The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!
October’s writing prompt comes a few days ahead of schedule but since we’re participating in the global climate strike today, we thought it was the right time for it. This is a topic that has been on our mind this year, and perhaps yours as well.
I’ll go first then. As temperatures increase for us in southern Portugal, our summers will become hotter and hotter, with less and less rain — basically, an extension of Morocco’s arid weather. Forest fires will be even more of a problem, and droughts will likely be a yearly recurrence, impacting not just crops but also our ability to generate hydropower.
On the other hand, there’s also the rising sea levels to cope with, and the impact of that rise on many of the coastal ecosystems. Where will the seahorses and flamingoes go, if we no longer have lagoons and salt ponds to host them?
What about where you live, how is the climate changing going to change there? And what is the prognosis for the future of your region? Let’s take this opportunity to inform ourselves and start some conversations about the future of our planet.
PS – If you’re in Europe, this comprehensive study assesses how a 2°C warming scenario could affect the continent in eleven impact areas. If you know of similar studies for your area, please share them in the comments below.
22 comments so far
Severe impact with heat waves, change in weather patterns and sea level rise drowning many areas.
One such news report on Kolkata, India given in the link below: https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/at-2-degree-celsius-warming-kolkata-could-see-deadly-heatwaves-ipcc-report/articleshow/66131746.cms
Hotter and drier summers, less snow and more rain in the winter in Eastern/Central Finland or no snow at all in Southern Finland, harmful insect/animal species spreading here which threathen our nature. Especially the arctic nature of Lapland suffers most and rare species (e.g. Arctic fox) lose their usual habitat as the climate gets warmer.
In Indonesia, we have a critical condition about the impact of climate change. The forest fire in Kalimantan and Riau causes URI for thousands people who living there. Because hot and dry weather cause everything become too dry and prone to burning, also the air has come to dangerous level to breathe due to thick smoke, rain is really needed here.
In Maine Rising ocean and a warmer ocean are impacting the fishing industry and marine animals. Milder winters leading to less snow packs to replenish the ground water, not cold enough to kill off the tick population that causes Lyme .
I am in the USA's Midwest and live in one of the two regions in the world (the other is the area around Finland) where temperatures tend to dip to cold extremes during climate change. Last winter was an example when for 2 days in January we had the coldest temperature on earth (when you compare how much lower than average the temperature was). It was the exact temperature here as it was at the South Pole.
An ongoing problem for the rest of the year is the increased wetness. We are getting torrential rains because of extra humidity that comes in from the Gulf over 1,000 miles away. Normally confined to the spring, this can now happen anytime.
We had an example last night where we had flooding, pounding rains. Our patio was flooded too. Just a few km south of us, they had almost 7 inches (17 cm) of rain in less than 24 hours. It flooded homes, cars, streets etc. even outside of flood zones.
Here in San Francisco we are having much hotter summer weather. The usual is that it is very foggy in the morning (you can hear the fog horns off the coast and visibility is about one block). In the past two weeks we have had 70-85F (21-30C) temperatures. Also, there have been devastating fires in the past two years. Last summer fires 150-200 miles away burnt a town to the ground, blackened the skies and filled the air with smoke here. We could not go outside for three+ weeks, and when we did, the recommendation was to wear N99 masks. The ocean is heating: fish usually seen much further south in warmer waters are now swimming right off this coast. We voted last fall to build a seawall on the east side of the City that will keep the financial district and piers from flooding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIvLEwGS-70
Our Great Barrier Reef is dying, our major river system, the Murray Darling is drying up and the bush fire season has started early.
I have a "protest" postcard urging the government to do something to reduce CO2 emissions. It was issued 22 years ago. Needless to say nothing has been done since then - one of the biggest coal mines in the world has recently been approved in Queensland.
Sad but unsurprising that there are climate change denialists even on Postcrossing. Maybe seeing how climate change is impacting the lives of people all over the world will open their eyes. Really sad that all the deniers (so far) are from just 1 country. ;_;
I feel really bummed that climate change is going to change the earth. I mean, everything could get flipped on it's head. I think it's so sad. :( I feel like if we could make a campaign or do something to turn more denialists over to our side, we could make a difference. I know that coral reefs are being destroyed and hurricanes are being more forceful to our coastline states. Flooding is happening too and it's becoming more of a threat along with snow storms happening right now in the midwestern states. I mean, c'mon, that didn't used to happen!!!!!
In Germany there are longlasting heatwaves in summer and lack of precipitation all the year long. Winters without snow. Frequently severe storms or heavy rainfall causing strong floods especially in 2002 and 2013. Due to this weather conditions weakened forests are destroyed by bark beetles. Farmers lose their harvest. River transport isn't possible for months.
Our hurricanes in the us are getting more frequent. Here in CA our heat getting worse.
The BC-wildfires are crazier every year + longer dry Summers. I feel sad for the trees, they're loosing there leaves trough the year because of lesser water! but I love the "soft-wet" winters on Vancouver Island where live.
"Despite global warming being one of the major issues discussed at Davos every year, some 1,500 private jets are expected this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to an estimate from Air Charter Service, up from 1,300 last year." Do as I say not as I do...
The global discussion has the attitude of a 'religion': We have to believe and the master is distributing the guilty: We should not discuss this in Postcrossing without the harder facts (I don't talk about the mainstream facts).
As someone mentioned before: I personally do my best.
Ehm...I think blub blub blub? It Rising 2 meters will eventually pour over the dykes and I'm about 6 meters below sealevel right now. That's 8 meters of water I cannot breathe under.
I think politics should be kept out of Postcrossing. This is my hobby, which I use to de-stress. I have a degree in environmental science. I remember my first enviro professor who was an actual scientist working in the field. She said that all science reported in the news is junk science designed to shock and be sexy .. it's drama designed to make money and 90% of it isn't real. The climate is and always been changing naturally. If the climate remained stagnant, the earth would die. Places that are deserts today were once under the ocean. Antarctica was once green and full of life. Nothing stays the same. But people sure do know how to cause panic, make money and create religious zeal.
I could get on board this climate change movement if I saw our leaders leading by example...however, when it is claimed Miami will be under water in 10 years and President Obama purchases a $15 MILLION SEASIDE mansion on Martha’s Vinyard and he’s not concerned it will be under water in 10 years then I know it’s all a hoax...
I'm not American but I feel like surfclub66. In Europe we had a Little Ice Periode around 1550 or so. Everything was covered with ice and snow for months and months… That's life. Things change. Planet changes. It's hard, but you can't change evolution. Animal species die, other appear. Maybe we are one of the next disappearing species. Maybe not. We cannot always control everything!
Ok, we can do something about waste and plastic because this is our fault. When I see the plastic soup, I'm sad because it destroyes the nature and the animals.
And I also agree it is not really a subject for our postcards. It's too politic and may cause disputes. I was surprised when I saw this theme...
Of course, climate changes -as it has done many times.
Fully agree with surfclub66 , mapa and nm_rochound. One or two serious eruptions we make our damage look like child's play.
So, let's stay with Postcrossing:)))
I'm old and they have been scaring us since I was a child. The theme changes every couple of decades. Research it.
Found a really great comic strip about this, just wanted to share: https://xkcd.com/1732/
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