Knowing how to read the news about the climate and the signs in your garden

Very hot summers, mild winters, early spring, sudden and heavy rains. We are slowly getting used to the manifestations of the new climate, yet there is nothing normal about these events. However, the signs the Planet sends us are often difficult to interpret. Knowing how to read the news about the climate, as well as knowing how to understand the signs of nature, is essential to get a clear idea of the situation we are in, the things we can do, and the time we have at our disposal to stop global warming. Even our own gardens, in their own small way, speak and show the symptoms of climate change. Read our in-depth article to get a clearer idea about this topic and to learn how to read the news and the signs of the planet and your garden.

1. The difference between weather and climate
2. Not a normal summer heatwave
3. Extreme weather events
4. Your garden also shows you the signs of climate change

The difference between weather and climate

One of the most common mistakes in interpreting climate-related terms is the confusion that is often made between weather and climate. Weather concerns the observation of limited events, confined to certain geographical areas and short periods of time. Climate, on the other hand, is global, or refers to large areas of the planet, and depends on an average calculated from meteorological observations spanning decades. Weather, therefore, is merely a temporary condition and is not necessarily representative of the climate.

This distinction is important because very often anomalous meteorological phenomena are interpreted as if they were somehow indicative of the state of climate change. A particularly cold winter, or a late spring, are not signs that global warming is reversing or, even, does not exist. They are momentary events, anomalous peaks or, simply, transient meteorological events. When talking about climate, it is necessary to observe the long-term trend. But then, what is the right way to interpret and understand these phenomena?

Not a normal summer heatwave

Heat is the meteorological manifestation we most commonly associate with global warming. But to understand to what extent a heatwave is anomalous, we should not only ask how many degrees it reaches, but, above all, how long it lasts and how often this event repeats.

During the summers of recent years, it has often happened that temperature peaks were reached that broke previous records of temperatures never before recorded in certain places and periods. What we need to keep in mind, however, is that peaks can be momentary anomalies and that they do not necessarily repeat. What we need to observe, instead, is the trend.

During recent summers, temperatures are being recorded that are 8-12°C higher than the average of the last 30 years. Global warming has made heatwaves more frequent, increasing their frequency by as much as 5 times, and has made them last much longer.

Extreme weather events

Our climate, once Mediterranean and mild, is becoming tropical. This means that, in addition to heatwaves and the general increase in temperatures even in winter, extreme weather events are also becoming increasingly frequent.

Therefore, not only heatwaves and droughts, which we easily associate with global warming, but also floods, like those seen last spring, and decidedly anomalous tornadoes and hailstorms, like those that caused a great deal of damage this summer.

Hailstorms and floods are perhaps the anomalous events that can most easily mislead us. By commonly associating climate change with heat, we may think that such events are actually a sign of improvement. But that is not the case at all.

An atmosphere characterized by warmer temperatures is able to hold much more water vapor, which accumulates in unusual quantities, and then is released all at once, causing torrential downpours and, when there are enough currents, hailstorms and strong winds. Even in this case, it is not the event itself that signifies climate change, but the frequency with which these events occur. Which, especially during this period, is unequivocally increasing.

Your garden also shows you the signs of climate change

It is not only the weather that provides these clues, but our gardens are also easily filled with signs of climate change. Knowing how to interpret and recognize everything nature tells us, even just through the clues we find in our own green space, is essential.

Here are all the ways your garden tells you to be aware of the effects of climate change.

Early blooming: if temperatures are higher on average, spring arrives early and, sometimes, at exactly the wrong time. Flowers that bloom earlier than expected, spring plants that start to sprout even in autumn. These changes do not only lead to early blooming, but also disrupt the growth cycle of vegetable plants, ultimately damaging the harvest.

Disruption of flora and fauna: if temperatures change and the climate is altered, native species may not withstand the new conditions and may not survive. In their place, plants and insects typical of other climates may appear, now easily adaptable to our territory.

Confused pollinators: if the presence of bees and other pollinating insects is proof of a healthy garden, cared for without chemical agents and rich in biodiversity, their absence is a symptom of an unstable ecosystem, which can also cause serious problems for the health of the garden. It can also happen that bees appear earlier than usual for their annual pollen stores.

Observing these anomalies in the garden's behavior shows us that the effects of climate change, even in our daily lives, are becoming increasingly evident. It is our responsibility to do everything possible to stop its advance, so as not to compromise the future of the human species and the Planet itself.