September 22, 2021

The beginning of Autumn, this year, has occurred two days after the Harvest Full Moon.

Traditionally — in New England where we are located — the harvesting of crops that would provide sustenance throughout the upcoming colder seasons was an activity of major importance.

Although harvest season is still important locally, we are now looking at a vast interconnected global market wherein (for example) grapefruit from South Africa and avocados from Peru are regularly the supply in our local markets — instead of arriving from relatively nearby Florida.

Transportation, which is a primary factor in the movement of food — whether regionally or globally — is increasingly becoming congested, problematic and unreliable.

Just as food from afar was not a concern years ago, so too environmental issues, beyond local, were not a large consideration because the basics for both survival and comfort were provided within small regions.

Now, however, we are seeing the wide-ranging impact of natural phenomena.  During this year’s summer season, the impact of natural phenomena and weather anomalies escalated considerably over 2020 and this increase continues.

Forest fires in the western US exceeded the previous year’s record-breaking acreage before the forest fire season officially began.  Affecting millions of acres, the fires are ongoing and, ironically, are no longer newsworthy.  There are even larger fires in Siberia and Brazil.  Aside from loss of wildlife, and millions of mature trees, the forest fires are affecting the air quality globally — including the amount of oxygen available for breathing.

Volcanic activity also continues to add particulates to the air, as well as sulphur dioxide and other pollutants.  The increasing particulates in the air are affecting the amounts of rainfall and hail in numerous places for which this kind of weather is unusual.  Flooding and hail damage is widespread.

While flooding is severe in some areas, drought is severe in others.  In California, for example, one hundred thousand acres of rice was not planted this year because of drought.  Elsewhere in California, thousands of almond trees have died because there was not enough water to support them.  These are two among many examples of the effects of widepread drought globally.

What is often forgotten is that all human activity on Earth is supported by Nature’s world, over which humans ultimately have little control.  With extremes increasing, the best that can be done is adaptation to new circumstances.

When a harvest of common sense parallels the increasing extremes, intelligent simplicity may significantly contribute surprisingly effective solutions.