How do we adapt to climate change in the UK?

[EstoyRobandoSuCasa]

Some of us are still trying to prevent the worst effects of climate change and some of us aren't interested, but we're all going to have to adapt to it.

The hotter, drier summers are leading to water shortages, crop failure, more fires, and heat-related illnesses. Our buildings aren't designed for this climate and this is the first summer I've seen our local schools really struggle with the heatwaves (we're in the South). I don't know how we should adapt our buildings, as air-conditioning units use a lot of energy and make their own contribution to climate change by releasing refrigerants and hot air.

The wetter winters increase the risk of flooding and sadly, due to the difficulties of storing huge amounts of water, this increased rainfall doesn't cancel out the summer droughts (at least not yet).

The melting of the Arctic sea ice is weakening the Gulf Stream (part of AMOC). This may lead to the UK and the rest of North-Western Europe experiencing colder, harsher winters more akin to those of the coastal regions of Canada.

Being an island nation, the UK is particularly vulnerable to any rise in sea levels and according to some climate projections, my own area could be underwater by 2050 (which I find difficult to believe, but it's worrying nonetheless).

So what should we do? I did read an article about how an estate in Somerset managed to stay green during the drought thanks to rewilding, not that I understood exactly how this worked.

Rewilded land remains green amid drought-stricken English countryside, images show | Rewilding | The Guardian

Its a hoax - dontcha know?

Seriously though. The best way, imo that we can approach it is to take individual steps to actively avoid further degradation.

Plus we need to accept we are past the point of no return and take the appropriate steps to future proof our lives and properties. Including rain water harvesting and dispersal , solar and wind energy solutions for the home with long life battery capability. Education on basic crop management and animal husbandry in small spaces. Dietary changes- less farmed meat. Preserving and canning.

We need to adopt building practices which encompass all of the above including terrace and roof food sources used to cool and warm.

Its up to us and not governments now to make the inevitable future as liveable as possible

There is a lot we can do for very little money, just more considerate building & planting.

I have an overgrown garden with mature trees shading the north side of the house, and the southern boundary. The north end of the house was cool this summer, never got above 25 degrees and didn't need air con. My garden stayed mostly green and provided shade for local wildlife.

We need to plant a lot more trees in urban environments. They hold on to moisture and keep the air cool.

All new houses in our parish are required to have solar panels and at least one tree per garden, with any new developments (housing or commercial) being surrounded by a 10m margin planted with trees. Natural water courses should be protected and replanted with willows to reduce flooding and retain moisture.

I have a grey water system that diverts my shower water in to water butts for washing cars and watering gardens so I could water anything precious at zero cost and without waste.

Copying an idea from colonial-era buildings in the tropics, all homes should be built with windows east & west (our prevailing wind direction) to maximise through draughts.

I'd also adjust school/work hours for April - August. If everyone started at 8 rather than 9 and finish earlier, most people would be more comfortable, and we'd need less aircon.

The weather is getting harder to predict. The hotter summers are something we will have to get used to. I think one of the changes will have to be how we design our homes and towns. More trees and shaded areas ventilation in houses and ways to collect and reuse rainwater could make a noticeable difference.

It also seems sensible to make these changes before weather becomes the norm rather than waiting until people are struggling every summer. Small changes, at home are useful. I think planning for this when new houses and neighbourhoods are built could have an even bigger impact.

I think adaptions will end up being quite localised. But quick wins have to be not building on flood plains, planting more trees and looking at natural fire breaks. They have towns in other areas which the steeets are designed to flood so we could look at those. Everyone having waterbutts and some more reservoirs. Maybe lots of little local ones instead of massive ones

I dont know about high winds

Air con whilst it does use energy some are pretty efficient now and can be run off solar panels. They have less impact than heating does. So I think we wouldnt not heat a hospital or school so im ok with that. We cant say historically we had heating so thats neutral but now we need aircon its bad.

I think new homes can be designed differently but obviously we have houses from all different eras and retrospective changes are hard..

Crops wise I dont know. I really struggled with my garden recently as if I plant things that like hot dry weather, they hate the colder wetter winter. Im sure farmers know whats more likely to work. I think potatoes dont like it above 25 degrees..

Definitely more trees everywhere, and particularly in new developments. Not cramming houses in next to each other with nowhere for air to flow. I find it quite shocking walking through one near me, which appears to have been designed to facilitate car parking and no thought for rising summer temperatures or winter rainfall. It is all hard surfaces, high walls with acres of black tarmac and I’ll bet it was miserable this summer. Compared to where I live, just down the road, with small areas of woodland between roads and scrubby thickets with footpaths, but also lots of mature gardens (none of them huge) and I know where I’d rather be. And the irony is that new development is one of Charles’s.

We should be building houses with water storage and grey water processing, solar panels and passivehaus principles. But as long as developers have their eyes on profits and not future liveability/environmental impact, we’ll have these shitty, miserable developments.

Holding more water in the land is an interesting one as there are obvious conflicts with farming. But I suspect farmers are also thinking about the long-term viability of arable crops after this summer’s harvest. Agroforestry is something they should all be looking at; I don’t think there’s much of a future in these enormous fields that are easy to harvest, if that harvest is declining every year and the topsoil is disappearing in flood and wind events. There’s no resilience in the landscape which is why projects like Holnicote, Knepp etc are such a stark contrast to the neighbouring land in extreme weather conditions.

Lots to think about there, I’ll look up the Knepp project.

We’re currently looking into getting solar panels but I don’t think the deals are as good as they used to be. My parents got theirs several years ago and have a great feed-in tariff.

Does anyone know if we’ll be able to prevent the weakening/switch off of the Gulf Stream? I really hope that doesn’t happen!

Trees.

It's a no brainer.

We simply must plant millions of trees in every available and appropriate space.

More beavers

More trees

More solar panels

Stop building single aspect glass tank flats with no ventilation. Flats should ideally have a balcony, windows on more than one side and a way to shade the windows on the outside from the sun.

No it is impossible to implement an quick and effective change to prevent this kind of global flux of wind and ocean currents.

It is very difficult to predict anyway as there are so many continually oscillating factors pushing and pulling at every stage in processes such as this.

I always think of the world's climatic 'window' for safe human existence as a spinning plate on top of a pole. Any slight change in air flow, pressure, temperature etc could make it lurch wildly in any direction.
We are living in a wonderful window of time where most places on the planet are survivable. It won't last.
Nothing lasts forever.

Build more reservoirs in the sound & east.

Invest in water grids, tanker ships etc (whatever is most cost-effective) to move large quantities of water from the wetter parts of the country to the drier ones.

Invest in flood defences for the most vulnerable areas which flood repeatedly.

Stop catastrophising & enjoy the lovely hot summers.

It really isnt rocket science

More trees
Less hard landscaping
Every single new building should have solar panels on the roof
More reservoirs to be built
No leaks from water companies
Buildings to have ceiling fans as a priority over air con
New builds to have internal openers so that shutters can be fitted to the outside of houses

However, bear in mind, we are generally a cold country, so the country is not going to be built for heat, we dont want long narrow roadways and streets with high buildings creating shade because it causes a wind tunnel and is absolutely freezing at any other time of the year than a heatwave.

@Meadowfinch could you please tell me a bit about your grey water system, I'm quite interested in this

Most importantly choose carefully who you vote for and who you purchase from - choose those who are looking to address it.
On practical individual levels:
Switch to a green energy supplier
Look at solar panels/heat pumps if affordable
Reduce travel, walk and cycle, use public transport, consider hybrid/electric cars if affordable
Move closer to work, or try and get remote work
Plant trees or donate to tree planting schemes
Get a water butt
Reduce consumption, buy secondhand where practical
Grow food
Go veggie or vegan - or at least reduce the amount of meat and dairy you eat
Join a union!
Join/follow/support organisations who are campaigning on this.

Please run for government. You speak so much sense!!