Logan Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 In the department of Tarn (81) this week locusts have arrived in huge swarms and are feeding off the local produce, mainly maize. The current hot and humid climate has encouraged them to fly across from Africa. The authorities are baffled as to how to get rid of them so the have formed a committee to discuss the problem. By the time they agree a solution it may well be too late. Climate change experts have said the southerly French departments south of the Loire Valley are likely to have more hot dry summers and minimal rainfall in winter. Southern Spain will become an extension of the Sahara desert and uninhabitable. Meanwhile a group of Politicians have decided that the best way to deal with climate change is not to limit the burning of fossil fuels but in technology to reduce emissions. Guess who has this technology for sale? Yes, it's the USA. The Bush administration has refused any voluntary or mandatory agreements to limit their countries carbon emissions. They say technology can deal with it! Well they would say that. What about the emerging industrialised nations who can't afford the technology?In the interim here in France the canicule and the locusts reek havoc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deimos Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 You need to remember that the UK has a “Special Relationship” with the US. Thus, when it comes to discussing climate change, etc. the US did not invite the UK to its secret talks (over the last 12 months) – to the point where the UK was not even aware that these secret US/Australia/china/India/south Korea were even taking place.I guess we’ll find out what these countries agree between themselves later today.Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted July 28, 2005 Author Share Posted July 28, 2005 Read the latest on this link.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4723305.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 [quote]In the department of Tarn (81) this week locusts have arrived in huge swarms and are feeding off the local produce, mainly maize. The current hot and humid climate has encouraged them to fly across fr...[/quote]Not surprised they are now in the Tarn, the problem started in the Aveyron a month ago, They are not locusts but a much smaller white grasshopper. If they were locusts we could catch them and cover them in chocolate and eat them. Well they eat snails and frogs legs here so why not?They have driven out the crickets, they eat grass of which there is little anyway until we have some rain and other plants such as hydrangeas, The problem the authorities have is wholesale spraying of affected fields will kill all insect life, including butterflies, bees and ladybirds so at the moment they are being left alone. I do my bit every morning when I take the dog for a walk by tramping on them and disturbing them for the starlings which seem to like to eat them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRT17 Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 A couple of weeks ago in the Charente-Maritime(17) they had a plague of ladybirds. Fairly harmless one would think but there were reports of them stinging the visitors at the seaside.Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 And we had our second invasion of chenilles noires this year, not nice at all, fruit crops destroyed. We weren't so badly off here, but there were still LOTS of them about, yuck!Last year there were the, now what were they, gipsy-moth caterpillars. So many on the roads that cars were skidding on them!France is just a plaguey sort of place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 What are chenille noires? We have noticed a huge amount of insect life this year. We have tons of cigales this year and I think we have those locusts or white grasshopper things too. They are everywhere. I can't go out in the garden without being bashed by a dozen of them. I have no idea what they are eating here in our garden as everything is dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lollie Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 We are in La Baule, Loire Atlantique, and we have the grasshoppers here too I think, well I have found a few in the house and the kids keep running in saying they are all over the garden! Grasshoppers and tourists, lovely:Lollie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 Well they say every cloud has a silver lining and it seems those big black ones that have been lurking over our house for the past week clearly have. We don't have any locusts, ladybirds, chenilles noir or anything else, just lots and lots of raindrops!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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