We have heard literally hundreds of stories over the last half decade, or so, regarding the changing environment.
It started out as being touted as global warming, and has evolved to now being more broadly encompassed as weather change.
I suspect that is a term which is not quite accurate in reflecting the current urgency of the situation.
Weather change is not exactly a new thing. We see it in terms of short term effects, as well as longer term change.
The Thames River in London in the time of author Charles Dickens froze, and does not now, an indication of a rather significant weather change.
A shorter term effect would be the drought of the 1930s across the North American prairie region.
What is being talked of more recently are changes that will be far reaching, changing the very patterns of regions, an effect which will alter cropping conditions across major areas of farmland, and impact other sectors such as forestry and wildlife habitats.
Of course the extent of change is a matter being hotly debated.
Some see it as no more than the natural changes which have always occurred.
Some are sticking their heads in the sand as they say, and simply deny change is even happening.
And others are talking doom.
In terms of farming, the impact of weather is of course critical. Long has the impact of drought, flood and frost impacted production, and in turn prices.
The weather changes being expected now will be more profound on farming.
On the Canadian Prairies the impact may not be as dramatic as some. If some expectations come to pass we could become South Dakota in terms of weather, which would change how farmers farm, but crops would still be grown.
Some areas though could be altered to impact production much more dramatically.
Of course any changes will not be overnight, although we do seem to already be seeing a trend toward more severe weather events.
Flooding rain storms, heavy snow in some areas, little in others, warmer periods in winter and other weather conditions seem to be far more common in the last few years, and reports suggests we’ll see more of that.
That is worrisome, especially if you are in an area having experienced the impact; Yorkton, as an example, having extensive property damage from flooding caused by rain in the past few years.
Severe weather events are hard to plan for. Certainly in Yorkton the urban municipality has moved to invest millions in flood water retention ponds and related infrastructure in case another flood were to hit, but even that sort of preparation will only be partly successful, depending on the severity of weather.
There is less a farmer can do in terms of protecting a crop.
The longer terms shifts will afford some time to adapt too, but severe weather events cannot.
Ultimately whatever happens with weather it will have an impact on farming in terms of what can be grown, and where it can be grown, and in turn that will impact food production for a growing population.
And the situation has the possibility of being more impactful in terms of food production when impending weather change is over laid with the loss of soils worldwide, but that is a topic for next week.
Calvin Daniels is Assistant Editor with Yorkton This Week.
