From 2 billion to 7 billion and then...

In 1951, the year of my birth, there were 2,58 billion people.  Today it is 7.6 billion.  No wonder everything is crowded and resources are being used up.  I had wondered if I should have a more positive view towards the future, but this seems to say it all.  This many people today are not doing a good job of living 'with' the planet.  Can you imagine how much better or worse it will go with more people? The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released their Climate Change report yesterday. It is what brought my attention to the population plight. That report gave 2030 as the defining year by which action must be taken. The well-used number for the maximum population that the earth can sustain is said to be 10 billion people.  It is based on food resources.  The common statement is that 2050 is the year that will happen. The statement goes:  "By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 9.1 billion, and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that at that point, the world would need to produce 70% more food than today to feed all those people." This is considered contentious by the American Council on Science and Health.  They are pro-industry, but fact-based, and they think the 70% increase is an inflated number, along with the prediction discounting the advances in technology, and that it disregards the drops in population that are happening. The Economist says it is not time to panic yet - that the number of hungry people has fallen, that eliminating waste will raise food production by 60% or more, and so on. So the pros and cons for the maximum population are debated. Yet isn't that date looming near for those who will be alive in 2050? Anyone 18 years old today will be 50 years old then - perhaps just over half way through a typical lifespan.  And think of 2030 - those born in 2000 will only be 30 years old.  I wonder what our young people think of these urgent messages and concerns and how they will deal with them as the urgency grows. We are looking at the Sunnylea garden in an August rain.

Back in Business

There weren't many birds flying in the last few weeks.  After the rain, yesterday, there were flocks flying about.  I found this out when I processed the bottom picture, and had to remove dozens of little black spots on the horizon.  They looked like dust not birds flying.  So in the matter of days, the wild field grasses and the domestic grass across the street are back to green.  I am hoping our environment is back in business. Our pictures today are looking west from the Martin Road greenhouses, near the Lake.  It looks like a pastoral scene that could be anywhere in Ontario.

Bee Friendly

The bugs were out yesterday after the rain.  With the recent lack of water and the heat there weren't many bees or bugs flying about.   It was a quick change yesterday.  The double rainfall brought a sprouting of seeds too - and aren't they mostly our most robust weeds - so quick to spread and sprout.  As I research 'the ethical gardener' theme, I find that bees love dandelions, plantain and clover - so not mowing the lawn until after they bloom is kind to bees.  How does an urbanite balance between the perfect, manicured lawn and the environmentally friendly environment? Perhaps we can take an alternative path - planting bee-friendly trees. I find out that there are varieties of trees that are bee friendly.   I've never had these delicacies: black locust makes a honey that is almost water-white.  Tulip poplar nectar is reddish and highly prized, and linden makes a pale, delicately flavoured floral honey. So planting nectar-rich trees is another way of supporting our pollinators.  In my own garden is a prized pollinator tree.  It is the Heptacodium miconidoides - Seven Son Flower tree.  It is full of bees at the end of the summer when it has dense white clusters of flowers.  It is one of Paul Zammit's picks at the Toronto Botanical Gardens for the pollinator garden.  Find out more about the TBG pollinator garden.

Wind Storm Warning

What makes a wind storm warning more significant in the late fall than in the spring? The Tree Expert told me last year.  He said that it is the trees who have suffered some decay or stress during the summer that are the ones prone to problems.  Heavier winds start to occur in the fall, and that's what causes limb failure. Of course there's the possibility of trees uprooting.  How many inches of rain make the soil wet enough that the roots come undone? The experts say that drainage is the major concern rather than rain fall.  Did you know that roughly 90% of a tree's roots are in the upper 18" - 24" of soil? How do you know if a tree in your yard is at high risk for falling?  The expert says:  look at the tree and its environment.  Is the tree leaning? Has the leaning increased in recent years? Is the crown healthy - root problems are often reflected in crown condition.  Are there noticeable cracks in the trunk? These are all signs of weakness and stress. We'll see what today's high wind warning produces.  Today's photos of fall colours in Charles Daley Park are filtered through rain patterns on the car windshield that we experienced yesterday.