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Effects of the Climate Crisis in England and Sussex
Whilst the UK has not seen the dramatic flood, fire and temperature rises on such a scale as some parts of the world, there is no shortage of worrying news.
Flooding
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The August heat wave ended with many areas in the south experiencing heavy down pours and flash flooding, including a Burgess Hill Tescos. It is well documented that the UK's climate is getting warmer and wetter. 2022 had already seen flooding in Shropshire and Derbyshire from storm Franklin.
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Severe and widespread flooding in February 2020 was due to storms Ciara and Dennis, arriving only 1 week apart.
Agriculture & Food Price Rises
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Compounding the wheat and cooking oil shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the world wide draught has reduced growth of this years crop and threatens the planting of next year's.
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Climate change and emissions pose significant risks to production and food security. As a consequence of unusual weather patterns associated with climate change, wheat yields in 2018 were 7% below the 2016 to 2020 average, and in 2020 were 17% below that average. Ozone in the low atmosphere has a separate, ongoing effect on yields; total economic losses for wheat, potato, and oilseed rape in the UK caused by damage due to ozone may have been over £185 million in 2018, with more than 97% of losses occurring in England.
Wild Fires
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The summer heat waves saw field fires in Turners Hill, Worthing, Fishbourne and Burgess Hill (pictured above).
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Ashdown Forest and South Downs management teams have gave warning of the tinder dry conditions as the start of August alone saw West Sussex fire crews tackle over ten glass land fires.
Air Pollution
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With most urban areas now exceeding limits set by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010, air pollution has an acute effect on people with existing heart and lung conditions while having a longer term effect of children and the elderly.
Bio-Diversity Loss
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"Since the 1970s, it has been shown that 41% of all UK species studied have declined.
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Some groups are faring worse than others. For example, 26% of the UK's mammals are at a very real risk of becoming extinct, while 22% of seabird species studied have declined in the last five decades.
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On a species level, the figures are even more shocking. Since the 1950s the number of hedgehogs have declined by 95%, while turtle doves have crashed by 98% and even numbers of the common toad have fallen by 68%. "