It was easy to lose track of seasons during a homebound 2020. But, new research on changing weather should prompt us to pay attention to the seasons, and on our observations.
Research in Geophysical Research Letters found that California’s rainy season now begins a month later than it did 60 years ago. A delay in rain means a longer wildfire season, and worse water shortages. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that in Texas, the Midwest and the Southeast, warmer air and increased carbon dioxide emissions have created pollen seasons that start 20 days earlier than they did 30 years prior. These seasons are also more severe, with 21% more pollen.
A future of tinderbox forests, or house-rattling sneezes: both sound dire. Thankfully, we can avoid ever worsening seasons by making a meaningful personal change today: Going vegan. Oxford Martin School research found that a global switch toward eating fruits and vegetables, and away from meat, would reduce food-related greenhouse-gas emissions by two thirds, avoid climate-related damages of $1.5 trillion, and save 8 million lives by 2050.
For a free vegan starter kit, visit www.PETA.org.
Jessica Bellamy, The PETA Foundation, Norfolk, Va
