Go Back   English Forum Switzerland > Off-Topic > Off-Topic > International affairs/politics  
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08.04.2019, 08:24
slammer's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Lummerland
Posts: 5,656
Groaned at 235 Times in 156 Posts
Thanked 10,533 Times in 4,121 Posts
slammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond repute
The end is nigh.

There was an interesting report on the news yesterday…
It stated that in 2018 there was a minus of 30.000.000 tons of grain world-wide due to drought, over farming, crops grown for fuel and crops grown for meat production and of course the big one: Climate change. Either it´s a blip in global food production or the beginning of the end.
It looks like the winter of 2018/19 was far too warm and dry, in some local areas there was a lot of snow but not enough to be of much use to the water supply. There was also another report a few days earlier that areas in the north of Spain and central France are predicted to be heavily hit by drought this year. Add that to the traditional dry areas of Europe and things are not looking too good.


It puts things like the great wall of Trump or Brexit into perspective methinks.
__________________
Back in Bavaria, god´s own belly button.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08.04.2019, 08:28
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
It puts things like the great wall of Trump or Brexit into perspective methinks.
Bad commute this morning?
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08.04.2019, 08:42
st2lemans's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lugano
Posts: 33,510
Groaned at 2,862 Times in 2,005 Posts
Thanked 40,800 Times in 19,268 Posts
st2lemans has a reputation beyond reputest2lemans has a reputation beyond reputest2lemans has a reputation beyond reputest2lemans has a reputation beyond reputest2lemans has a reputation beyond reputest2lemans has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Isn't the End this Friday?

Tom
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08.04.2019, 08:44
slammer's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Lummerland
Posts: 5,656
Groaned at 235 Times in 156 Posts
Thanked 10,533 Times in 4,121 Posts
slammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
Bad commute this morning?
As every morning.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08.04.2019, 08:47
slammer's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Lummerland
Posts: 5,656
Groaned at 235 Times in 156 Posts
Thanked 10,533 Times in 4,121 Posts
slammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
Isn't the End this Friday?

Tom
Maybe, but perhaps definitely not totally sure if it could possibly happen or not.
Reply With Quote
This user would like to thank slammer for this useful post:
  #6  
Old 08.04.2019, 09:26
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Re: The end is nigh.

Deep fried insects for lunch followed by a cockroach kebab for tea it is, then!
Reply With Quote
This user would like to thank for this useful post:
  #7  
Old 08.04.2019, 09:49
amogles's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Zurich
Posts: 12,361
Groaned at 337 Times in 273 Posts
Thanked 26,263 Times in 11,000 Posts
amogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

There was still plenty of rain in 2018 but it fell mostly at the wrong time and thus didn't benefit the crops. The up side is that this is pushing up the price of grain which is good for the farmers who are still making it.

There may have to be a shift towards more drought-tolerant varieties. Or more imports from areas not so affected.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08.04.2019, 09:56
Forum Veteran
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Zurich
Posts: 1,235
Groaned at 107 Times in 64 Posts
Thanked 2,069 Times in 688 Posts
Busby has a reputation beyond reputeBusby has a reputation beyond reputeBusby has a reputation beyond reputeBusby has a reputation beyond reputeBusby has a reputation beyond reputeBusby has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

We'll have to eat cake.
Reply With Quote
The following 8 users would like to thank Busby for this useful post:
  #9  
Old 08.04.2019, 10:01
slammer's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Lummerland
Posts: 5,656
Groaned at 235 Times in 156 Posts
Thanked 10,533 Times in 4,121 Posts
slammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
There was still plenty of rain in 2018 but it fell mostly at the wrong time and thus didn't benefit the crops. The up side is that this is pushing up the price of grain which is good for the farmers who are still making it.

There may have to be a shift towards more drought-tolerant varieties. Or more imports from areas not so affected.
There was enough rain, just enough, but the tendency is heading downwards, IF (a big if) the summer of 19/20/21 etc. is consistent with 17 and 18 then we could be looking at a real problem.
Reply With Quote
This user would like to thank slammer for this useful post:
  #10  
Old 08.04.2019, 10:06
Blueangel's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Küsnacht, Switzerland
Posts: 4,276
Groaned at 131 Times in 115 Posts
Thanked 11,526 Times in 5,023 Posts
Blueangel has a reputation beyond reputeBlueangel has a reputation beyond reputeBlueangel has a reputation beyond reputeBlueangel has a reputation beyond reputeBlueangel has a reputation beyond reputeBlueangel has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
Deep fried insects for lunch followed by a cockroach kebab for tea it is, then!
Available at your local Migros https://migusto.migros.ch/de/topfges...ten-zum-znacht
Reply With Quote
The following 2 users would like to thank Blueangel for this useful post:
  #11  
Old 08.04.2019, 10:19
Troublawesome's Avatar
Forum Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Zug
Posts: 1,111
Groaned at 247 Times in 144 Posts
Thanked 1,196 Times in 527 Posts
Troublawesome is considered knowledgeableTroublawesome is considered knowledgeableTroublawesome is considered knowledgeable
Re: The end is nigh.

Technology will step in and provide solutions long before it becomes a huge problem.


Population on Earth also started to cool off and go down as well. I guess we'll be fine, can't say the same for our children though.
Reply With Quote
This user would like to thank Troublawesome for this useful post:
  #12  
Old 08.04.2019, 10:30
slammer's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Lummerland
Posts: 5,656
Groaned at 235 Times in 156 Posts
Thanked 10,533 Times in 4,121 Posts
slammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
Technology will step in and provide solutions long before it becomes a huge problem.


Population on Earth also started to cool off and go down as well. I guess we'll be fine, can't say the same for our children though.
Oodles and oodles of yonks ago when Slammer still went to school the conclusion of one of the topics was that this generation (1970ties) will be the last of the "good" generations after which there will be terminal decline.
Teacher said then that: "Technology will step in and provide solutions long before it becomes a huge problem!"
Ok, so where is all this brand spanking new technology that will solve all our problems?
Reply With Quote
This user would like to thank slammer for this useful post:
  #13  
Old 08.04.2019, 10:47
gaburko's Avatar
Forum Veteran
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BL
Posts: 1,282
Groaned at 235 Times in 170 Posts
Thanked 4,606 Times in 1,741 Posts
gaburko has a reputation beyond reputegaburko has a reputation beyond reputegaburko has a reputation beyond reputegaburko has a reputation beyond reputegaburko has a reputation beyond reputegaburko has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
and of course the big one: Climate change. Either it´s a blip in global food production or the beginning of the end.
Don't worry too much. Yes, certain places will suffer from agriculture point of view and no amount of technology can come up to save them that quickly. However, other places will flourish. Russia is already a behemoth on the world grain production scene, they are quite sophisticated and advanced. Global warming will open up millions of hectares of agriculture land. Your bread is safe
Reply With Quote
This user would like to thank gaburko for this useful post:
  #14  
Old 08.04.2019, 11:07
BasP72's Avatar
Forum Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Adliswil (close to Zurich)
Posts: 1,941
Groaned at 89 Times in 43 Posts
Thanked 1,795 Times in 858 Posts
BasP72 has a reputation beyond reputeBasP72 has a reputation beyond reputeBasP72 has a reputation beyond reputeBasP72 has a reputation beyond reputeBasP72 has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
Teacher said then that: "Technology will step in and provide solutions long before it becomes a huge problem!"
Ok, so where is all this brand spanking new technology that will solve all our problems?
Your teacher was basically saying to Google it.
Reply With Quote
This user would like to thank BasP72 for this useful post:
  #15  
Old 08.04.2019, 11:15
slammer's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Lummerland
Posts: 5,656
Groaned at 235 Times in 156 Posts
Thanked 10,533 Times in 4,121 Posts
slammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond reputeslammer has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
Don't worry too much. Yes, certain places will suffer from agriculture point of view and no amount of technology can come up to save them that quickly. However, other places will flourish. Russia is already a behemoth on the world grain production scene, they are quite sophisticated and advanced. Global warming will open up millions of hectares of agriculture land. Your bread is safe
Actually Russia is melting, the permafrost is thawing out releasing gigatons of methene. Gonna get hot round here.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 08.04.2019, 11:23
Ato Ato is offline
Forum Veteran
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: ZH
Posts: 2,190
Groaned at 39 Times in 35 Posts
Thanked 4,398 Times in 1,762 Posts
Ato has a reputation beyond reputeAto has a reputation beyond reputeAto has a reputation beyond reputeAto has a reputation beyond reputeAto has a reputation beyond reputeAto has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
Your teacher was basically saying to Google it.
Well it beats the old maths teachers saying "you won't be walking around with a calculator in your pocket".
Reply With Quote
The following 3 users would like to thank Ato for this useful post:
  #17  
Old 08.04.2019, 11:32
amogles's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Zurich
Posts: 12,361
Groaned at 337 Times in 273 Posts
Thanked 26,263 Times in 11,000 Posts
amogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
View Post
Actually Russia is melting, the permafrost is thawing out releasing gigatons of methene. Gonna get hot round here.
Methene is another name for methylene.

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Methene

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylene_(compound)

and doesn't even get a mention on Wikipedia's article on greenhouse gases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas

Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 08.04.2019, 11:36
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: na
Posts: 11,949
Groaned at 38 Times in 34 Posts
Thanked 28,859 Times in 8,837 Posts
meloncollie has a reputation beyond reputemeloncollie has a reputation beyond reputemeloncollie has a reputation beyond reputemeloncollie has a reputation beyond reputemeloncollie has a reputation beyond reputemeloncollie has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Quote:
Deep fried insects for lunch followed by a cockroach kebab for tea it is, then!
Ja, aber:

Increasing concern over declining insect populations:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...ade-180971474/

And a more nuanced discussion:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...nderstand-why/
Reply With Quote
The following 2 users would like to thank meloncollie for this useful post:
  #19  
Old 08.04.2019, 11:42
amogles's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Zurich
Posts: 12,361
Groaned at 337 Times in 273 Posts
Thanked 26,263 Times in 11,000 Posts
amogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond reputeamogles has a reputation beyond repute
Re: The end is nigh.

Good article this one.

I have for many years been doing my part to help insects. Compost heap in the garden. A couple of old logs stacked up. Wild flowers. All things that help in a small way.
Reply With Quote
The following 2 users would like to thank amogles for this useful post:
  #20  
Old 08.04.2019, 11:44
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Re: The end is nigh.

Well well well, we're all still hear and it's already lunchtime !
Reply With Quote
Reply




Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Is this the end of Britain? Deep Purple International affairs/politics 2 26.06.2013 16:29
The end is near... for the Euro? (Swiss bank safety deposit boxes being all booked) CorsebouTheReturn Finance/banking/taxation 4 26.06.2012 23:08
The end of the world is near Ittigen Daily life 48 11.09.2011 19:19
End of Dollar is nigh? Wasted International affairs/politics 0 17.01.2011 17:43


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 11:33.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2023, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
LinkBacks Enabled by vBSEO 3.1.0