Has Global Warming Affected Northernmost Thailand?

[brahmburgers]

The trickle of avcados that come in to Mae Sai from Shan State Burma used to dry up about early September. Here it is mid-December, and we're still seeing a few in the markets. Though it should be said that the quality of avos is poor - and that's most likely due to the fact that Burmese farmers plant bunches of seed and it's unlikely they graft superior strains on rootstock, so the resultant fruits run the whole gamut from decent quality on to crumby quality ...on to dismally inedible. Much like the pomelo harvest which has also been stretched out several months longer than usual because of mild weather. Quality of pomelo (think; mild non-peeling grapefruit) also varies drastically - and even the 'trained eye' can only get an approximation of quality from looking at the unpeeled fruit.

More on avos: If you do an internet search, and it will say that hundreds of hectares of northern Thailand are devoted to avocados. I don't know where they get that pap smear, but it's untrue - unless there are hidden orchards with all the fruit secreted out at night in disguised trucks. The reality is there are very few avocado trees in northern Thailand - and the only avos in Thai marketplaces (that I've seen) are at sidewalk (no table) vendor in Chiang Rai who gets poor quality fruits from Burma. I grow avos from seed (none in nurseries) but still have several years to go until they're mature enough to fruit. I've got about 50 trees - all types (experimenting).

addendum;

sincerely sorry to hear about Maizefarmers serious accident. Anyone who can coordinate an open forum about bore holes in Thailand has got to be one cool cat. Seriously though, his wife mentioned (in her contribution to the forum) that he is actively seeking to make things less hassle-prone for farang who want to do small scale farm-related things in Thailand. I would assume that includes composting (rather than burning) and organic (rather than pesticide-laden) - anyhow, those are two of my particular interests - and I wish him a speedy recovery.

[chownah]

Specifically in regards to your question about global warming I think that the extreme variability of weather in general from year to year makes detecting the effects of global warming impossible by casual observations over a few years.

Chownah

[francois]

hi'

just wait for far worse in the next 20 years or so

severe water missing, random raining season and globaly warmer

15 years ago, when the temp reach 100°f, it was in may in full dry season and was a kinda record!

look now, in Isaan 42°c is april may and june is common

you should try to find a documentary called "an inconvenient truth", it's well explained ...

we leave a real dirty world, "if some left" to our children

francois

Edited December 14, 2006 by francois

[johnh101]

I recently read "An Inconvenient Truth", very sobering read it was too. One of my American friends dismissed it as "Pinkie Propaganda". Sad statement from a native of a country that has only 5% of the worlds population yet produces 30% of the world's greenhouse gases.

Look at the facts over the last 50 years and look at the signs today; hedgehogs not hibernating in the UK, daisies flowering in Moscow in December, birds not flying south for the winter, hurricanes, typhoons, the melting ice caps.......it goes on and on.

We, the Human race, are only tenants on this planet and pretty soon if we don't shape up we will be evicted!

Rant over !

[lannarebirth]

I recently read "An Inconvenient Truth", very sobering read it was too. One of my American friends dismissed it as "Pinkie Propaganda". Sad statement from a native of a country that has only 5% of the worlds population yet produces 30% of the world's greenhouse gases.

Look at the facts over the last 50 years and look at the signs today; hedgehogs not hibernating in the UK, daisies flowering in Moscow in December, birds not flying south for the winter, hurricanes, typhoons, the melting ice caps.......it goes on and on.

We, the Human race, are only tenants on this planet and pretty soon if we don't shape up we will be evicted!

Rant over !

Well, I planted about 250 trees this year and I guess I'll plant a couple hundred more next year. Built some check dams and planted some "Kings" grass to inprove water retention in soil and to reduce erosion, per the King's sustainable economy plan. What did you do besides rant?

Edited December 14, 2006 by lannarebirth

[johnh101]

What kind of <deleted> of a question is that ?

God, I just wish I was as wonderful as you think you are !

[lannarebirth]

What kind of <deleted> of a question is that ?

God, I just wish I was as wonderful as you think you are !

I think you took away the wrong message from my post. I don't like those things you mentioned any more than you do, but I can't do anything about that. I'm working on my own little corner of the world instead. If everyone did, it would create the change we wish for.

[johnh101]

I have 'worked' on every little corner of the world I have lived in, please don't assume we are all indifferent to what we can do.

[lannarebirth]

I assumed nothing in my posts. Given your replies I'm now assuming a couple of things, but 'll keep those to myself.

[chownah]

What kind of <deleted> of a question is that ?

God, I just wish I was as wonderful as you think you are !

First: Your post is pure flame.....there is nothing in your post about the topic of discussion.

Second: I think that the question is very easy to understand.....he was asking what you have done in a constructive way to help to solve the problems that you have brought to our attention. I wish we were both as wonderful as you think he thinks he is.

Chownah

Edited December 16, 2006 by chownah

[solent01]

The climate is also starting to have an adverse effect on citrus fruit farms in my area, our last harvest was 45% down, and many farms are struggling with trees not coming in to blossom at all. It may be getting closer to that time of switching our crop to para.....

[brahmburgers]

Here are a few suggested ways farmer types might adjust to the unknowns that 'global warming' may spring upon us in the near future.

Plant a variety: therefore if some crops prove untenable (if they tank) and others prosper, we'll at least be halfway ahead of the game.

SOME DROUGHT TOLERANT CROP PLANTS: thornless opuntia (prickly pear) for animal feed. Jojoba plant for valuable oil used in cosmetics. There's a desert plant whose berry oil is can be used for diesel fuel, but I can't recall its name. Date palms, sugar palms, epiphyte cactus (for their edible pink flower bulbs), and pomegrante (among others) - are useful. Roots from Agave Mexicana (large turquoise colored succulent) are the ingredient for tequila, but who wants to make liquor and contribute to the problems of imbibers' ? Aloe vera. Any other suggestions are appreciated. There's always cacti and other succulents which can be sold as ornamentals.

[texpatriate]

I recently read "An Inconvenient Truth", One of my American friends dismissed it as "Pinkie Propaganda".

Look at the facts over the last 50 years...

I agree with your friend it's propaganda.

You can't cherry pick data and call it science.

As far as the the last 50 years go, well there is this new science called geology you should look into

I mean what, the earth is 5 billion years old, and on it's third atmosphere?We came out of 400 years of global cooling

that ended in around 1850 so I would expect a slight warming trend after that.It's interesting that temperatures

dropped from 1920-1940.Over the past 100 thousand years the earth has experienced at least four abrupt climate changes.

To look at the "facts" over the past 50 years and assume that disaster is looming is absurd.

Global warming is a crack pot theory based on tabloid science.If you hand pick your data and intentionally ignore all of the

inconvienent truth you could claim that the earth may have warmed 1 degree over the past hundred years.

Twenty years ago the eco-facists were predicting we were on our way to a nuclear winter from all of the air pollution.

You people should really make up your mind Are you aware that Anartica is getting colder? With the exception of one ice shelf

(about 2 percent of Anartica) that has been melting for the past 6000 years.

I suppose that you believe cavemen burning their fires in caves ended the last ice age?

Or perhaps that musket fire in the American Civil War ended the 400 years of global cooling that ended in the 19th century?

Don't get me wrong I think reducing pollution is a good thing.All I'm saying is that there is zero evidence that we human beings can change the earths climate.If global warming is such a such a sound theory why is there no hard science to back it up?

-Texpatriate (industrial extremist and bane of dirty hippies everywhere)

Edited January 9, 2007 by texpatriate