postMigrator

UK Climate Change: Agriculture/Wine-making

By postMigrator May 27, 2008 May 27, 2008 Uncategorized

Imperial College London

Public release date: 25-May-2008
Contact:
Danielle Reeves
danielle.reeves@imperial.ac.uk
44-020-759-42198

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” … Selley predicts that … cool and intermediate … varieties
will be confined to
the far north of England … with ‘warm’ and ‘hot’ varieties seen throughout
the midlands and south of England.”
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Research suggests parts of UK could be too hot for wine-making by 2080

Increasing summer temperatures could mean some parts of southern
England are too hot to grow vines for making wine by 2080, according
to a new book launched today (26 May 2008).

The author, Emeritus Professor Richard Selley from Imperial College
London, claims that if average summer temperatures in the UK continue
to rise as predicted, the Thames Valley, parts of Hampshire and the
Severn valley, which currently contain many vineyards, will be too
hot to support wine production within the next 75 years.

Climate and Food Production: Insects vs. Livestock

By postMigrator May 25, 2008 May 25, 2008 RT Newswire

http://sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/32443/title/Insects_%28the_original_white_meat%29>

“For crickets fed diets comparable in quality to the feed given to
conventional Western livestock, diet conversion efficiency is about
twice as high as for broiler chicks and pigs, four times higher than
sheep and nearly six times higher than steers, DeFoliart reports.
Insects’ quick reproduction and high fecundity makes them look even
more environmentally attractive. For the crickets, DeFoliart has
calculated, this translates into “a true food conversion efficiency
close to 20 times better than that of beef.”

Gracer likens these differences to gas-guzzling versus gas-sipping
vehicles: “Cows and pigs are the SUVs of the food world. And
bugs-they’re the Priuses, maybe even bicycles.”

http://sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/32443/title/Insects_%28the_original_white_meat%29>

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Climate Change: Gardeners Growing Lemons in Canada

By postMigrator May 25, 2008 May 25, 2008 RT Newswire

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” … this is just the beginning.”
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Calgary Herald (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Sunday » May 25 » 2008

Lemons in Victoria? Blame it on climate change
Retiree’s garden grows everything from olives to kiwi

Sandra Mcculloch — Canwest News Service
VICTORIA – When climate change hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Retired entomologist Bob Duncan and his wife,
Verna, are growing big, beautiful lemons against
a south-facing wall in his North Saanich, B.C.
backyard, something he couldn’t have done decades
ago when skating on Victoria ponds in winter was
a common occurrence.

News that lemons now flourish here doesn’t
surprise University of Victoria climatologist
Andrew Weaver, who adds that gardeners no longer
need to bring their geraniums inside over winter.

Food Security Requires New Approach to Water

By postMigrator May 25, 2008 May 25, 2008 RT Newswire

Published on Saturday, May 24, 2008 by Inter Press Service

Food Security Requires New Approach to Water
by Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 (IPS) – The ongoing food crisis, characterized by growing shortages and rising prices of staple commodities, has far reaching implications for the world’s scarce water resources, says a new study released here.

“More food is likely to come at a cost of more water use in agriculture,” according to the report titled “Saving Water: From Field to Fork“.

The emerging challenges facing the food sector include growing water scarcity; unacceptably high levels of under-nourishment; the proliferation of people who are overweight or obese; and of food that is lost or wasted in society.