Climate Experience:
Lemon grower experiencing massive fruit drop, trees dropping about 50 unripe lemons per day.
Explanation:
- Fruit drops are caused by drought stressed trees trying to ensure survival,[1]temperatures over 37 degrees will lead to fruit drops.[2]
- Heat waves have been getting more intense with January temperatures nearly 6 degrees above the long term average (mean temperature of 37.4, thereby above threshold to avoid fruit drops).[3][4]
- The region has had 20 out of the past 21 years above average temperatures.[5]
Ramifications:
What can be done?
- Email your local MP and tell them that action on climate is important to you and explain the impacts being felt in your area. One email might not feel like much but most politicians consider it to be representative of 100 citizens.
- Get involved with local groups taking action on climate, in this community look out for Wodonga Albury Towards Climate Health (WATCH) group.
- Help support the Act on Climate collective by donating; we are leading the charge for climate action. Your donation helps in advancing policies that prevent climate change from getting worse, we aim to empower communities and build a strong pro-climate-action constituency that governments can’t ignore, and as an added bonus it’s tax-deductable.
- Get involved with Act on Climate. We meet every Monday at 6pm (upstairs at 312 Smith St, Collingwood) and welcome all newcomers to join in the fight for climate justice. If you are unable to attend, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the latest campaign.
* We aim to keep our material as accurate and as relevant as possible. Working with climate science, a field that is being constantly updated, keeps us on our toes. Information on this site was gathered on June 1 2019; if you notice information that needs updating please let us know. For the full reference list please see the following.
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[1]Athena Hessong, “Citrus Problems of Immature Fruit Falling From the Tree,” SF Gate, updated December 10 2018, https://homeguides.sfgate.com/citrus-problems-immature-fruit-falling-tree-45090.html
[2]Sandra Hardy, “Growing Lemons in Australia–a Production Manual,” New South Wales, Australia: NSW Department of Primary Industries (2004).3-17.
[3]“Wodonga Climate”, Weather Zone, accessed April 23 2019, http://www.weatherzone.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=82056
[4]“Albury-Wodonga January 2019 Daily Weather Observations”, Bureau of Meteorology, published April 17 2019, http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/201901/html/IDCJDW2002.201901.shtml
[5]“Australian Climate Change Site Data – Rutherglen”, Bureau of Meteorology, access April 23 2019, http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/hqsites/site_data.cgi?variable=maxT&area=aus&station=082039&dtype=anom&period=annual&ave_yr=0
[6]Deuter, “Defining the Impacts of Climate Change on Horticulture in Australia.”, 2-5.