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Climate change has ravaged India’s rice stock. Now its export ban could deepen a global food crisis (www.cnn.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml
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Newly planted rice saplings have been underwater since July after torrential rain battered northern India, with landslides and flash floods sweeping through the region.

Last month, India, which is the world’s largest exporter of rice, announced a ban on exporting non-basmati white rice in a bid to calm rising prices at home and ensure food security. India then followed with more restrictions on its rice exports, including a 20% duty on exports of parboiled rice.

The move has triggered fears of global food inflation, hurt the livelihoods of some farmers and prompted several rice-dependent countries to seek urgent exemptions from the ban.

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[–] 38 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

Man, we are so utterly fucked. It's so damn frustrating that this is still just the very beginning of extreme weather caused by climate change. 10-20 years from now is going to be pretty fucking bleak for much of the world.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    We basically are. The only good news is that young conservatives believe in and want to do something about climate change, so when the current crop of oil-funded deniers die off, we have some hope to limit the damage. That said, I'm seriously considering moving up north away north as far away from the equator as possible, and to an area with fresh water and farmland.

    Then buying a gun. Never thought I'd need one after I left the Army, but as things get worse, I suspect that more violence will result due to scarcity and more likely: stress related to perceived scarcity that doesn't exist. It's always the fear that's more dangerous than the reality. We can probably get by with easy to grow, nutrient-dense foods that are boring to eat, like beans. It's the stress of not being able to eat "tasty" food that'll probably get people to snap. Gunfights over steak, etc.

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  • [–] 26 points 2 years ago

    If we're dependent in any way on "the next generation of conservatives" for anything, we should just stop any kind of hoping now.

    There is no validity, utility or future for conservatism. We can't address the issues we have in this world till that philosophy is dead and buried.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    That said, I’m seriously considering moving up north away north as far away from the equator as possible, and to an area with fresh water and farmland.

    Just move to a civilized, developed country. The places best prepared to deal with climate disasters are the countries that can throw money at it. Desalination plants, hydroponics, border security, police, army - this is what will let you survive, not fresh water and a gun. This crisis will put pressure on every country. Countries up north have to import a lot of food and also have issues with drought (look at UK), disappearing permafrost (Russia, Sweden) and immigration (UK again).

    The only good news is that young conservatives believe in and want to do something about climate change,

    No. Almost no one, except maybe the most progressive young people, wants actually do anything about it. To actually stop climate change we would have to seriously lower average standard of living in a developed countries. We would basically have to shrink the entire economy, put most people on some sort of UBI, and make sure they have basic necessities and not much more. No one is ready for this. Most people are not even willing to switch to electric cars because it will take them a bit longer to drive 800km when they go on holiday twice a year. Nothing will be done.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    You are spreading disinformation.

    Climate change can be significantly reduced or prevented entirely while maintaining or improving the quality of life for everyone except perhaps for the elite.

    1. A rapid transition to 100% renewable electricity, which is considered to be very achievable with current technology.
    2. Transition to electric-powered systems for heating, most likely ground or air source heat pumps, and investment in insulating buildings.
    3. Rapid substitution of private cars for cheap, clean, comfortable, electric-powered public transport, wherever possible.
    4. The transition of the majority of over-land shipping to using electric rail rather than road.
    5. The transition to cleaner fuels or electricity for oversea shipping.
    6. Globally transitioning to a diet which is almost entirely plant-based.

    None of these steps is particularly hard or expensive. Around a trillion (1,000,000,000,000) dollars are invested in fossil fuels annually which is money that could be put to better use right at the outset.

    If the economic, political or societal structures we have makes the execution of these changes difficult or impossible, then it falls to us to bring about a change in those structures.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    I think you're a bit delusional. All those things take years if not decades. Where I lived they struggled to get rid of carbon furnaces because:

    • lobbying from manufacturers
    • a lot of people that use those live in social housing so it's city's responsibility and city didn't have money for it
    • even with subsidies changing a furnace is a big cost so people were avoiding it
    • people were uncertain about the new regulations and future prices (what do you install? electric? gas? pellet? which one will be cheaper in 5 year time?)

    It's not enough to theoretically have money for something. To actually implement it you have to overcome a lot of opposition and people will strongly oppose to :

    • electric cars - just look at comments anywhere. "What? I will have to charge my car for 30 minutes instead of 10? Unacceptable." (I do have an electric car)
    • heat pumps - same, people complain that they might not work ideally when it gets very cold once a year. (I do have an heat pump)
    • plant based diet - people do like their meat

    Everything else will require lots of money and time. Those are huge project and implementing them will take decades. What will happen to truck drivers? How long will it take to replace current ships fleet? Where will you get all the lithium from? People are protesting new mining projects in Europe and USA. People are even complaining that the entire country side is being covered by solar panels.

    Yes, we have money to do it all but the change will be slow and we've run out of time already.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I was once told that anyone who claims that they agree with your idea, but they think it isn’t feasible because “average people wouldn’t accept it” is either astroturfing or ignorant. From the head spinning levels of disinformation in the original post, it’s pretty clear which side you fall on.

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  • [–] -5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    No way you were in a combat related occupation and didn't own a personal firearm. If you had a desk job then what was the point of mentioning the Army?

    I call bullshit.

    edit: It's been over 24 hours and he's done nothing to displace my assumptions. This isn't my first day on the internet.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    some pretty insane assumptions there mate

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  • [–] 0 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    some pretty insane assumptions there mate

    Perhaps, something about it set off my bullshit radar.

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