#Impact of Climate Change

[reasonsofclimatechange]

Impact of Monsoon Patterns on Indian Agriculture Under Climate Change

Introduction

Monsoons are the lifeblood of Indian agriculture, providing essential rainfall for crop cultivation. However, climate change is altering monsoon patterns, posing significant challenges to agricultural productivity and sustainability. This article examines the impacts of changing monsoon patterns on Indian agriculture and explores adaptive strategies to ensure food security.

Changing Monsoon Patterns

Historical Patterns and Recent Changes

Traditionally, the Indian monsoon has been characterised by predictable rainfall patterns. However, in recent years, there have been noticeable shifts, including delayed onset, erratic distribution, and increased intensity of rainfall. These changes are attributed to global climate change and have far-reaching implications for agriculture.

Impact on Crop Yields

Rice and Wheat

Rice and wheat, staple crops in India, are highly dependent on monsoon rains. Erratic rainfall can disrupt planting schedules and affect crop growth, leading to reduced yields. Prolonged dry spells or excessive rainfall can damage crops, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

Water Resources Management

Irrigation Systems

The changing monsoon patterns necessitate improved water resources management. Efficient irrigation systems and water conservation practices are essential to mitigate the impact of erratic rainfall. Groundwater depletion, a growing concern, must be addressed through sustainable water management practices.

Soil Health and Fertility

Erosion and Nutrient Depletion

Inconsistent rainfall can lead to soil erosion and nutrient depletion, compromising soil health and fertility. Conservation practices such as contour farming, cover cropping, and organic amendments can help maintain soil quality and support sustainable agriculture.

Pest and Disease Outbreaks

Climate change and altered monsoon patterns can increase the incidence of pests and diseases. Warmer temperatures and high humidity create favorable conditions for pest proliferation and disease outbreaks, affecting crop health and productivity. Integrated pest management strategies are crucial to combat these challenges.

Economic Implications

Impact on Farmers' Income

The variability in monsoon patterns directly impacts farmers' income and livelihoods. Crop losses due to erratic rainfall can lead to financial instability and increased debt among farmers. Ensuring economic resilience through support mechanisms is vital for the agricultural community.

Adaptation Strategies

Crop Diversification

Diversifying crops to include drought-resistant and resilient varieties can enhance agricultural resilience to climate change. Farmers can reduce their dependence on monsoon rains and improve food security by adopting diverse cropping systems.

Resilient Farming Practices

Implementing resilient farming practices such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture, and water harvesting can help farmers adapt to changing monsoon patterns. These practices enhance soil health, conserve water, and improve crop productivity.

Technological Innovations

Drought-Resistant Crops

Developing and adopting drought-resistant crop varieties is a critical adaptation strategy. Advances in biotechnology and plant breeding can produce crops that withstand water stress and thrive in variable climatic conditions.

Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture techniques, including remote sensing, soil moisture sensors, and climate modeling, enable farmers to make informed decisions. These technologies optimize resource use, improve crop management, and enhance resilience to climate variability.

Government Policies and Support

Subsidies and Insurance Schemes

Government policies and support mechanisms, such as subsidies for irrigation infrastructure and crop insurance schemes, play a vital role in mitigating the impact of changing monsoon patterns. Financial assistance and risk management tools can provide a safety net for farmers.

Policy Reforms

Policy reforms that promote sustainable agriculture and climate resilience are essential. This includes incentivizing conservation practices, supporting research and development, and fostering collaboration between government agencies, research institutions, and farmers.

Community-Based Approaches

Local Initiatives

Community-based approaches, such as farmer cooperatives and local water management initiatives, can enhance resilience to climate change. These initiatives promote knowledge sharing, collective action, and resource pooling, empowering farmers to adapt to changing monsoon patterns.

Case Studies

Successful Adaptation Stories

Documenting and disseminating successful adaptation stories and regional examples can inspire and guide other farmers. Case studies from different regions highlight practical solutions and demonstrate the benefits of adaptive practices.

Future Projections and Research

Predictive Models

Predictive models and ongoing research are crucial for understanding future climate scenarios and their impact on monsoon patterns. Accurate projections can inform policy decisions and guide adaptive strategies for sustainable agriculture.

Conclusion

The impact of changing monsoon patterns on Indian agriculture is profound, affecting crop yields, water resources, and farmers' livelihoods. Adapting to these changes through resilient farming practices, technological innovations, and supportive policies is essential for ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural development. By embracing adaptive strategies and fostering collaboration, India can build a resilient agricultural system capable of withstanding the challenges of climate change.

Writer: Tanvi Kulkarni

[xtruss]

Professional Storm Chasers Monitor a Tornado in Kansas, where tornadoes are common. The new movie Twisters features storm chasers like these who often take adventurous weather tourists along for the ride. Photograph By Jim Reed, National Geographic Image Collection

'Twisters' Put Storm Chasing On The Map—But Here's What It's Really Like

A Reboot of The Classic Disaster Film Has Caused A Surge In Amateur Storm Chasing. So What Is It Really Like To Chase Tornadoes?

— By Gregory Wakeman | July 18, 2024

Twisters’ trailer shows its cast of characters driving full pelt towards tornadoes, launching fireworks into them, and hatching a plan to defeat Mother Nature.

While these dangerous antics are very much the creation of Hollywood, storm chasing has been a major tourist attraction in the central U.S for decades. Over a dozen tour operators in the area—with names like Extreme Chase Tour, Extreme Tornado Tours, and F5! Tornado Safaris—promise to get their high-paying customers as close to the tornadoes, clouds, rain, winds, and hailstorms as is safely possible.

Unlike the action-packed movies, storm chasing often involves driving hundreds of miles for hours at a time before they come face-to-face with anything. Sometimes they even have to patiently wait in place until the storm starts.

A "Mesocyclone"—A type of Miles-Wide Vortex found inside storms—forms in a massive supercell near Elk City, Oklahoma. Storm chasers rarely venture closer than a couple miles near an active tornado. Photograph By Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic Image Collection

“It’s a lot of driving and a little bit of action,” says Erik Burns, the owner and tour director of Tornadic Expeditions. “But the action you do see is amazing and you instantly forget about the miles and hours it took to get there.”

Who Was The First Storm Chaser?

David Hoadley is credited as the first storm chaser. In June 1956, the recent high school graduate spent the day after a fierce downpour driving around his hometown of Bismarck, North Dakota, taking 8mm movies of razed trees and torn down power-lines.

“I was soon hooked on the power and fascination of Mother Nature,” Hoadley told Storm Track, the magazine he founded and edited, back in 1987.

Twisters’ release is likely to see interest in the expeditions soar, just like they did after its 1996 predecessor Twister put storm chasing on the map. Ronald Stenz, a meteorology professor at the College of DuPage in Illinois, who leads educational storm chasing trips each spring and summer, struggles to see how demand can grow any further.

“I imagine it will make storm chasing even more popular, if that is possible,” Stenz said in an email.

A truck outfitted for storm chasing waits for a tornado to form in the southwestern U.S. "Tornado Alley" is not a scientifically defined region, but the region generally refers to everywhere from Texas to South Dakota. Photograph By Carsten Peter, National Geographic Image Collection

Kim George, guest relations manager for Tempest Tours, believes that they’re already seeing the impact of Twisters. Their 2025 storm chasing season, which lasts from the middle of April until the end of June, has already sold out. There’s even a waiting list for the 2026 tours.

“At the start of May we opened our season for 2025, and it just went zonkers,” she declares over the phone. “By the end of June it had completely sold out and we have a long waitlist. We were like, ‘This is unusual. It must be because the movie is coming out.’ I’ve been with the company for 11 years and I’ve never had the season sell out so quickly.”

What Is It Like To Chase Tornadoes?

In 2023, there were 1,423 tornadoes across the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The majority unfolded in Tornado Alley. Originally coined to describe extreme weather around Texas and Oklahoma, Tornado Alley doesn’t “have any officially agreed upon boundaries,” says Stenz.

For George, it starts on the south coast of Texas and goes all the way up beyond the Canadian border. Tempest Tours have also conducted tours in Kansas, New Mexico, eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Minnesota. While the eastern Dakotas’ road networks and terrain provide the best chasing conditions, Nebraska has produced the most photogenic tornadoes, says Stenz.

The storms differentiate depending on the month and location of the tour. Spring storms usually move much faster than the ones later in the season. Although the spring storms in the High Plains don’t move as quickly, according to George. In May, storm formations start to slow down.

A radar image shows storm chasers their location inside the calm eye of 2012's Hurricane Isaac as it passed over southern Louisiana. It's common for hurricanes to spin off tornadoes. Photograph By Mark Theiss, National Geographic Image Collection

“The lighter storms move pretty fast, depending on how they form and how much wind shear they have,” says George. “We’re in and out of the van really quickly so we can keep up with them. We often have a longer time to view storms later in the season. Especially up in Montana. You can watch them form for an hour. You don’t have to rush as much, but they’re still very intense.”

Tornadoes are usually visible from two or three miles away, but storm chasers will sometimes get within a mile and a half for better visibility. Once they register thunder and lightning strikes, they know they’re too close and they’ll use their already planned escape routes if necessary.

Has Climate Change Made An Impact?

Deciding exactly where to look for storms has started to become more complicated.

Though Twisters declined to include climate change in its plot, shifting climate conditions are reshaping what we know about how storms form and where.

Evidence suggests the “number of tornadoes in areas more favorable for storm chasing has decreased slightly over time,” says Stenz. Research shows that tornadoes are moving eastwards towards the more wooded Mississippi Valley and away from the flatter and less populated High Plains.

It is yet to be determined whether this is the direct result of climate change. Stenz notes that it “could simply be some kind of natural variability.” He’s also skeptical that climate change has impacted the amount of tornadoes per year.

A tornado touches down in the grasslands of Laramie, Wyoming. One major question scientists have about tornadoes is how they will change on a warming planet. The exact changes remain unclear. Photograph By Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic Image Collection

“It is unlikely that climate change has had any major impact on my storm chasing,” he insists. “Tornado counts have large variability year to year, but over the long-term there do not appear to be any large trends in tornadoes per year.”

While the effect of climate change on tornado activity remains uncertain, research is actively underway. Any impact is likely to result in fewer tornadoes, thinks Burns.

What he has observed is that the transitional years between the El Niño and La Niña climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean, which occurred this summer, are creating more volatile weather conditions.

Storm chasers stop near a tornado formed under a supercell thunderstorm. While scientists have a clear understanding of how climate change will influence disasters like floods and fires, the influence it has on tornadoes is under investigation. Photograph By Mark Theiss, National Geographic Image Collection

“This has been a particularly violent year,” says Burns, highlighting April’s Nebraska and May’s Iowa tornado attacks

Not that any of this will keep the storm chasers away. Whatever the weather, they’ll be there to hunt, document, and educate. Sometimes they might even inspire, too.

“People will go on a tour several times so that they can learn how to chase on their own,” says Burns. “To see people who really love science, ask thousands of questions in the week, then go out and chase on their own, and live out their dreams of seeing tornadoes. It’s an amazing feeling.”

This tornado touched down a few miles east of Rozel, Kansas. Photograph By Colt Forney, National Geographic Your Shot

But while anyone can technically go storm chasing, Stenz recommends taking part in the National Weather Service’s free training in storm spotting and a meteorology class, as well as “chasing first with experienced storm chasers before venturing out on your own.

“So many people want to tick storm chasing off their bucket list,” insists George. “But it’s about keeping yourself safe while chasing. That’s most important of all.”

[lifewithchronicpain]

Climate change has made many natural disasters worse than they were before, especially hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, and flooding. So I am curious:

Please reblog for more votes!

In the Tags: you answer + general area you live in. No need to be too specific.

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C-bb9PoRLc

@ecoamerica was excited to announce the ACLA24 High School Student winner, Adah Crandall! Early high school graduate Adah is a climate justice organizer who focuses on the intersection of climate and transportation. Watch the student finalists, Aishah-Nyeta Brown, Jerome Foster II, and more in the ACLA24 for High School Students Broadcast Recording!

[balkanradfem]

I've been reading 'The Climate Book' from Greta Thunberg, and I have to talk about it. I've never seen a book written so brilliantly and desperately, pleading for awareness, for action, for survival. I thought I was aware of the climate change, but there was a vast amount of information I did not know. I'll start from the ones I did.

I knew that the climate has already changed, and will continue to change until a lot of animal species will go extinct, and a big amount of human beings will suffer, end up impoverish, misplaced, in starvation, or dead. I knew the culprits were the companies that refused to stop taking down forests, burning fossil fuels, promoting lifestyles of consumerism, over-consumption, generated the amount of waste that the planet could not safely consume or store. I also knew that one of the biggest pollutants were big oil, animal and plant agriculture, fast fashion industry, travel industry, and the capitalistic system that enabled 1% of humanity to own and over-consume 90% of the resources available to us. Knowing this made me feel powerless, because even as I boycott all of it, I can't do much else, and I'm not enough to stop what is going on. I am merely a drop in the ocean - which is what Greta points out as well. But, Greta doesn't think we're powerless.

This book is incredible in the sense that it goes over and beyond to think practically. It doesn't despair, it doesn't panic, it doesn't think any other way but how to practically and effectively bring change, what are the options and possibilities, what is true and what is propaganda, how to avoid millions of deaths and extinctions that are sure to come, if we do nothing. Greta has analyzed all action that is 'being done', and found out most of it was fraud, cheating, lying. All of the governments and companies who were bragging about reduced emissions, or offsetting emissions, have simply found ways to outsource them and to emit them in another, poorer country. The amount of emissions has actually increased.

She has also interviewed the world leaders, and people responsible and suffering from climate change - and these are the results: Nobody feels responsible, nobody feels as if it's their turn to change, to reduce, to do anything to help it. Even interviewing people whose livelihood was taken away from them due to climate change, who have lost their living environments already, their trees and animals and fields and fertility and soil, when asked if they would be willing to work ecologically from now on, with reduced or low emissions, their answer was 'Why should we? It's not fair, they took from us and enjoyed, while we suffered. We won't stop until we have what they have. We deserve it.'

With this information, Greta has found a truth of how humans influence each other - we imitate. If we see someone else doing something, or having something we find desirable, we also want it. We look at ourselves in relation to other people that surround us, we take responsibility according to what others around do, and we hold ourselves accountable only as much as others do. And this is why we have a power that goes beyond individual action, beyond simply lowering our own emissions and boycotting companies that are responsible for pollution - we are able to influence others. We're able to influence the media, which forms public opinions, and using the media, force into action those who benefit from polluting the planet.

What I didn't know, and this book taught me, was that from the times humans started to hunt, they didn't only have a great effect on the environment, they were the absolute leading agent on it. Soon after hunting the megafauna into extinction, the environment started to change not just because we affected it, but because we directed it to. We caused the extinction of many species throughout the past, by hunting, taking wild spaces for our own use, polluting water sources, changing the climate, spreading predatory species,  like cats and rats, and we didn't stop there. We changed the landscapes of forests and fields, into human-used agricultural land that was effectively deadened for the purpose of wildlife. We domesticated, and then farmed animals, to such extreme degree, that right now what is left of the wildlife, is mere 12-15% of all animals out there. More than 80% of current animals by weight living on earth, are put there by animal agriculture, meant for human consumption. That is absolutely insane. We did the same with the wildlife environment as well – there is now only 3% of the forests on earth, that are still considered intact. We changed the landscape, not only slightly, but by erasing most of it, making it unusable to animals, insects or wild plants, appropriated only for agriculture, grazing, and human-only environments. And, we dug up and released so much carbon into the air, it is coming close to the amount that we had on the earth, at the time of dinosaur extinction, which wiped out a third of the planet's species. And we keep doing it, even knowing what will happen, knowing that every single time this happened in the past, it created mass extinction.

I wasn't aware how serious and extreme the changes we made were. Knowing what is going out, makes it very clear why we have a crisis, it would be crazy to expect not to have one. These changes were not reported, nobody was asked to approve of them, there were no regulations or limits, no environmental studies on consequences, and it keeps going. We keep increasing the demand for agriculture and animal products, increasing our consumption even though we are running out of the natural resources used to create the products. And it is not our fault. Most of the food and meat created by destroying this land, will go to waste, for the profit of the corporations. The world will keep living in starvation, despite so much of natural life getting destroyed for food, despite the climate crisis being caused, partly by our food production.

This doesn't mean we can't sustainably feed ourselves anymore, it just means we can't do it the way we're used to. It just tells us we need to use more resilient and less land and water consuming food. Plant based diets demand less soil and emit less carbon, gardening reduces the amount of agricultural space needed to feed us, supporting and protecting wildlife wherever it's still thriving, will save both soil, animal species, and biodiversity that is very quickly fading from the planet.

I've also learned that even as we're close to the tipping point, but haven't reached it yet. Whatever we do right now that stops us from reaching it, will mean the difference between life and death to the future generations of people, animals, and plants. If we manage to make changes now, to stop the ice from melting past the tipping point, we can save millions of lives, that would end in certain death otherwise. If we can create policies that are not volountary but binding, we have a chance to save livable land, animal and plant species, biodiversity, and human quality of life. It's not too late to act, in fact, this is the vital time to act, and we're the only ones who can do it.

And the way you can act is not just by reducing waste, reducing the amount of energy you consume, reducing animal-products in your food and refusing to waste and throw away usable goods, but by being public about it. By making it clear it's a positive improvement on your life, on your quality of life, that it's both moral and enjoyable, both inspiring and encouraging others to do the same. Some of us have bigger impact on others than we might know, and if we start doing it and visibly enjoying it, there are others who will follow.

This book has taught me immense amount of science behind the climate crisis, and gave me incentive to do more than just live and feel helpless, I need to do more. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more, and wanting to act more. I will be from now on, writing more about ecology and preserving the planet, and how to do it. If we're the directors of where this planet is going, we have to be so intentionally, with knowledge, wisdom and awareness of what we are doing. We can do good, and humans have been doing good, any time there's been wisdom, awareness and intention in how we're shaping the environment. And if anyone wants the book in the audio form, send me a message and I will give it to you.

[historyforfuture]

After the American students revealed the truth about the Jews and the terrorist Zionist occupation in occupied Palestine, they went out in demonstrations since the first day in all American universities and in some cities, and the terrorist Zionist lobby began to incite against them, and throw false accusations at them. All of this is happening so that the terrorist Zionist lobby can harm the new generation of young people in America who knew the truth about what is called "terrorist Israel" which was created in the Middle East after stealing the money of the American people, and today again incitement is being carried out against these free young people who have irrevocably decided to continue their movement against the terrorist Zionist occupation, affirming the right of the Palestinian people to resist and defend themselves and their land, and in solidarity with Gaza.

[salvadorbonaparte]

"People argue the anthropocene started in the Industrial Revolution but I am super brave and argue it started in 1492" hey I don't work here but has anyone considered that perhaps humans have first become a major force in changing the planet when we invented agriculture because we like completely changed the way plants and animals look, work and where they are distributed and like totally killed off several species before we even figured out writing. I'm pretty sure that already had a pretty big impact on the ecosystem. Ask the mammoth about it. Or brussel sprouts.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

I have many thoughts re: the fall of Xianle from the pov of the impact of a natural catastrophe on socio-political balance and how great natural disasters often herald the fall of civilizations via civil war and internal strife

And how there are no viable solutions to a situation like that because the forces at play cannot be reconciled even if the root cause could be ammended (which is usually impossible anyway)

And how the tensions between the people of Xianle and the people of Yong'an follow precisely the theories of human displacement and conflict stemming from resource competition crisis

And how, regardless of whatever Xie Lian might have been able to do, it would not have turned out differently for him and his kingdom, even without Human Face Disease at play

Maybe i should dust off my knowledge and write an essay

[reasonsofclimatechange]

Climate Change Impact on Wildlife: Threats and Conservation Efforts  

Explore how climate change affects wildlife habitats, species extinction risks, and conservation efforts to safeguard biodiversity.

Read more at:

https://www.eoroe.com/blogs/the-role-of-deforestation-in-climate-change-discussing-the-importance-of-preserving-and-restoring-forests

[bodycatcher]

How to disappear completely

[the-frog-blog]

Company put me in charge of developing a proposal for a pretty complex project we’re pursuing and said I would be project manager if we get it o.0

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWiW4Rp8vF0

@ecoamerica was excited to announce the ACLA24 winner, Climate Resolve! Climate Resolve connects communities, organizations, and policymakers to address the global climate problem with local action. Watch the top ten finalists, Katharine Hayhoe, Vanessa Hauc, Bill McKibben, and more in the ACLA24 Broadcast Recording!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The Prince of Wales Attends Events During London Climate Action Week

Prince William with US Philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, panelists Hannah Waddinham, Hannah Jones, and Earthshot Prize Chief Executive, Tokunboh Ishmael, as he speaks at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Camp on 27 June 2024 in London, England.

The inaugural Earthshot Prize Innovation Camp celebrates the impact of Earthshot Prize Finalists and global climate innovators during London Climate Action Week on 27 June 2024 in London, England.

📸: Kin Cheung - WPA Pool / Getty Images

[historyforfuture]

The occupation forces assault and beat Sheikh Noah Alharoub broke the windows of the houses and cut electricity wires of the Masjid khelet Taha _Dura_al khalil

[transboysokka]

hey curious about the temperature where yall live bc I don’t have the concept of like. Mild spring in the past few years? First of all it went between 15c and 30c randomly here all winter but I mean there’s a point maybe late march where it just decides to be 30 every day (as opposed to summer when it’s 35 every day) and so to me it’s just Hot Weather Time but I guess it’s only may so uhhh what’s it been like where yall are at