Posted on 02/19/2020 2:35:09 PM PST by Red Badger
At a Glance
A mature swarm of locusts entered South Sudan this week.Warmer temperatures and more rain have contributed to the outbreak.Some swarms are the size of cities and can move up to 90 miles a day.
The locust outbreak plaguing East Africa has now reached South Sudan as swarms the size of cities continue to move across several countries, fueled by extreme weather and changing climate patterns.
"Studies have linked a hotter climate to more damaging locust swarms, leaving Africa disproportionately affected 20 of the fastest warming countries globally are in Africa," Richard Munang, United Nations Environment Programme expert on climate and Africa, said in a recent interview posted on the agency's website. "Wet weather also favors multiplication of locusts. Widespread, above average rain that pounded the Horn of Africa from October to December 2019 were up to 400 per cent above normal rainfall amount."
The heavy rains were spurred by a cyclic shift in sea surface temperatures called the Indian Ocean Dipole, known as the El Niño of the Indian Ocean.' The pattern also led to a record level of tropical cyclone activity in the North Indian Ocean, which some researchers have linked to climate change.
(WATCH: Billions of Locusts Descend on Kenya, Threatening Food Supply)
The locust plague is the worst in Kenya in 70 years, and in at least 25 years for other parts of the region. The swarms can move up to 90 miles a day and strip all vegetation in their path, threatening the food supply for millions of people.
"While climate change is a global phenomenon, Africa stands out for its vulnerability which is driven primarily by the prevailing low levels of socioeconomic development," Munang said. "Persons living in poverty face compounding vulnerabilities to climate change impacts because they lack the resources to quickly recover from its effects. In this case, desert locusts are ravaging crops in the field before harvesting, wiping out livestock and wildlife feed, and with them savings, assets and livelihoods."
A mature swarm of locusts entered South Sudan from Uganda on Monday, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Locust Watch. The movement is especially alarming because half of South Sudan's population already faces food shortages.
Aerial spraying is the most effective way to stop locusts, but aid agencies say there is not enough equipment or funding to adequately beat down the swarms.
Eggs laid by the swarms as they move are expected to hatch in the coming weeks and weather conditions remain favorable for more breeding, according to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's Climate Prediction and Applications Centre. The agency warned that countries in Eastern Africa should brace for a second round of locust invasions in the next one to two months.
I can see that happening-it has happened with bird strikes...
It is racist to suggest that Africa utilize the same chemicals that were used on Boston and NYC.
I noticed articles about this a few weeks ago and posted on a thread about it.
They were in the billions.
Getting into larger swarms now are they?
Another pestilence is that beer virus.
I switched to dos equis, not taking any chances...
double yikes
This has been happening periodically for all of recorded history, and then some. Blaming it on ‘climate change’ is completely freaking insane.
Save us Godzilla!
At dusk the noise they make must be deafening. ;-)
[The locust plague is the worst in Kenya in 70 years]
Maybe if they tossed Hillary to the Obama statue - wait make that Indonesia - wait, tossing Hillary might make it worse.
(if there’s just one Obama statue that is - in Indonesia)
There are probably several all over the world, LOL
Earthquakes....check
Famines........check
Pestilences....check
Fearful Sights..........ABCNNBCBS Fake News
Great signs in the Heavens........... Coming Soon?.............
I think there is a near earth asteroid coming soon.
That would be interesting!..................
Sands of the Kalahari is not a bad movie worth watching if you have never seen it. Stanley Baker character is closest to “hero” of the story, but mostly all characters have their strengths and weaknesses. Good story about human interaction in bad situation. Locusts only show up at start of movie, other than human faults, main protagonists are baboons.
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