All because you drove a fossil fueled vehicle instead of taking the bus
Climate change affecting chestnut production in Portugal
Speaking to the news agency Lusa, Manuel Gonçalves explained that while spring featured balanced temperatures and a stable temperature-to-humidity ratio, a heatwave brought the chestnut tree flowering period—which typically occurs in July—forward, disrupting pollination.
“The chestnut flowering was very rapid, accompanied by intense heat; it didn’t allow the bees to forage—the plants simply didn’t provide the opportunity for the bees to collect nectar,” he said, noting that the flowering was “so fast” that some trees “began to bloom in the morning, and by the end of the day, the blossoms were completely dried out.”
In contrast to last year, a “decent” year for this type of honey, this year has seen losses of 80% to 90%. Beekeepers are harvesting only “a quarter of a super”—about two kilograms per hive—whereas an ideal yield would be “10 to 12 kilograms per hive.” According to the association’s president, this affects approximately 200 beekeepers within the Montesinho Natural Park.
It’s horrible that weather happens during a Holocene warm period. I wonder how they did during the Little Ice Age?
