As climate breakdown increases, the cycle of droughts and floods in the UK will intensify. We’ve seen in recent weeks the devastation that this can cause. The stats are terrifying: half of England’s potato crop is expected to fail this year. Even drought-tolerant maize – which is only grown in the south of England because the rest of the UK is too cold and wet – is struggling in the heat.
People are suffering now, so short-term solutions are needed. With both food and fuel prices spiralling, it will be a grim winter, so medium-term planning is required too. But, of course, we need a long-term strategy.
Changes to Britain’s climate are now inevitable. And that doesn’t just mean that England’s pastures green will turn into French wine country, as too many news producers like to imagine. More carbon in the atmosphere means increased energy in our weather systems. That means greater intensity as well as more warmth – not so much the calm balm of the historic south of France as cycles of climate chaos.
