Do You Have A Freezer?

Interesting report from BBC concerning the effect of global climate change on harvests in the UK. Production of perishable fruits, such as strawberries, appears to be up, as is demand, driven by, what one imagines, must be lower prices. However, "the grain harvest is likely to be badly hit."

Thus, "wheat has wilted in the intense conditions. Sandra Nichols of the NFU said: "For wheat, we're seeing at the moment that the lack of moisture in the soil has caused problems in terms of the quality of the wheat. "The grains are thinner, the yields are not so good, and that could lead to higher prices."" Wheat, of course, is far less perishable than strawberries.

And, the production of grain has a huge influence on the production of beef: "Meanwhile, the leader of the National Farmers Union in Wales, Dai Davies, said the shortage of grass meant farmers were having to feed winter stocks to cattle now. "So there's no margin, no money in the kitty for the purchase of winter fodder which we shall need to survive," he told BBC News 24. "So there's great concern about what happens in the autumn." "

I imagine we may actually make it through this winter without large-scale famine in Europe. I'm not as optimistic about the winer of 2007. Here's what happens when there's a famine. Populations move. How's that going to work in today's overcrowded world? Look at what happened when folks displaced by Katrina tried to move into nearby towns and states.