xtsho
Well-Known Member
Yes man has messed things up. Climate change is cyclical and has been happening forever. But these recent rapid changes in the ocean temperature and other indicators are not normal and are tied directly to man.That makes sense around moving them. We have a whole "edible garden" thing going on in our yard, we still have some cherries in trees, young figs, lots of blueberries, it's all spread out and there is no way we can cover it. We'll cover the young vegetable garden part, and I'll cover the girls, and from there we'll hope for the best.
Back in 2009 I took several classes in system science that were designed to explain the fundamental causes and interactions which precipitate climate change, in a way non-scientists could understand. That this is happening is not a mystery, that most people didn't want to believe it, I suppose is understandable. Humans fucked things up, we should own that. Or not, it's happening regardless.
In the mean time, we'll watch what it does to our plants. So far the best thing I've done was to wrap the pots in reflective insulation, when I reach in and touch the outside of the pots they are cool even in full sun.
Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to grow mangoes in a few years right here in Portland.
My tayberries have experienced about a 10% waste factor from berries that were too exposed to the sun. They're basically cooked. All mushy and worthless but not ripe enough to pull off the vine. Lots of crops traditionally grown in this region are not happy with the climate we've been having.
It's probably too early to pull the trigger but changing agricultural crops to warmer climate crops could be a gamble that pays off for those that take the risk. If my Okra thrives it would not be good news for those growing the traditional crops for this region. I worry about the apple and pear orchards in places like Hood River that don't like growing in desert conditions. Fortunately Oregon has a good amount of water and we have the Columbia River so irrigating in some areas isn't as dire as some places across the SW and California.
All I know is that the Weather Channel is nonstop talking about the heat coming to Portland and they never mention this part of the country because our weather is so temperate and mild so it's obviously going to be bad.
I have the window air conditioners and a portable I might need to use as additional relief. We'll be living in one room of the house for a few days.