Food shortages are everywhere

[GeordieGirl]

17 hours ago, coolbrz731 said:

Add Washington state to that list.  They'll fine you if they catch you collecting rainwater without a very expensive permit

There isn't an emoji that expresses my feelings about this. It's insane. 

[Qapla]

7 hours ago, BLEmom said:

What are they afraid of with harvesting water off a roof?

 

Colorado has long had water concerns. Their water restrictions and regulations go all the way back to the 19th century (perhaps before) when farmers/ranchers diverted streams and rivers to use the water. Doing so causes those downstream to have less water. There were range wars over such practices.

 

Some places, like Colorado, do not usually get that much rain for the whole year and they rely on the rainfall and snowfall (melt) for watering the entire state. Colorado gets 17 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. When people catch the rainwater, it has the same effect as diverting the waterway - it makes for less water for others to be able to use.

 

In an area where it is common for there to be a limited amount of water available for all to use, they become protective of those resources - sometimes with regulations that those who don't live in such water-starve areas don't understand.

 

I know here in Florida; our annual rainfall (40-60 inches per year) is in such proportions that catching rainwater is encouraged - if we get a hurricane, we have even more rain.

 

BTW - My Dad was from Colorado and one of my Uncles used to be a "water management" agent.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Qapla

[BLEmom]

10 hours ago, Qapla said:

 

Colorado has long had water concerns. Their water restrictions and regulations go all the way back to the 19th century (perhaps before) when farmers/ranchers diverted streams and rivers to use the water. Doing so causes those downstream to have less water. There were range wars over such practices.

 

Some places, like Colorado, do not usually get that much rain for the whole year and they rely on the rainfall and snowfall (melt) for watering the entire state. Colorado gets 17 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. When people catch the rainwater, it has the same effect as diverting the waterway - it makes for less water for others to be able to use.

 

In an area where it is common for there to be a limited amount of water available for all to use, they become protective of those resources - sometimes with regulations that those who don't live in such water-starve areas don't understand.

 

I know here in Florida; our annual rainfall (40-60 inches per year) is in such proportions that catching rainwater is encouraged - if we get a hurricane, we have even more rain.

 

BTW - My Dad was from Colorado and one of my Uncles used to be a "water management" agent.

 

 

I can understand not allowing water diversion for streams etc. What is difficult is water off my roof. If I am using it to water my plants, isn’t that just saving the water I would use from a hose?  Is there an element of them wanting the income from paying for water?

 

I live in the southeast. We get plenty of rain but I harvest for my patio plants. I almost never run out even in the heat of summer. 
I would love one of those in ground tanks with a pump. Then I could harvest and keep larger quantities. But a 55 gallon drum will do. Lol

[hatcheckgirl]

Climate change again, affecting food production this time India.  They suffered with very high temps in the mid 40sC in March and April, which has drastically affected the wheat harvest.

 

"An unusually early, record-shattering heat wave in India has reduced wheat yields, raising questions about how the country will balance its domestic needs with ambitions to increase exports and make up for shortfalls due to Russia's war in Ukraine.

 

Gigantic landfills in India's capital New Delhi have caught fire in recent weeks. Schools in eastern Indian state Odisha have been shut for a week and in neighboring West Bengal, schools are stocking up on oral rehydration salts for kids. On Tuesday, Rajgarh, a city of over 1.5 million people in central India, was the country's hottest, with daytime temperatures peaking at 46.5 degrees Celsius (114.08 Fahrenheit). Temperatures breached the 45 C (113 F) mark in nine other cities.

 

But it was the heat in March — the hottest in India since records first started being kept in 1901 — that stunted crops. Wheat is very sensitive to heat, especially during the final stage when its kernels mature and ripen. Indian farmers time their planting so that this stage coincides with India's usually cooler spring."

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20220430-heat-wave-scorches-india-s-wheat-crop-shatters-records-and-snags-export-plans

Edited May 1, 2022 by hatcheckgirl

[Lee49]

What is the most watered plant?

Spoiler

 If you said grass (lawns ) you are right

[hatcheckgirl]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-07/russia-ukraine-war-covid-and-climate-change-food-crisis/101015366
 

The factors outlined in this article for food shortages include the big “Cs” - conflict, covid and climate change. How governments are managing this is further causing food shortages.

 

Restricting exports of commodities so as to protect the local economy obviously affects global supply. The disruption to fertiliser supplies (mostly from Russia, Belarus and China) is also going to affect quantity of food production.

 

So many factors are coming together now to cause this perfect storm of food shortages.

BUT!

 

'There's plenty of food to go around'

But Dr Frick said it was important to remember the world was not facing a food production crisis.

 

"We have a distribution crisis, we have people who cannot afford food that would be available on the global market," he said.

 

"They are competing in their food needs with richer countries who often take the available grains as fodder for animals or turn that even into biofuel."

 

Dr Frick said there were solutions, especially since the world wasted more than a third of the food that is produced globally.

 

"If we can manage more fair, more equitable distribution of the food, and help poorest families to be able to buy and access food, we can solve this crisis."

 

Humans are not fit to govern themselves - Jer 10:23

[GeordieGirl]

On 5/7/2022 at 6:14 AM, hatcheckgirl said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-07/russia-ukraine-war-covid-and-climate-change-food-crisis/101015366
 

The factors outlined in this article for food shortages include the big “Cs” - conflict, covid and climate change. How governments are managing this is further causing food shortages.

 

Restricting exports of commodities so as to protect the local economy obviously affects global supply. The disruption to fertiliser supplies (mostly from Russia, Belarus and China) is also going to affect quantity of food production.

 

So many factors are coming together now to cause this perfect storm of food shortages.

BUT!

 

'There's plenty of food to go around'

But Dr Frick said it was important to remember the world was not facing a food production crisis.

 

"We have a distribution crisis, we have people who cannot afford food that would be available on the global market," he said.

 

"They are competing in their food needs with richer countries who often take the available grains as fodder for animals or turn that even into biofuel."

 

Dr Frick said there were solutions, especially since the world wasted more than a third of the food that is produced globally.

 

"If we can manage more fair, more equitable distribution of the food, and help poorest families to be able to buy and access food, we can solve this crisis."

 

Humans are not fit to govern themselves - Jer 10:23

I know this is slightly OT as mainly not food, but it is related.

 

My son, not in the truth, works for a waste management company.  He is registered to deal with the medical waste side of things but during the times he is in the yard, he sees the amount of stuff that comes through to be destroyed, which includes clothing, blankets and other bedding, along with a lot of other useful stuff.  He is disgusted at how wasteful this country is and says so much of the stuff that is sent to be destroyed could be given to the homeless. 

What is even worse is that so much of this stuff comes from government owned AFP (Australian Federal Police) and border force, when they confiscate stuff that is brought into the country or acquired illegally. And it gets sent to the Eastern states, at high cost to be incinerated.

 

As Lucy says above - humans are not fit to govern themselves!! Jer 10:23

Edited May 8, 2022 by GeordieGirl

[Friends just call me Ross]

The UN's forecast for famine in the near future...  

 

 

[Hugh O'D]

On 5/6/2022 at 11:14 PM, hatcheckgirl said:

Dr Frick said there were solutions, especially since the world wasted more than a third of the food that is produced globally.

This lot was found on a cage in the warehouse of my shop, I hasten to add it's a separate building from the part I work in. It was put on a cage, stuck in the warehouse and ignored until it was out of date. All to be thrown into the bin.

 

Fortunately the guy doing it thought "Hugh would eat out of date chocolate 🍫" so I was able to save about 26.6 kilograms of it. (not a typo). A bit more was also put out for other staff, the guy doing the waste knew that if it had been handled differently (especially if certain managers had been around) almost all if not all of this would just have been dumped. So yes, I fully believe the problem isn't supply, it's gross mismanagement.

 

[hatcheckgirl]

And then there’s the war….

 

Mr Putin denied Moscow was preventing Ukrainian ports from exporting grain.  But Ukraine's ports in the Black Sea have been largely blocked for exports since the conflict began. Kyiv and its allies blame Moscow for blockading the ports, which Ukraine has mined to prevent a Russian amphibious assault.

 

Over 40% of grain consumed in Africa comes from Ukraine and Russia.

 

The UN crisis coordinator has said a grain shortage could affect 1.4 billion people in Africa and trigger mass migration.  And it already bad for them because the war has exacerbated already existing shortages in Africa caused by bad harvests and insecurity. 😢

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-61685383

 

We know Jehovah will never let his servants starve looking for bread, but it is going to be unbelievably hard for our brothers in Africa especially.

Edited June 5, 2022 by hatcheckgirl

[Doug]

On 4/30/2022 at 4:01 PM, BLEmom said:

I can understand not allowing water diversion for streams etc. What is difficult is water off my roof. If I am using it to water my plants, isn’t that just saving the water I would use from a hose?  

Just to illustrate the contrasting rules:  Where I live we have the renown Lake Tahoe.  This is one of the most protected lakes in the country.  The prevailing theory is that all water falling in the basin will cause erosion and eventually find its way into the lake.  So, the local government has made rules that all water (snowmelt included) that falls on your property must not be allowed to run off your property. Capture it. This is accomplished with the right ground cover and permeable hardscape.

 

Literally, the exact opposite to your (and Colorado's) situation.

[Thesauron]

And then there’s the war….
 
Mr Putin denied Moscow was preventing Ukrainian ports from exporting grain.  But Ukraine's ports in the Black Sea have been largely blocked for exports since the conflict began. Kyiv and its allies blame Moscow for blockading the ports, which Ukraine has mined to prevent a Russian amphibious assault.
 
Over 40% of grain consumed in Africa comes from Ukraine and Russia.
 
The UN crisis coordinator has said a grain shortage could affect 1.4 billion people in Africa and trigger mass migration.  And it already bad for them because the war has exacerbated already existing shortages in Africa caused by bad harvests and insecurity.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-61685383
 
We know Jehovah will never let his servants starve looking for bread, but it is going to be unbelievably hard for our brothers in Africa especially.

Do you mean that Jehovah’s witnesses will never starve?

[Hugh O'D]

22 minutes ago, Thesauron said:

Do you mean that Jehovah’s witnesses will never starve?

Quote

Psalms 37:25

was once young and now I am old, But I have not seen anyone righteous abandoned, Nor his children looking for bread

Quote

Matthew 6:31,32

So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Balanced with

Quote

2 Corinthians 11:27

in labor and toil, in sleepless nights often, in hunger and thirst

Starvation is more severe than hunger.

 

Witnesses may not be able to eat every day, if there's poverty and hunger we will face this too and some are now. But starvation, Jehovah and Jesus are both quite clear in this.

 

The one exception would be concentration camps and the like, I suppose that comes under the heading of open persecution and we're not promised protection from that.

 

That said, I worry about our hungry brothers and sisters and their families and include them in my prayers, that's encouraged, but I don't worry about starvation.

[Thesauron]

Starvation is more severe than hunger.
 
Witnesses may not be able to eat every day, if there's poverty and hunger we will face this too and some are now. But starvation, Jehovah and Jesus are both quite clear in this.
 
The one exception would be concentration camps and the like, I suppose that comes under the heading of open persecution and we're not promised protection from that.
 
That said, I worry about our hungry brothers and sisters and their families and include them in my prayers, that's encouraged, but I don't worry about starvation.

Are concentration camps the only exception?

In fact, David himself as a fugitive lacked food at times. But he did not have to beg. That is the idea in Ps 37:25. Anxiety over these things could not extend his life, only Jehovah could, and he did.

If there is famine in our area, we are not immune always. But we can still remain spiritual, happy people.

[Dages]

The year text... everything will be fine.

Jehovah will provide love and peace and joy. We will be able to endure.

[Hugh O'D]

4 hours ago, Thesauron said:

Are concentration camps the only exception?

I said

5 hours ago, Hugh O'D said:

The one exception would be concentration camps and the like, I suppose that comes under the heading of open persecution and we're not promised protection from that.

 

4 hours ago, Thesauron said:

If there is famine in our area, we are not immune always

Define "not immune". Let's approach this another way.

 

4 hours ago, Thesauron said:

, David himself as a fugitive lacked food at times. But he did not have to beg.

We may be quibbling over words here.

 

Starvation is generally applied to where people are dying from hunger. @hatcheckgirl and I were saying we were not going to see faithful brothers starving to death due to this year's food shortages. Jehovah and Jesus both guaranteed this . We said nothing about one's not going hungry.

 

Examples:

1) There was a terrible man made famine in Ethiopia in the 80's, horrific death rate. When we had a Year Book dealing with that famine the Brothers who died were murdered by opposers, not killed by starvation.

 

2) Mike Pottage was a missionary in Zaire for twenty five years before being reassigned to my congregation in the 90's. He knew of brothers being murdered or dying from disease, but he never once heard of one dying from starvation despite the extreme difficulties most faced.

 

@Thesauron Are we in agreement here?

[Thesauron]

We may be quibbling over words here.
 
Starvation is generally applied to where people are dying from hunger. [mention=5044]hatcheckgirl[/mention] and I were saying we were not going to see faithful brothers starving to death due to this year's food shortages. Jehovah and Jesus both guaranteed this . We said nothing about one's not going hungry.
 
Examples:
1) There was a terrible man made famine in Ethiopia in the 80's, horrific death rate. When we had a Year Book dealing with that famine the Brothers who died were murdered by opposers, not killed by starvation.
 
2) Mike Pottage was a missionary in Zaire for twenty five years before being reassigned to my congregation in the 90's. He knew of brothers being murdered or dying from disease, but he never once heard of one dying from starvation despite the extreme difficulties most faced.
 
[mention=7786]Thesauron[/mention] Are we in agreement here?

Starvation does not occur anywhere in the Bible. It is a severe form of hunger that we might be subjected to in certain areas. Of course, we are taught to be wise when it comes to handling food and economy, and that helps a lot.

Famines occurred, and Jehovah’s servants were not immune to them.

Now, will we die from starvation? We will never have to beg for food, that is true, but are we immune to the effects of food shortages, including starvation and hunger at times? No, but we cannot add a single second to our lives by being anxious about tomorrow.

My point is, we might well feel the devastating effects of severe food shortages in our areas, but we can trust in Jehovah that he has not and will not forget about us.

The family in this video starved from time to time: https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=share&wtlocale=E&lank=pub-jwbcov_201905_9_VIDEO

[Lee49]

The news reported this morning that " even if you have a stable income with plenty of money in the bank, you can't buy what isn't available " ! So true, I'm still looking looking for corn starch that is on the wife's shopping list - HELP!  

 

[Hugh O'D]

2 hours ago, Hugh O'D said:

Starvation is generally applied to where people are dying from hunger. @hatcheckgirl and I were saying we were not going to see faithful brothers starving to death due to this year's food shortages.

 

2 hours ago, Thesauron said:

My point is, we might well feel the devastating effects of severe food shortages in our areas, but we can trust in Jehovah that he has not and will not forget about us.

 

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-no1-2016-january/do-not-be-anxious/

 

Quote

If God provides food for birds and clothes flowers with beauty, will he not provide the necessities of life for humans who make his worship a priority in their life

If you or your family are starving to death then you should consider begging for bread.

 

Mike Pottage, who I mentioned above, did District work as well as Branch work. He saw many who could only feed their children once every two days, they were careful to feed them before the meeting so they would focus on the spiritual food, not think about physical food. But he never heard of any witnesses dying from starvation. That is the point I'm making.

 

HOWEVER

 

2 hours ago, Thesauron said:

The family in this video starved from time to time: https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=share&wtlocale=E&lank=pub-jwbcov_201905_9_VIDEO

Quote

Sometimes we spent several days starving, with nothing to eat.

Ok @Thesauron, the Society uses the word "starving" so you are correct to say that Christians can be affected by "starvation".

 

Again @hatcheckgirl did add

 

14 hours ago, hatcheckgirl said:

it is going to be unbelievably hard for our brothers in Africa especially.

so I think you were both describing the same thing, but again, you were correct on the use of the word "starve".

[Lee49]

And then as if food shortages alone aren't enough for Australians this has to happen - 

KFC switches to cabbage mix in Australia due to lettuce shortage

 

[Pabo]

1 hour ago, Lee49 said:

And then as if food shortages alone aren't enough for Australians this has to happen - 

KFC switches to cabbage mix in Australia due to lettuce shortage

 

I am amazed they haven't yet resorted to using rabbits in amongst of chicken.

 

This was done at the one of the Illawarra Region stores many years ago.

 

 

[hatcheckgirl]

Lettuce in the West is still available in the supermarkets, but at around $4 each. We were not affected by the East coast floods, but KFC may be sourcing their ingredients in bulk from the East, so maybe that’s why it’s nationwide lettuce/cabbage combo (cabbage is expensive too).

[Lee49]

6 minutes ago, hatcheckgirl said:

cabbage is expensive too).

During one shortage here I went to the local grocery store, the wife wanted a head of cabbage, there was only one left and it was organic, a large one, sold by the pound of course, when I went to pay it was $10 - 🤑 I bought it! ;-(

[Hugh O'D]

22 hours ago, Lee49 said:

the wife wanted a head of cabbage... when I went to pay it was $10 - 🤑 I bought it! ;-(

What the wive wants she gets.

[hatcheckgirl]

“Food processors say Australia's gas crisis is threatening the country's food security.  Spiking gas prices have put pressure on energy-intensive businesses such as food processors. The gas crisis might make it harder for food producers and processors to supply Australia.

 

Food manufacturers want an immediate gas reserve for domestic use

They say the high price of gas is set to push up the price of food and could even disrupt its supply. "Our gas bill has gone from $135,000 a month to $900,000 a month," CEO Jamie Higgins told the ABC.
 

That means everyday customers will soon see higher prices for food. 
 

The (energy) industry said it has already been supplying extra gas.

But a cold snap, flooding in Queensland's coal mines and outages at coal power plants have forced electricity generators to buy most of it.”

 

See how far away Australia is to the war in Europe, and yet a different set of perfect storm circumstances will bring food shortages due to sky high energy prices? They are trying to wean off coal for climate change but are not able to do it as the hikes in energy prices will stop industry. Yet we are a major gas and energy producer! (What hope for other energy dependent countries! 😱).

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-09/food-processors-warn-gas-crisis-could-shut-them-down/101138228