was weeks before I'd walk past it on my daily walks.

Apart from the widespread destruction of beautiful, gentle, living things, the sheer ugliness and environmental stupidity of it is just mind blowing. Some time, if ever you have an hour or two, a plastic face mask to protect yourselves from precipitation, a valium injectable and a stiff drink to give me, feel free to ask me how I REALLY feel. I feel as tho the destruction of trees is the greatest, AVOIDABLE, travesty of our age.

God, we're stupid.

Those trees were beautiful! So sad that people are doing that. It seems like there is a split where people seem to be going more towards pollinators friendly, shade trees, and natural or clean, manicured, and even artificial turf. It is shocking to see so many asking about and encouraging people to skip the grass and have astroturf (or whatever brand) installed. Horrifying!

And here I sit feeling awful that we are going to have to prune a couple of trees (a risk to power lines and safety of the house) and remove a few others (one partially down in a storm and severe risk to anyone who happens to hike through the area and two that someone planted in the middle of the septic drain field). We added a bunch of fruit trees, are allowing wildflowers to grow as much as possible, adding additional native bushes throughout the property, and working to clear invasive species. I try to gift native plants to others when we have to remove any and have taken courses of forest management through our local extension office to recognize diseases and learn how to best promote a healthy native forest area. It isn't expensive to learn these things! (Maybe $35? Some are free.). Glad to say that many in our little area feel the same.

 

[telephone89]

My DH and I are from Australia and have been in the US over 20 years. I'd dearly love to move back home, but the lack of water there is terrifying. Only last night, in fact, I was looking up states in the US with the most rainfall, and was talking to DH about relocating from MA to CT. FROM MA, for Petes sake! It's way drier and hotter here than it was 50 years ago, and even noticeably different than when we moved here 9 years ago. I do love the fact, tho, that we're liberal heaven - so there's that.

Where we live, tho, the council still allows widespread chopping down of trees. I say this quietly, under my breath, while *wanting* to scream it from the rooftops at the top of my lungs -

Are people f*cking INSANE??

Cutting down TREES?? In THIS climate? Are you NUTS?

First thing we did when we moved here - planted a bunch of "will grow very big" trees. Also when we moved here, these were the 2 houses across the street from us. These photos are from Google maps, which haven't been updated in 11 years, but this is how they still were 9 years ago when we got here:





This is how they look now, as of 5 minutes ago:





The 2 story house, in particular, was filled with big, healthy trees - beautiful, shade giving, bird filled, trees. One day I got up and the tree loppers were here. Over the course of a day we went from lush and green - to Bates' Hotel. I mean, GOD FORBID we should have to RAKE A FEW LEAVES, right??? I sat in my living room, put my head in my hands and cried. It was weeks before I'd walk past it on my daily walks.

Apart from the widespread destruction of beautiful, gentle, living things, the sheer ugliness and environmental stupidity of it is just mind blowing. Some time, if ever you have an hour or two, a plastic face mask to protect yourselves from precipitation, a valium injectable and a stiff drink to give me, feel free to ask me how I REALLY feel. I feel as tho the destruction of trees is the greatest, AVOIDABLE, travesty of our age.

God, we're stupid.

I was watching a house hunter episode based in Atlanta. They ended up buying a house with a TON of beautiful mature trees around it. The wife said there was too many bugs so they basically clear cut their entire lot. I looked at it and just thought that their AC bill just doubled. They lost such beauty because.. a few bugs? So sad for their neighbourhood.

 

[mrs-b]

I was watching a house hunter episode based in Atlanta. They ended up buying a house with a TON of beautiful mature trees around it. The wife said there was too many bugs so they basically clear cut their entire lot. I looked at it and just thought that their AC bill just doubled. They lost such beauty because.. a few bugs? So sad for their neighbourhood.

Morons.

 

[Lookinagain]

I have wetlands behind my house so there is a buffer zone into my back yard. I have tons of trees and can't remove them without a permit, not that I'd remove them unless they were going to fall. But across the road, where they aren't on wetlands, they have taken down a lot of trees. Very few large ones in the front yards. I've never known or understood what the motivation was.

 

[Slickk]

I’ll play devils advocate here, even though I love me some trees! Love!
When we purchased our home many years ago, the overgrown trees were encroaching on and splitting up our driveway and house foundation. Admittedly, we had to take some trees down, especially since we were spending a lot to resurface the driveway and repair the home.
I think the key to trees and all plantings is maintenance maintenance maintenance.
I never understand new home communities taking all the mature trees out just to plant smaller specimens. I suppose it’s because it’s easier to build on a vacant lot.

 

[Betty Baguette]

I totally agree with you @mrs-b @TooPatient @telephone89 and @Lookinagain about the morons who want to rip down beautiful, healthy, life-giving trees for stupid reasons.

One of my favorite trips of all time was to Muir Woods. I didn't want to leave.:

Muir Woods National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908, this primeval forest is both refuge and laboratory, revealing our relationship with the living...

www.nps.gov

And you're right @Slickk , you gotta do the maintenance. Some people are just too lazy I guess.

 

[Betty Baguette]

My DH and I are from Australia and have been in the US over 20 years. I'd dearly love to move back home, but the lack of water there is terrifying. Only last night, in fact, I was looking up states in the US with the most rainfall, and was talking to DH about relocating from MA to CT. FROM MA, for Petes sake! It's way drier and hotter here than it was 50 years ago, and even noticeably different than when we moved here 9 years ago. I do love the fact, tho, that we're liberal heaven - so there's that.

Where we live, tho, the council still allows widespread chopping down of trees. I say this quietly, under my breath, while *wanting* to scream it from the rooftops at the top of my lungs -

Are people f*cking INSANE??

Cutting down TREES?? In THIS climate? Are you NUTS?

First thing we did when we moved here - planted a bunch of "will grow very big" trees. Also when we moved here, these were the 2 houses across the street from us. These photos are from Google maps, which haven't been updated in 11 years, but this is how they still were 9 years ago when we got here:





This is how they look now, as of 5 minutes ago:





The 2 story house, in particular, was filled with big, healthy trees - beautiful, shade giving, bird filled, trees. One day I got up and the tree loppers were here. Over the course of a day we went from lush and green - to Bates' Hotel. I mean, GOD FORBID we should have to RAKE A FEW LEAVES, right??? I sat in my living room, put my head in my hands and cried. It was weeks before I'd walk past it on my daily walks.

Apart from the widespread destruction of beautiful, gentle, living things, the sheer ugliness and environmental stupidity of it is just mind blowing. Some time, if ever you have an hour or two, a plastic face mask to protect yourselves from precipitation, a valium injectable and a stiff drink to give me, feel free to ask me how I REALLY feel. I feel as tho the destruction of trees is the greatest, AVOIDABLE, travesty of our age.

God, we're stupid.

Wow, @mrs-b, I can't believe there's such a difference in rainfall between MA and CT!

Long term, the areas around the Great Lakes might be the best bet for secure water sources. But of course there are other climate issues here that you may not have in MA/CT.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

My DH and I are from Australia and have been in the US over 20 years. I'd dearly love to move back home, but the lack of water there is terrifying. Only last night, in fact, I was looking up states in the US with the most rainfall, and was talking to DH about relocating from MA to CT. FROM MA, for Petes sake! It's way drier and hotter here than it was 50 years ago, and even noticeably different than when we moved here 9 years ago. I do love the fact, tho, that we're liberal heaven - so there's that.

Where we live, tho, the council still allows widespread chopping down of trees. I say this quietly, under my breath, while *wanting* to scream it from the rooftops at the top of my lungs -

Are people f*cking INSANE??

Cutting down TREES?? In THIS climate? Are you NUTS?

First thing we did when we moved here - planted a bunch of "will grow very big" trees. Also when we moved here, these were the 2 houses across the street from us. These photos are from Google maps, which haven't been updated in 11 years, but this is how they still were 9 years ago when we got here:





This is how they look now, as of 5 minutes ago:





The 2 story house, in particular, was filled with big, healthy trees - beautiful, shade giving, bird filled, trees. One day I got up and the tree loppers were here. Over the course of a day we went from lush and green - to Bates' Hotel. I mean, GOD FORBID we should have to RAKE A FEW LEAVES, right??? I sat in my living room, put my head in my hands and cried. It was weeks before I'd walk past it on my daily walks.

Apart from the widespread destruction of beautiful, gentle, living things, the sheer ugliness and environmental stupidity of it is just mind blowing. Some time, if ever you have an hour or two, a plastic face mask to protect yourselves from precipitation, a valium injectable and a stiff drink to give me, feel free to ask me how I REALLY feel. I feel as tho the destruction of trees is the greatest, AVOIDABLE, travesty of our age.

God, we're stupid.

It's interesting you say that, we were just talking last night and it's a very scary prospect that our state up here with more trees than people will be a target that people will want to come to. A haven. To destroy. Why we don't have expansion here is because we refuse to destroy our environment. We still have a choice, as of now. We don't know realistically how long that will last. We already have corporations continually scheming ways to trick us to steal our water. We are stubborn and mostly we just say no. And then guard. We have another lesser known nickname, the Saudi Arabia of water. We're scared about when they'll come for us. Not if. When. They circle like vultures.
The corridor for power to MA that the majority of Maine voted NO on, is still happening, against our will, because the counties in which it lays were bought off. A couple million dollars for an ugly dead strip through our state- and we won't benefit or get any power from it. Forever.
We can't support more than we have now. We don't have the infrastructure. We're afraid and we should be.

 

[Betty Baguette]

It's interesting you say that, we were just talking last night and it's a very scary prospect that our state up here with more trees than people will be a target that people will want to come to. A haven. To destroy. Why we don't have expansion here is because we refuse to destroy our environment. We still have a choice, as of now. We don't know realistically how long that will last. We already have corporations continually scheming ways to trick us to steal our water. We are stubborn and mostly we just say no. And then guard. We have another lesser known nickname, the Saudi Arabia of water. We're scared about when they'll come for us. Not if. When. They circle like vultures.
The corridor for power to MA that the majority of Maine voted NO on, is still happening, against our will, because the counties in which it lays were bought off. A couple million dollars for an ugly dead strip through our state- and we won't benefit or get any power from it. Forever.
We can't support more than we have now. We don't have the infrastructure. We're afraid and we should be.

I had never heard of this corridor, but I just read this article about it:

Work on corridor to bring power to Massachusetts restarts in Maine

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Construction in Maine will resume this week on an electricity transmission project bringing Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid despite a half-billion dollar cost

www.eagletribune.com

 

[monarch64]

I’ll play devils advocate here, even though I love me some trees! Love!
When we purchased our home many years ago, the overgrown trees were encroaching on and splitting up our driveway and house foundation. Admittedly, we had to take some trees down, especially since we were spending a lot to resurface the driveway and repair the home.
I think the key to trees and all plantings is maintenance maintenance maintenance.
I never understand new home communities taking all the mature trees out just to plant smaller specimens. I suppose it’s because it’s easier to build on a vacant lot.

There are a ton of reasons people remove existing trees. I know a guy who convinced his neighbors to remove their (very) mature trees so they could all install solar panels. I’ve lived in neighborhoods where giant limbs have fallen across power lines, blocked streets, been totally uprooted and laid against homes or worse, fallen on top of them. Trees are lovely until they become liabilities.

A bigger focus should be on preventing the spread of invasive species (I’m looking at YOU, Bradford Pear trees) and educating the public on tree diseases, how to spot them and control them so they don’t spread. How do we accomplish this? Most land grant (Extension) universities in the US offer Master Gardening courses and the participants are required to volunteer a certain amount of hours working within their communities to educate the public to gain their certifications. Part of that education includes what they learn about trees. It’s a wonderful program and is an amazing way to get involved if you’re so inclined.

My family’s land is thoroughly wooded, about 60 acres. Still, every time a storm takes out a tree my mother gets really upset. It’s like losing a member of the family when you’ve lived in a place for so long. Trees my brother and I played on/around when we were kids grew, matured, and sadly were either struck by lightning or were blown down by strong storms or tornadoes, or simply aged out. The driveway leading up to the house is 1/4 mile long, lined with giant poplar trees, many of which succumbed to disease over the years. All you can do is remove them and replant more somewhere else.

 

[Betty Baguette]

I just discovered the nonprofit American Resiliency:

Climate Forecasts for a Resilient America - American Resiliency

America’s unique ways of life are tied to land, people, and culture. These ways of life face existential threats in a changing world. In a changing world, your community needs someone who will listen. What does your community want to be in America 2100? American Resiliency envisions an America...

www.americanresiliency.org

They've put out climate forecast (including USDA plant hardiness zone predictions) videos for every state/region in the U.S. There are lots of other climate videos, including how to choose a climate destination, choosing plants for climate change, etc. Good stuff. Here are a couple of examples:

 

[Brigid]

I almost cried every time I saw stories about the Australian bushfires on the news. Devastating.

Thanks @Betty Baguette for caring!
We don’t live regionally we’re in Melbourne but my parents, close friends and our other property is in regional Victoria.
Bushfires are a part of living in Australia along with draught which mostly occurs in our hottest areas; predominantly in the central & top areas of Australia.
Australia is definitely getting hotter, thankfully we don’t have any water supply issues.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

an update on the place i was born and raised
seems a lot of talk and slow on action but its something

Options for South D revealed

Designing roads and parks to be floodable, elevating land, waterproofing the ground floor of buildings and restricting development have been...

www.odt.co.nz

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

a more hopeful report into the fate of my part of my home town

Groundwater study boosts South Dunedin confidence

An in-depth study of groundwater has boosted confidence South Dunedin can manage the impact of sea-level rise for decades. However, challenges will...

www.odt.co.nz

also hopefully this will help

Dunedin City Council confirmed as buyer of Forbury Park

www.hrnz.co.nz

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

"South D is a fabulous spot,” Rowe says. “It’s flat, it’s sunny and close to awesome amenities, services and infrastructure, and it’s great for accessibility, too. A lot of people have deep connections to the place for multiple generations, so you can’t just up and leave. I think that would be a failure. This is what the programme’s all about. How do you enable a change in a way that’s gradual, planned, reflects what people want and value most, and is calibrated in a way that stays ahead of this changing environment but doesn’t get ahead of people’s appetite for change. But if we do nothing, the water will change it for us.”

Fight or flight: An old suburb and the sea

South Dunedin is home to the country’s largest low-lying community, with 2700 homes less than 50cm above the high-tide line. As the sea level creeps up, its 13,500 residents are waiting to see whether they have a future, or whether the suburb will be reclaimed by the waves. By George Driver

northandsouth.co.nz

im getting a little tired of South Dunedin being portrayed as a bit of a slum admitadly we lived in a nicer part, actually at the end of the street was the storm water pumping station,(very nicely landscaped) my friends dad worked there and it was where the temp was taken for Dunedin at 3pm just as the sea breeze cooled everything down but that breeze kept the freeze away come the winter