Friday, March 05, 2021

National Trust Climate Change Threat Map

This has appeared today and been mentioned on the BBC News site.

It's created using ArcGIS mapping from ESRI.

Visit the map here. A web app.

National Trust director for land and nature Harry Bowell said: "This map is a game-changer in how we face the threat climate change poses to the places we care for.

"While the data draws on a worst-case scenario, the map paints a stark picture of what we have to prepare for. But by acting now, and working with nature, we can adapt to many of these risks."

The charity says staff are already taking action to cope with rising temperatures:

Heat-tolerant plants are being grown at Ham House in London, which the map warns could often face 40C (104F) heat by 2040
At Lyme Park in Cheshire, which was hit by a major flood in 2019, trees are being planted on moorland to slow the flow of water and reduce flooding risks
At Mount Stewart in County Down, where rising sea levels have contributed to coastal erosion, a shelter against incoming water has been made
At Malham Tarn, in the Yorkshire Dales, where a 18th-Century barn collapsed due to soil shrinkage, teams will plant trees and use specific plants to manage the water table

The map plots the impacts of extreme heat and humidity, landslides, coastal erosion, shrinking and shifting ground due to wet and dry conditions known as "soil heave", and high winds, in 2020 and 2060.
Take a look and see how your own home area fares.

Wednesday, March 03, 2021

Thought for the Day

“A map is the greatest of all epic poems. Its lines and colors show the realization of great dreams.” Gilbert H. Grosvenor