Checking in on how everyone is doing with climate change?

[cilla4progress]

I live in a high (1500 ft) mountain valley in dry, rural eastern Washington state, on the east slopes of the Cascades. Really lovely here. We rely on irrigation for our horse pastures, and have a well for domestic water. It is a narrow, steep valley along a river that flows into the Columbia. We have 13 acres, moved here in 1990, and there have been homes in this area of the valley for 100+ years. We are surrounded by Ponderosa pine forest and bitterbrush. Our property borders national forest. It is as idyllic as it sounds.

In 1994 our home burned down in a wildfire. We were never evacuated, it all happened so fast, and this was just the start of this new era of wildfires. We got everyone out. The home was only a simple single-wide mobile home, destined for replacement when funds allowed. We also lost our barns and horse fencing. Our only child was 18 mos. It took two years to decide to come back. We loved it, but weren't sure if we felt safe here. We built a very fire-safe home: earth bermed, steel roof, fire-resistant siding and building design, with lots of safe (non-burnable) space around it.

My family are outdoor people. Hiking, cycling, skiing, backcountry trail-riding on horses, floating "our" river in the summer, and XC skiing the ridges in the winter - though not that so much any more.

I have witnessed dramatic changes. This winter, as most know, our snowpack - which we rely on to irrigate and protect our land from burning - was drastically low. We have been doused with choking smoke from area wildfires (the largest ever in the State just north of us here last summer) the last 2 out of 3 summers, and been on alert for fires in our valley both above and below us. We are now locked out of the trails and wilderness up-valley due to Forest Service fears of calamity; the very reason we are here to begin with. We can't cross-country ski outside our door any more.

Outside the winds are blowing a hot wind down from the mountains from west to east. Everything looks stark - starker than I can ever remember. I wake up every day to unrelenting sunshine. Sun and wind. Things look dessicated. We will relocate water from the river again to our pastures for as long as we can this summer. The irrigation season is getting shorter. I am scared. Panicky, actually. I love this place like a child of my own, but I don't know how realistic it is to live this lifestyle any more. I can't see myself being happy anywhere else, but I'm terrified here. Last summer was completely highjacked by the fires and smoke. I'm getting older. I don't want to lose any more summers. And I don't want to stay and watch this place - this valley, the river, the forest - go under.

[onecaliberal]

1. Where I live in California homes account for less than

20% of all water usage. We are being told we must cut back 35% on usage.
Farmers who account for 80%+ of all water usage in California are being asked to cut back nothing. It's a joke.
How do they justify growing almonds that take 1 gallon for each almond grown?
Fracking is also still going on taking a tremendous amount of water. That still has zero restriction on water usage. It's pointless.

[cilla4progress]

3. I no longer eat almonds!

And they were one of my go-to's!

I really feel for you, one. California is a beautiful state with a great vibe. I'll keep you in my thoughts.

And screw fracking. If they ever frack here, I'm gone.

[onecaliberal]

5. Thanks, we can use all the vibes we can get.

I gave up almonds as well.
We've been working on a fracking ban.

[RiverLover]

8. And it takes 30 gals of water to produce a single glass of wine.

http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/04/water-or-wine-californias-drought-and-water-competition/

Tough choices we all need to start making.

[onecaliberal]

9. Indeed. I don't think asking residents to make

A large sacrifice knowing it's not even a drop in the bucket is absurd. People in other parts of the country have no understanding where some of their food comes from and that there is basically no water left here to grow that food.

[chernabog]

17. Hopefully you also don't eat meat

[onecaliberal]

21. On rare occasions I do.

People seem to think it's only California's problems that we are running out of water when in actuality our meat, fruit, vegetables are distributed all over the country.

[marym625]

2. I live in Chicago

And I can tell you that the weather is screwier every year. The winters are just horrible. I don't want to be here for the next one. The summers are not the same either. They start later and end sooner. No telling if it's not going to feel like summer at all, or be so hot the entire season you just don't want to be outside.

Chicago has always had weird weather. But the last few years, it's just beyond the pale

I'm sorry about your home.

[cilla4progress]

4. Thanks.

It wasn't such a big deal. Honestly, even with the one we built, my husband is more attached. I'm attached, but peace of mind means more.

I need to figure out how to come to terms with this. Would prefer to avoid medication. Thankfully, rec marijuana is legal here, as well as medical. Seems to help with my anxiety.

[marym625]

6. I don't know but I have heard that pot is the best for anxiety

Peace of mind is the most important thing. After being able to afford a roof over your head and food.

[cilla4progress]

7. I love the natural environment so much.

She gives so much and asks for so little.

[NickB79]

10. Not bad. My 1.3 acres of permaculture is coming along nicely

The fruit and nut saplings I planted a few years ago are starting to bear edibles. Lots of things that wouldn't stand a chance in a Minnesota winter 50 years ago are flourishing now. The flock of chickens is pumping out a few dozen eggs a week, and are enjoying the longer springs, falls and milder winters. And their manure is welcome fertilizer to my garden.

On the other hand, rainfall patterns have become more erratic. Last year we had torrential spring rains and massive snowfalls that led to saturated ground; this year we had scant snowfall and little spring rain that's put 80% of the state in a moderate drought. Summer is going to be interesting, but we have a deep well to water from.

[cilla4progress]

13. I'm unclear

Are you saying global warming has been good for you?

[NickB79]

18. In the short term, yes. Long term, no.

Because a lot of the things I'm growing would be borderline if our climate hadn't warmed as much as it has already. We're in the "Goldilocks Zone" up here right now with regard to global warming, so I'm taking advantage of it while I can to get established. A lot of the plants used in permaculture are perennials that take 3-10 years to become established before they start to produce fruit/nuts/berries/tubers/etc. However, I do not expect this sweet spot to last long; maybe till the early 2020's before the shit really starts to hit the fan.

And my concern about that coming, abrupt change is the entire reason I'm establishing a permaculture system on my property, because I fear that in the long term, I and my family will be forced to rely more and more on foods we can grow ourselves as climate change destroys the industrialized, globalized food chain we've grown accustomed to. No more apples from Chile in January, but I'll have a root cellar full of apples from my orchard, grown on varieties known for their keeping properties. No fresh spinach either, but my passive-solar greenhouse can supply kale until almost Christmas, and reseeded in March. A coop for fresh eggs, with chickens raised via grazing as much as possible, also warmed with a passive solar system.

People talk about the danger of sea level rise and heatwaves from climate change, but the real weak spot in our civilization is agriculture. This is the most dangerous aspect of climate change, the risk of a wide-ranging famine and the social destruction it could cause. And given the number of mouths this planet has to feed, that won't be a pleasant thing to see when it occurs.

[cilla4progress]

19. interesting...

I have been a back to the lander since the 70s. Haven't kicked it into high gear, as you describe. Thanks.

[Bigmack]

11. We live in Western Wa

Kitsap county....next to the drought-stricken Olympic Pen., and the weather hereabouts has been un-naturally lovely this late winter-spring, but I KNOW I shouldn't delight in this, as there is CLEARLY a BIG weather related problem here. The idea that the Oly. Pen. has been declared a drought area boggles my mind. I grew up there, and TOO MUCH RAIN always grated on our childish ears, as we could not go out to play in the rain. But now when we look west to the mountains over there, there's almost NO snow. This climate change around here is REAL SCARY SHIT! Ms Bigmack

[cilla4progress]

14. Totally ..

[mackdaddy]

12. SE Ohio, Extremes, dead trees.

I am in SE Ohio on 24 acres, 20 acres of woods. I have been here about 12 years, and I am outside on my paths through the woods every day.

I am seeing a lot of trees dying. Many of my largest hundred plus year old Oak trees have died in the last few years. A combination of the weather extremes and invasive insects I think. One toppled when the roots let go in saturated soil, Others I think from our drought a few years ago. Ice storms in 2008 broke out a lot of tree tops. We have been getting emerald ash borers, and other insects and beetles. We have also had many invasive plants taking over, multi-foral roses, tree of heaven, Japanese knot weed, and honey suckle vines are a major nuisance.

The last few years we have had the "Polar Vortex" pattern which has given us two of the coldest winters ever, many days even weeks of below 0F temperatures, and although we missed the multi-foot snows, but we would get 3-5 inches about twice a week for months. Snow melt plus very wet springs means regular high water in my large creek. I have lost a dozen mature trees and a swath of creek bank 10 to 20 feet wide and hundreds of feet along the creek has washed out over the last 6-8 years, and worse the last two. My heating costs for the last two winters have been nearly double the average of the previous decade. All electric heat pumps go to resistive heating below 20 degrees F, and it was below that for nearly 12 weeks.

We have in the last 5 years also gone from wet springs to very hot and dry summers. IN 2010-2013 we has extremely hot dry summers that had us in drought conditions, which probably contributed to the deaths of many of the trees. The number of 90 degree or higher days has been many times the "average" number for years now. This wet spring and dry summer weather has seriously impacted the crop yields in many of the last 10 years.

We also had a major "direcheo" storm in the summer of 2012. This extremely fast moving gust front storm is something I have never seen in my lifetime. It took out power for up to two weeks in this area and the whole time the highs were in the upper 90's.

So to sum up, extremes in temperature but at least we have only had a year or two of drought. But I am not sure how long the native trees can take these changes.

[cilla4progress]

15. Your "derecho"

sounds like haboob that came through my area last summer: intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current. Haboobs occur regularly in arid regions throughout the world. A result of very dry weather picking up loose dirt.

Thanks for letting me know how things are in your neck of the woods. So far from me, but experiencing similar effect.

[GliderGuider]

16. Checking in from Ottawa

We sat under the cold spot on the map all this winter - it was the longest, most miserable winter/spring in my 30 years here. Thanks, Rossby Waves!

[dumbcat]

20. I'm doing fine

Thank you for asking.

[hatrack]

22. Strangely quiet since 2012 (right in the heart of the Midwest), but for ongoing non-winters

We've actually enjoyed a couple of relatively cool summers, though the winters are "off", as they've been for years - maybe a week of cold (highs of 25 or below by day, 15 or below by night), then a week or ten days of 40s and 50s, even in January and February.

There's a little ski hill north of here (yeah, I know, ski Missouri) which usually opens mid-December. They didn't even open until New Year's Day this year, because it was just too damned warm, and there was no point in making snow.

The summer of 2012, though, was one for the record books. Ungodly hot, for weeks on end (by ungodly, think highs of 95 to 105, lows in the lower 80s if we were lucky), and it just went on and on and on. Honey is a handy proxy for how wet and productive summer is (I keep bees) and the last two years, I've gotten 100 - 125 pounds from five hives each summer. In 2012, I was feeding syrup throughout the summer, just trying to keep the bees alive.

Much worse not too far west - get 100 miles west into Kansas, or 150 miles northwest into Nebraska, and you'll see lots of standing dead trees from that drought/heatwave every few hundred yards, sometimes whole groves of them. Many are cottonwoods, with their roots typically buried in stream banks, and they didn't make it, let alone oaks and pines and non-riparian species.

[cilla4progress]

23. Thanks for chiming in

I think it's important for us to keep a conversation going on this personal level, moving forward. I was the sole "Earth Day" component in my town of 70,000 yesterday. My daughter and I staffed a table in a local shopping center with a few others. 1/2 of the 10 or so people who stopped to talk with us over 4 hours were deniers.

[XemaSab]

24. Things in Redding, CA are DRY

Yesterday was the first day of *watering*. Went around with the water wand and hit all the perennials that looked dry, then let the soaker hose run for two hours so the shrubs could get some water. (Anything that the plants don't use goes right back into the river. Literally. There's groundwater here at 8 feet.)

The lawn's going to die.

The eastern redbud that has been so pretty is losing branches.

My goal is to keep the trees and shrubs alive for the next ~6 months, and hope we have a good winter.

[cilla4progress]

25. I hear you

It's not as much in the news, but Washington state is very dry as well. I'm sure we'll be watching how you manage and picking up tips. I think we are experiencing the same weather system: the Pacific Ocean warm blob. I wonder if Fukushima has anything to do with it? Or just arctic ice melt? Sad and crazy times