CSIRO Identifies Seven Megatrends that will affect our future

Science & Environment Science & Environment: In The News
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The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has identified seven important issues that we have to deal with over the coming decades.

  • COVID and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have heralded a seismic shift in our near-future direction
  • Climate change is set to triple the cost of natural disasters in Australia without urgent government spending on resilience, according to the report
  • Food security will be a key challenge, with alternative protein sources necessary to meet growing demand

This will not just affect Australia but most of the world. The document can be found here

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Haven’t they already tried to encourage us to eat insects and stuff?

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Seaweed, no problem Laver bread is as old as the hills, I’ve been toying with the idea of using limpets too although so far I’ve not summoned up enough courage to give them a try.

Insects, no chance!

We have a plague of invasive signal crayfish in the UK .
I applied for a permit to trap them from The Environment Agency but due to staff shortages applications aren’t being processed which is rather frustrating.

Not many cacti to be foraged in Sussex at the moment, give it a few hundred years of climate change and things could change :slight_smile:

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You’ll be pleased to know that we have palm trees up here…just in case you need a bit of coconut cake with your tea! :joy:

And I wouldn’t eat insects either…crayfish yes.

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I sincerely hope you’re not suggesting that I help myself?
The Glasgow Botanic Gardens staff would have something to about that I’m sure!

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Erm…they line the streets? We sit in the Gulf Stream up here so especially in coastal towns, there are quite a few of them :palm_tree: :palm_tree: :palm_tree:

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I thought they were Cabbage Tree palms which are pretty hardy but apparently they are Windmill palms from China which grow in places were it snows so I doubt the Gulf Stream has much to do with their survival (I don’t know) and I also doubt they produce coconuts or dates, just seeds that make a mess. :icon_wink:

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@Bruce , Seeds are food!
Dates are seeds !
Coconuts are seeds !! Big ones !!
Mess is plastic !!!

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Oh dear Assman! once again comprehension has failed you. I didn’t say dates or coconuts weren’t seeds I said I doubted Windmill palms will produce them, they will merely produce seeds that will make a mess (all over the ground.)

But well done for taking an interest.

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No, you don’t know really. But well done for taking an interest…

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An absolute pleasure to have been able to contribute.

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Actually, you are correct in that they don’t have seeds (coconut or otherwise). I didn’t know they were called windmill palms either. (I was just kidding with chillieboot about the coconuts.)

I’ll see if I can dig out a photo or google something. :blush:

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@Bruce , l didnt say you did Brucy ??
I merely stated what seeds are ??:roll_eyes::roll_eyes::grin:??

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I know you were kidding, I was kidding too :slight_smile:

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It’s OK Assman you can stop squirming now.

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This gives more info :+1:

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Which of the Mega trends Identified by the CSIRO are they?

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Have I derailed again?..:face_with_hand_over_mouth: I do apologise, Bruce I can see Climate change being a huge problem actually…because food will be affected by the weather, as will adeqate housing, so to me anyway…thats the biggest fear.

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I will point out that a Chusan Palm is just another name for a Windmill Palm

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What are the other 4?