2023 Heat and drought death tolls

[rockm]

Climate change? Seriously?

Yep. Every single bonsai person I've talked to in person around here in Va. and elsewhere has noted weather has changed, particularly in terms of warmth. Winter is warmer, with sometimes severe cold early, then followed by temperate no snow Dec-Feb. You don't have to tell Texans about hot summers, but it's HOT there this summer. Dallas has had 36 100 F degree days -- 21 of those were consecutive. Austin has had 53 days above 100 F--it had 11 days in a row that topped 105 F. It has been above 90 there for months, even at night.

 

[roberthu]

Lost a hornbeam but it was probably due to moving to central FL for a year then move back to North GA. A lot of them didn't get to go dormant last year. If they make it through this winter, they should all be fine.
The JM air layer I cut off is mostly leafless. I can some new buds pushing but it doesn't look good...

 

[Hartinez]

Had a literati one seed juniper that died while on a recent trip. House sitter must of just let it dry out a bit too much. It was in an awfully small pot. It could have also been a combination of that and the stress input it under at repot.

 

[August44]

Yes, climate change and you better believe it is serious.

Well excuse me but I don't. This has been going on for years and years and what about all the rest of the dirt bags like China and the rest of the foreign world that will do nothing.

 

[vesper818]

15 years ago, I lost 90% of my (mostly mame) bonsai to an unscheduled heatwave while I was away for a 3 day weekend. The "sitter" didnt see the need to water more than once or twice, though given thorough instruction.
Heartbreaking enough to pack away the pots till this year.
I'm starting from scratch again, seedlings, starters and cuttings. The secondfloor south facing stucco apartment terrace can absorb a tremendous amount of heat. I found these aluminum shade tarps to admit lots of light, but keep the temps 10-15 cooler, and the plants happier.

https://www.amazon.com/DJYTUSB-Aluminum-Reflective-Shelter-Sunshade/dp/B088H2XHWJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1M5EUVP43Y7Z5&keywords=aluminum+shade+tarp&qid=1693542121&sprefix=aluminum+shade+tarp%2Caps%2C253&sr=8-3

 

[milehigh_7]

We've had many summers far worse than this here in Phoenix. What actually did the damage here was the fact that we had the COLDEST June on record. Then July bounced up to normal overnight. Nothing was ready for it.

 

[milehigh_7]

As you can see, this year is not even close to the worst... climate change??? Nah... It's just called summer.

 

[AshleyMammal]

Sad to hear of your losses guys.

Weirdly, the UK has experienced rain almost every single day throughout this 'summer' - from June to 1st September. There's certainly a shift happening in global weather patterns.

 

[ajm55555]

Well excuse me but I don't. This has been going on for years and years and what about all the rest of the dirt bags like China and the rest of the foreign world that will do nothing.

Please read this article on Wikpedia. There are plenty of charts backed by research that confirm human-caused climate change is real. There is no denying it if you look at the facts.

 

[Michael P]

Well excuse me but I don't. This has been going on for years and years and what about all the rest of the dirt bags like China and the rest of the foreign world that will do nothing.

Wow, climate change denial AND xenophobia. Time to use the ignore feature.

 

[milehigh_7]

Please read this article on Wikpedia. There are plenty of charts backed by research that confirm human-caused climate change is real. There is no denying it if you look at the facts.

LoL the scholarly source Wikipedia!

 

[thatdirtykid]

Maybe not scholarly, but the majority of the 387 journals/articles/resources cited are...

Well excuse me but I don't. This has been going on for years and years and what about all the rest of the dirt bags like China and the rest of the foreign world that will do nothing.

So, does it not exist or are you blaming China for it? The conversation on whether an individual whos carbon footprint is limited to their work commute is making a difference isn't the same conversation as whether or not it exists.

 

[BrianBay9]

This is probably not the right thread to get into climate change, but I've come to the conclusion if we don't push back against uniformed (sometimes willfully uninformed) statements, they just get more and more detached from reality. If you won't believe those most informed on the research, and won't believe your own life experience then there's not much I can say to change your mind. Climate change is accelerating right before your eyes. It will get worse. We will pay for decades of inaction one way or another. All it will take for global disaster is two consecutive years of global crop failures due to heat, drought or storms. I'm just hoping my granddaughter will have a reasonable life.

 

[SmallTreeGuy]

Yep. Every single bonsai person I've talked to in person around here in Va. and elsewhere has noted weather has changed, particularly in terms of warmth. Winter is warmer, with sometimes severe cold early, then followed by temperate no snow Dec-Feb. You don't have to tell Texans about hot summers, but it's HOT there this summer. Dallas has had 36 100 F degree days -- 21 of those were consecutive. Austin has had 53 days above 100 F--it had 11 days in a row that topped 105 F. It has been above 90 there for months, even at night.

Can confirm. Lived in Texas my whole life and almost grew accustomed to the heat at age 33. The heat this Summer is not normal. It’s literal hades out there and I see trees turning brown and crispy everywhere you look. So sad.

 

[SmallTreeGuy]

Can confirm. Lived in Texas my whole life and almost grew accustomed to the heat at age 33. The heat this Summer is not normal. It’s literal hades out there and I see trees turning brown and crispy everywhere you look. So sad..

Many types of trees are dying. If the fact that, large old LIVE OAKS native to this area (DFW) are dying, means something. This isn’t just “Summer”. If you believe that, even with all the data out there showing sudden changes and patterns showing that humans are contributing to the causes, then I advise you to get your head out of where the sun doesn’t shine, get a grip of reality and start being on the right side of history.

Denying it means that you choose to live by “ignorance is bliss” delusion, or you’re just waiting to die and don’t care about anything because in the next 20 you’ll be gone so who cares.

Sorry, but old-timers or anyone with closed-minds (even having access to the most information at their fingertips, than ever before in history), and still choosing to ignore FACTS get no sympathy from me. In fact it’s quite embarrassing, to be honest. Yikes. Even my boomer mother (who I love dearly) has more sense than to say this weather has been “normal”. And she is trying to educate herself on these issues that people are denying. Big yikes. Like oooff. I get second-hand embarrassment hearing the deniers.

 

[nuttiest]

Many types of trees are dying. If the fact that, large old LIVE OAKS native to this area (DFW) are dying, means something. This isn’t just “Summer”. If you believe that, even with all the data out there showing sudden changes and patterns showing that humans are contributing to the causes, then I advise you to get your head out of where the sun doesn’t shine, get a grip of reality and start being on the right side of history.

Denying it means that you choose to live by “ignorance is bliss” delusion, or you’re just waiting to die and don’t care about anything because in the next 20 you’ll be gone so who cares.

Sorry, but old-timers or anyone with closed-minds (even having access to the most information at their fingertips, than ever before in history), and still choosing to ignore FACTS get no sympathy from me. In fact it’s quite embarrassing, to be honest. Yikes. Even my boomer mother (who I love dearly) has more sense than to say this weather has been “normal”. And she is trying to educate herself on these issues that people are denying. Big yikes. Like oooff. I get second-hand embarrassment hearing the deniers.

look at this shit you started Cajurider, we never had to deal with this in the 1980s, and it was FUCKING HOT!!!!

 

[milehigh_7]

look at this shit you started Cajurider, we never had to deal with this in the 1980s, and it was FUCKING HOT!!!!

Nah but we had acid rain, ozone depletion, and all kinds of other made-up catastrophes. The fearmongers are the real threat to the world.

 

[BrianBay9]

Nah but we had acid rain, ozone depletion, and all kinds of other made-up catastrophes. The fearmongers are the real threat to the world.

None of those were made up. Each were addressed with timely action when recognized. We can solve problems if we admit they exist.

 

[milehigh_7]

None of those were made up. Each were addressed with timely action when recognized. We can solve problems if we admit they exist.

You're a funny dude!

 

[Time Wizard]

I've had a good amount of trouble with my satsukis this summer, although I think I am dialing in how to keep them alive and healthy regardless of the heat. I had a Japanese maple die on me last month, but luckily not before I managed to get a cutting rooted off it. All my zelkovas are getting their leaves burned but otherwise seem to be healthy and keep pushing new growth. My elms don't have a single brown spot on them.

Temperatures here have been a solid 10 degrees lower than previous years. That global warming apparently skipped over us.