this week, our gov. declared a state
of emergency in 9 counties; one town’s mayor called the floods worse than the “big one” in 1993 here, farther east, waves of rain -- highs normal; lows 10 f > (that dern humidity -- it’s not the anthropocene, it’s the humidicene -- more heat = more evap) meanwhile: big one in w. india: cyclone tauktae rips loose oil barges from moorings: 81 humans unaccounted for; 160 roads in gujurat destroyed, 40k trees uprooted; 200k human beings evac’d (200,000) . . . ; winds 130 mph; swells, 25 ft; Mumbai spared direct hit, but 8.43” rain in 12 hrs (wettest day ever in may); the arabian sea had maybe 2 weak cyclones/year — until now "now what is happening — the arabian sea temperatures, the ocean's surface temperatures -- are warming rapidly,” sez the climate scientist; & the seas absorb most of the heat; & when they're full . . . & in lake charles, louisiana, another 100-year flood this year: 12-15” rain in 12 hrs. monday; mayor sez: “you know, eventually you do kind of get to a point where you ask mother nature: what more can you do to us?” mother nature: “plenty, bub.” taiwan in worst drought ever: chipmakers asked to cut water use by 17%; they’re pumping wells now — reservoirs < 5% & in n. california, produce farmers stop planting produce: < 5% usual water supply; “calif. grows ⅓ of the country’s vegetables and ⅔ of the country’s fruits and nuts,” bloomberg sez helpfully. if dry weather hampers the produce powerhouse, that could add to the food inflation that’s already starting to grip the u.s. post-pandemic economy.” & gripping the world-wide during- climate-chaos economy, one might add . . . in s.w. siberia, 148k acres aflame; temps in 90s f expected (moscow already there; our highs still in the 70s) more serious for us u.s.americans: coffee supply at risk! see, brazil’s ag heartland had a rainless rainy season, & they’re the largest exporter, so . . . (meanwhile, amazon rises near manaus to “near record levels”) (& even new jersey has wildfires: 1000 acres on fire at j. shore on mon.) & then there’s this: susidence. “hotter and drier summers being driven by global heating mean the ground under houses will shrink and crack” in s.e. england, say the scientists; “the clay formations underlying them are most vulnerable to losing moisture”; here, in another clayey region, we’re used to hairline cracks & slightly wompy floors. “it’s advisable for those living in an area showing an increased susceptibility under future climate conditions to seek specialist advice before starting any major building work,” the geological engineer drily states this, just as realtors push our city to expand the city limits to build “affordable” housing; 2.4 m homes will sink in england by 2030; £3bn in losses over last decade the stuff you don’t think about, the stuff you don’t want to think about
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June 2021
Kristin Prevallet Author/Editor
I'm a writer & teacher in Lawrence, Kansas who actually believes the scientists. I wrote a book of poems called Of Some Sky that seems to have something to do with all this. |