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Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

fortune.com

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Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#11
post #3

[flagged]

I read it more as an uncompleted copy-editor’s note, more like (todo: insert dollar value here), than a banal reference.

That does not really make sense. Millions of euros is also millions of dollars. It's not an exact number, why would they have a currency conversion.

Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#12
post #9

Just took a train ride from Vienna to Budapest for a few days, and couldn’t help but notice how very, very dry everything is .. as an Australian living in Europe for a few decades now, I’ve always been intrigued by just how green everything is, literally something growing in every single crack in the pavement, or endless rolling green fields of prosperity during spring - whereas, where I’m from its year-long spinifex…

It's so dry, even in tne Netherlands and north of France. Amazing how quickly it goes

I can’t imagine what the Netherlands would look like if desertification would occur. It seems implausible that those flat, flat lands would ever turn brown and grey and dusty - but I won’t be surprised if things turn that way in a few years. I hope the Dutch have a solution, they always seem to when it comes to water control ..

Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#13
post #7

Who is liable for the deaths caused by extreme weather patterns? Is anyone?

Legally? Almost certainly no one. Ethically? The corporate executives who deliberately covered up evidence of global warming, starting back in the 70s.[1]

1. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/01/harvard-led-a...

Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#15

Just took a train ride from Vienna to Budapest for a few days, and couldn’t help but notice how very, very dry everything is .. as an Australian living in Europe for a few decades now, I’ve always been intrigued by just how green everything is, literally something growing in every single crack in the pavement, or endless rolling green fields of prosperity during spring - whereas, where I’m from its year-long spinifex…

I think Hungary is supposed to be dry though? Not this dry, sure, but still.

Sure, it gets dry in summer, it’s not always so lush - at least in my experience over the years.

But, parks of dead grass, and dust devils blowing in the corners? Can’t say I’ve seen that much over the decades of visiting the region. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much dry, dead grass.

I, for one, am very grateful for my neighborhood turning the streets into cooler, greener little oases for pedestrians. Perhaps those eucalyptus trees the Schönbrunner Zoo keeps for its koalas will be of use in providing avenues of shade in the decades to come, who knows …

Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#16
Europe is caught in a dilemma: tourism, air travel, and city hopping are its economic lifeblood that keeps the continent running, but these also cause the greatest damage to the environment.

Since they can't fix the real problem are trying to go "green" in counterproductive ways that make things worse: blowing up nuclear plants or taxing cow fart.

Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read it more as an uncompleted copy-editor’s note, more like (todo: insert dollar value here), than a banal reference.

That does not really make sense. Millions of euros is also millions of dollars. It's not an exact number, why would they have a currency conversion.

Well, million euro’s is currently about 1,158,300.00 United States Dollars, so maybe the copy editor looked at the number and didn’t want to offend the sensibilities of their readers .. anyway, the point is, I don’t think this (parentheses) indicates a dumbing down of anything, other than maybe a sleepy editor who didn’t catch its distraction ..

Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#19

Just took a train ride from Vienna to Budapest for a few days, and couldn’t help but notice how very, very dry everything is .. as an Australian living in Europe for a few decades now, I’ve always been intrigued by just how green everything is, literally something growing in every single crack in the pavement, or endless rolling green fields of prosperity during spring - whereas, where I’m from its year-long spinifex…

> because .. inevitably .. this super dry summer means there will be heavier rains in October

What's the process here for that region? I don't think the moisture is waiting anywhere.

Re: Europe's summer drought is so extreme that desertification is a growing threat

#20
post #7

Who is liable for the deaths caused by extreme weather patterns? Is anyone?

Legally? Almost certainly no one. Ethically? The corporate executives who deliberately covered up evidence of global warming, starting back in the 70s.[1] 1. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/01/harvard-led-a...

And since we've all known about this for 30+ years, is it still their fault, or is it ours?
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