Latest news with #Earth.org
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
US farmers scramble as heavy rains devastate key crops: 'It's going to be rough'
In a summer of weather extremes across the United States, farmers near Pittsburgh are contending with vast amounts of rainfall. CBS News shared Dan Yarnick's story; his field of sweet corn was submerged, and 40 of his 250 acres were flooded. What's happening? Pittsburgh has received 22.66 inches of rainfall this year compared to its year-to-date average of 20.36 inches, according to RainDrop. May received 5.73 inches, and June received 6.30. Farmers throughout the region have been struggling with the extra rain. Jim Lindsey told the Herald-Standard that his farm ran behind schedule this year because of all the rain. Mark Duda told the Herald-Standard that "It's been the complete opposite of last year and it's been incredibly challenging." These challenges impact not only the farmers' livelihoods but also international food supplies. Why is extreme weather important? Human-caused climate change is exacerbating extreme weather conditions around the world. Scientific consensus agrees that human activity, particularly the pollution of the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, has led to unprecedented changes in the climate. These changes can supercharge extreme weather events and natural disasters. Farmers worldwide have been struggling with the effects of extreme weather on their crops. These phenomena have struck Italy's cherry crops, Turkey's seasonal fruits and vegetables, and Brazil's citrus crops. Those are just a few elements of the food supply that are suffering from the impacts of climate change. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. When these crops fail, farmers cannot sell them, putting their income in jeopardy. It also raises the cost of groceries, as there are fewer of these items. What's being done about climate change? Many governments around the world signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, which expressed the countries' pledges to limit pollution and try to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Governments are also implementing programs to help farmers who lose crops to natural disasters. In the United States, the Department of Agriculture offers the Disaster Set-Aside Program, which allows farmers to move repayment dates on loans to avoid some of the financial burden while they focus on recovering from a failed crop. According to farmers are adopting all kinds of strategies to adapt to the challenges of climate change, including modeling tools, new water management strategies, and sustainable and climate-resilient crop varieties. Farming was already a tough profession, and it doesn't seem to be getting any easier. "It's going to be rough," Yarnick told CBS News. "We need some sunshine. We all need it, and the crops need it." Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Record
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
How do wildfires start as Turkey evacuates 50,000 people during monster blaze
Fires have been ravaging Turkey over the weekend, causing a busy airport to completely close. A fast-moving wildfire has caused the closure of a major Turkish airport as well as the evacuation of some 50,000 people from five regions of the country. An inferno broke out on the borders of Menderes and Seferihisar districts of Izmir on Sunday, June 29, which caused flight operations at Adnan Menderes Airport to be completely halted. The majority of the 50,000 evacuees are from Izmir, which appears to have been hit the hardest by the natural disaster. It comes as Europe faces a staggering early summer heatwave, with temperatures soaring to sweltering heights. Temperature warnings have been issued for parts of Portugal, Italy and Croatia for the current heatwave, with numerous amber warnings covering areas of Spain, France, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia and Switzerland. Spain saw the mercury hit a piping 46C on Saturday, June 28, according to the BBC. But as the Turkey wildfires cause widespread concern and temperatures remain worryingly high across Europe, questions are being raised on what exactly causes a wildfire, and what circumstances make a piece of land more susceptible to catching alight. Here's everything you need to know. What causes a wildfire? Like any fire, a wildfire requires three factors: Dry fuel (leaves, grass, branches, and other organic materials) Oxygen (in the air) Heat (to ignite and burn) When high temperatures have dried out the land, a natural ignition such as a lightning strike can cause the earth to catch fire, according to There are two types of lightning - cold and hot. While cold lightning strikes occur rapidly and are less likely to cause a fire, hot lightning lasts a longer period of time, allowing the land to catch alight. Human activities can also start wildfires, such as a cigarette butt tossed into dry grass, a vehicle fire, sparks from machinery, or campfires that go out of control. Climate change and wildfires While many wildfires are caused directly by human action, the increase in lightning storms and drier land can be blamed on human-induced climate change. The current heatwave in Europe, which can be linked to the current wildfires in Turkey, as well as the recent wildfires that ravaged the Greek island of Chios, is directly linked to climate change. Scientists reported earlier this month that so far, humans have caused the planet to heat up by 1.36C above levels of the late 1800s. Dr Friederike Otto, associate professor at Imperial College London, told the BBC:"Countless studies have shown that climate change is an absolute game-changer when it comes to heat in Europe, making heatwaves much more frequent, especially the hottest ones, and more intense." In recent years, wildfires have torn through countries all over the world, including Australia, Canada, the US, and even here in Scotland, in what describes as a 'wildfire pandemic'. So, what can we do to prevent wildfires caused by global warming? The global environment website states: "Every action to mitigate climate change and slow down global warming can effectively reduce the risk of extreme weather events such as lightning strikes and thus decrease the chances of wildlife fires." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Farmers fight for survival amid Mother Nature's recent wrath: 'Does keep you up at night'
Perhaps more than ever in modern history, it's a stressful time to be a farmer. The Guardian recently dove into the particular challenges facing European farmers in the face of prolonged drought. "Farmers across northwestern Europe are waiting with bated breath for fresh rains as typically drizzly countries such as the U.K., Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany suffer through what may be their driest spring in a century," the Guardian reported. And said that last month was the second-warmest May on record in the region, which is now "exceptionally dry." Of course, farmers know how to deal with the occasional drought. "We farmers are resilient," one farmer in Germany, Sven Borchert, told the Guardian. "But dry spells are always stressful." And unfortunately, these droughts are anything but occasional. With global temperatures continuing to rise because of human-driven pollution, weather patterns are changing — and this has spelled bad news for farmers. Hendrik Jan ten Cate, a Dutch farmer, told the Guardian that in 2018, severe drought crippled his onion yield to 10% of what it usually is. This year, he's watching his fields anxiously and hoping for rain. "There are questions, such as how you'll pay back the bank, that does keep you up at night," he said. The key concern is the fact that these droughts are part of a pattern, not an isolated series of incidents. In fact, with changing temperatures, weather of all types is growing more severe, erratic, and frequent — from hurricanes to tornadoes, droughts to sudden floods. And when it comes to growing crops and raising livestock, severe and unpredictable weather is the last thing anyone wants. "If rain comes soon, perhaps we'll see losses of 20%-30%," German farmer Peter Boysen told the Guardian. "If no rain comes, it will of course be much worse." An analysis by the insurance firm Howden found that extreme weather costs the European Union roughly 28.3 billion euros — the equivalent of $32.7 billion— in lost crops and livestock per year. That's approximately 6% of its total food production that ends up squandered. More than half of those losses are due to drought. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. And even worse for EU farmers, less than a third of these weather events are generally insured, meaning they can't recoup their financial losses in any way. The issue of disaster insurance has become increasingly complicated as insurers pull out of high-risk areas, leaving residents and businesses high and dry without a safety net in the face of an emergency. And for consumers, a more limited food supply means higher prices in grocery aisles. The farmers interviewed by the Guardian shared that they are looking into multiple ways to adapt, including looking into planting more drought-resistant crop varieties, investing in large-scale rainwater storage, and installing drip irrigation. Governments and insurers are also looking into possible reinsurance plans — insurance for insurers — in order to provide more comprehensive coverage for farmers in the event of a loss. And ultimately, reducing erratic weather means dramatically reducing human-generated carbon pollution, which falls on governments to regulate, corporations to scale back, and consumers to invest. "In the short term, though, farmers across Europe see little choice but to wait for more rain," the Guardian concluded. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Green crusaders
Manya Harsha This 12-year-old environmental educator from Bengaluru has written seven books on conservation, conducts workshops on water conservation for children, and creates sapling plantations across the city. She also runs a journal, Sunshine Fortnightly, and is an active vlogger with her own YouTube channel, The Little Environmentalist. Her stellar work has won her many accolades, such as the Rising Star Award by (Earth Day Network India) and Jal Shakti Ministry's Water Heroes award. Mannat Kaur An 18-year-old from Delhi, she invented a new filtration system that purifies gray water, which is usually generated through washing machines, kitchen sinks and bathrooms, producing reusable water for home washing and gardening. She has also conducted ground-level water audit surveys to understand the issues people face around gray water recycling at home. She was the first Indian to compete in the International Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2024 with her invention. Karnav Rastogi Based in Mumbai, this 16-year-old is a prolific writer, who has published 11 books on plastic pollution and climate change. He has also conducted workshops on plastic waste management to promote sustainable lifestyles and plastic reduction. He has received international recognition for his work. He was named the UN Environment Programme Tide Turner Plastic Champion at 11 years and is one of the few activists from across the world to have been conferred with the prestigious Messengers of Peace Hero Award, presented by World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), in 2022. Haaziq Kazi A 19-year-old from Pune, Kazi designed a ship prototype that can remove plastic waste from the surface of oceans. At the age of 11, he delivered a talk on 'Cleaning Our Oceans' at the TED Ed platform. Kazi conducts workshops for better plastic waste management through Ervis Foundation, which he founded to spread awareness and educate the public about threats to and conservation of the marine ecosystem. Through this organisation, he conducts workshops and talks by experts on problems facing marine habitats.
The Advertiser
05-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Advertiser
There's history in that old pair of cargo pants
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to The small hole on the seam gave pause. I realised this faithful pair of cargo pants had lasted longer than World War II. Their roomy pockets carried the daily essentials. Phone, wallet, glasses, notebook and pen were all accommodated. Even the tiny drone for sneaky aerial snapshots. I've lived in them for years, through overseas adventures and chores in the garden, through fire and flood. And, once that hole is patched, I'll live in them for a few more. They're the polar opposite of fast fashion. Indeed, they're not fashionable at all. But for practicality and durability, they can't be beaten. They weren't cheap but their longevity confirms the old adage that you get what you pay for. They also point to the false economy that is fast fashion. Clothing waste is a global issue. In Australia alone, we produce about 300,000 tonnes of it each year. Some is recycled, some is exported but a lot of it ends up in landfill. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10 per cent of the microplastics which end up in our oceans. It accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's wastewater. estimates the water required to make one T-shirt in enough to slake one person's thirst for 900 days. In Chile's Atacama Desert, the mountain of discarded clothing is so huge, it's visible from space. A lot of it comes from the US, where it's estimated a garment is worn only seven to 10 times on average before it's discarded. That's a reduction in, say, a shirt's lifespan of 35 per cent in 15 years. Stumbling on this information reminded me of a face-palm moment in the newsroom some years ago. A young reporter was agonising over what to wear to an upcoming social event. "Didn't you buy a new dress a couple of weeks ago?" I asked her. "Oh, I couldn't possibly wear that," she replied. "I've already socialled it." A handful of Instagram likes and the frock was made redundant. A riffle through my wardrobe revealed a snapshot of recent history. Gone were the pre-COVID business shirts and ties, the suits and the shiny shoes - thanks to working from home, the corporate armour is now superfluous. In their place, a colourful collection of Hawaiian shirts, shorts and one linen suit bought on a whim from a tailor in Thailand for summer. Sweaters and coats for winter. And cargo pants. Apart from the Hawaiian shirts, which get a couple of workouts a year in Asia, and a toasty warm, safety yellow parka bought for me as a present, every item is getting on and yet I feel no compulsion to replace them. Not even the same type of cargo pants as the old trusties, recently offered at a discount, could sway me. Vowing instead to patch the hole, I realised I've embraced slow fashion. And that's liberating. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you have a favourite item of clothing you've worn for years? Is quality more important than price? As you've grown older, have you changed your clothes burying habits? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A man has been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the whereabouts of missing teenager Pheobe Bishop, almost three weeks after her "suspicious" disappearance. - Independent Nicolette Boele has claimed the last remaining seat of the federal election after winning a closely fought recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield. - A shaky public spending handover has stalled Australia's post-COVID-19 recovery, with economic growth slowing to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of the year. THEY SAID IT: "Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity. Everybody's buying far too many clothes." - Vivienne Westwood YOU SAID IT: The best winter escape, wrote John, is a pile of good books. Grant has some kind words: "I don't know if you're writing the Great Australian Novel but your beautiful and evocative account of the joys of winter indicates you should! Your respectful use of our language is appreciated, and should be shared on a broader canvas." Jan is reading Flinders by Grantlee Kieza, about the exploits of Matthew Flinders. She, too, has noticed winter changing: "Winter is rapidly becoming all too brief as the years go by. I love the reprieve from the stifling, relentless and parching heat of summer and the (albeit diminishing) promise of snow in the mountains not too far away. In 2024, we had four weeks of barely usable snow cover instead of the traditional four months of a decade or more ago." Ancient Rome has Ros captivated. Like John, she is engrossed in a Tom Holland history, Rubicon, about the decline of the Roman republic: "It is chilling indeed to see the clear parallels between the dying days of the Roman Republic and what is happening in a contemporary Republic with worldwide influence and impact." Ian reads all year round, for at least an hour a day. "At the moment, I'm halfway through Mawson by Peter FitzSimons. A beautifully written and rollicking yarn, it is best appreciated being read in the middle of a Canberra winter with the heating turned off and all the windows open." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to The small hole on the seam gave pause. I realised this faithful pair of cargo pants had lasted longer than World War II. Their roomy pockets carried the daily essentials. Phone, wallet, glasses, notebook and pen were all accommodated. Even the tiny drone for sneaky aerial snapshots. I've lived in them for years, through overseas adventures and chores in the garden, through fire and flood. And, once that hole is patched, I'll live in them for a few more. They're the polar opposite of fast fashion. Indeed, they're not fashionable at all. But for practicality and durability, they can't be beaten. They weren't cheap but their longevity confirms the old adage that you get what you pay for. They also point to the false economy that is fast fashion. Clothing waste is a global issue. In Australia alone, we produce about 300,000 tonnes of it each year. Some is recycled, some is exported but a lot of it ends up in landfill. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10 per cent of the microplastics which end up in our oceans. It accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's wastewater. estimates the water required to make one T-shirt in enough to slake one person's thirst for 900 days. In Chile's Atacama Desert, the mountain of discarded clothing is so huge, it's visible from space. A lot of it comes from the US, where it's estimated a garment is worn only seven to 10 times on average before it's discarded. That's a reduction in, say, a shirt's lifespan of 35 per cent in 15 years. Stumbling on this information reminded me of a face-palm moment in the newsroom some years ago. A young reporter was agonising over what to wear to an upcoming social event. "Didn't you buy a new dress a couple of weeks ago?" I asked her. "Oh, I couldn't possibly wear that," she replied. "I've already socialled it." A handful of Instagram likes and the frock was made redundant. A riffle through my wardrobe revealed a snapshot of recent history. Gone were the pre-COVID business shirts and ties, the suits and the shiny shoes - thanks to working from home, the corporate armour is now superfluous. In their place, a colourful collection of Hawaiian shirts, shorts and one linen suit bought on a whim from a tailor in Thailand for summer. Sweaters and coats for winter. And cargo pants. Apart from the Hawaiian shirts, which get a couple of workouts a year in Asia, and a toasty warm, safety yellow parka bought for me as a present, every item is getting on and yet I feel no compulsion to replace them. Not even the same type of cargo pants as the old trusties, recently offered at a discount, could sway me. Vowing instead to patch the hole, I realised I've embraced slow fashion. And that's liberating. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you have a favourite item of clothing you've worn for years? Is quality more important than price? As you've grown older, have you changed your clothes burying habits? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A man has been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the whereabouts of missing teenager Pheobe Bishop, almost three weeks after her "suspicious" disappearance. - Independent Nicolette Boele has claimed the last remaining seat of the federal election after winning a closely fought recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield. - A shaky public spending handover has stalled Australia's post-COVID-19 recovery, with economic growth slowing to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of the year. THEY SAID IT: "Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity. Everybody's buying far too many clothes." - Vivienne Westwood YOU SAID IT: The best winter escape, wrote John, is a pile of good books. Grant has some kind words: "I don't know if you're writing the Great Australian Novel but your beautiful and evocative account of the joys of winter indicates you should! Your respectful use of our language is appreciated, and should be shared on a broader canvas." Jan is reading Flinders by Grantlee Kieza, about the exploits of Matthew Flinders. She, too, has noticed winter changing: "Winter is rapidly becoming all too brief as the years go by. I love the reprieve from the stifling, relentless and parching heat of summer and the (albeit diminishing) promise of snow in the mountains not too far away. In 2024, we had four weeks of barely usable snow cover instead of the traditional four months of a decade or more ago." Ancient Rome has Ros captivated. Like John, she is engrossed in a Tom Holland history, Rubicon, about the decline of the Roman republic: "It is chilling indeed to see the clear parallels between the dying days of the Roman Republic and what is happening in a contemporary Republic with worldwide influence and impact." Ian reads all year round, for at least an hour a day. "At the moment, I'm halfway through Mawson by Peter FitzSimons. A beautifully written and rollicking yarn, it is best appreciated being read in the middle of a Canberra winter with the heating turned off and all the windows open." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to The small hole on the seam gave pause. I realised this faithful pair of cargo pants had lasted longer than World War II. Their roomy pockets carried the daily essentials. Phone, wallet, glasses, notebook and pen were all accommodated. Even the tiny drone for sneaky aerial snapshots. I've lived in them for years, through overseas adventures and chores in the garden, through fire and flood. And, once that hole is patched, I'll live in them for a few more. They're the polar opposite of fast fashion. Indeed, they're not fashionable at all. But for practicality and durability, they can't be beaten. They weren't cheap but their longevity confirms the old adage that you get what you pay for. They also point to the false economy that is fast fashion. Clothing waste is a global issue. In Australia alone, we produce about 300,000 tonnes of it each year. Some is recycled, some is exported but a lot of it ends up in landfill. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10 per cent of the microplastics which end up in our oceans. It accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's wastewater. estimates the water required to make one T-shirt in enough to slake one person's thirst for 900 days. In Chile's Atacama Desert, the mountain of discarded clothing is so huge, it's visible from space. A lot of it comes from the US, where it's estimated a garment is worn only seven to 10 times on average before it's discarded. That's a reduction in, say, a shirt's lifespan of 35 per cent in 15 years. Stumbling on this information reminded me of a face-palm moment in the newsroom some years ago. A young reporter was agonising over what to wear to an upcoming social event. "Didn't you buy a new dress a couple of weeks ago?" I asked her. "Oh, I couldn't possibly wear that," she replied. "I've already socialled it." A handful of Instagram likes and the frock was made redundant. A riffle through my wardrobe revealed a snapshot of recent history. Gone were the pre-COVID business shirts and ties, the suits and the shiny shoes - thanks to working from home, the corporate armour is now superfluous. In their place, a colourful collection of Hawaiian shirts, shorts and one linen suit bought on a whim from a tailor in Thailand for summer. Sweaters and coats for winter. And cargo pants. Apart from the Hawaiian shirts, which get a couple of workouts a year in Asia, and a toasty warm, safety yellow parka bought for me as a present, every item is getting on and yet I feel no compulsion to replace them. Not even the same type of cargo pants as the old trusties, recently offered at a discount, could sway me. Vowing instead to patch the hole, I realised I've embraced slow fashion. And that's liberating. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you have a favourite item of clothing you've worn for years? Is quality more important than price? As you've grown older, have you changed your clothes burying habits? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A man has been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the whereabouts of missing teenager Pheobe Bishop, almost three weeks after her "suspicious" disappearance. - Independent Nicolette Boele has claimed the last remaining seat of the federal election after winning a closely fought recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield. - A shaky public spending handover has stalled Australia's post-COVID-19 recovery, with economic growth slowing to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of the year. THEY SAID IT: "Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity. Everybody's buying far too many clothes." - Vivienne Westwood YOU SAID IT: The best winter escape, wrote John, is a pile of good books. Grant has some kind words: "I don't know if you're writing the Great Australian Novel but your beautiful and evocative account of the joys of winter indicates you should! Your respectful use of our language is appreciated, and should be shared on a broader canvas." Jan is reading Flinders by Grantlee Kieza, about the exploits of Matthew Flinders. She, too, has noticed winter changing: "Winter is rapidly becoming all too brief as the years go by. I love the reprieve from the stifling, relentless and parching heat of summer and the (albeit diminishing) promise of snow in the mountains not too far away. In 2024, we had four weeks of barely usable snow cover instead of the traditional four months of a decade or more ago." Ancient Rome has Ros captivated. Like John, she is engrossed in a Tom Holland history, Rubicon, about the decline of the Roman republic: "It is chilling indeed to see the clear parallels between the dying days of the Roman Republic and what is happening in a contemporary Republic with worldwide influence and impact." Ian reads all year round, for at least an hour a day. "At the moment, I'm halfway through Mawson by Peter FitzSimons. A beautifully written and rollicking yarn, it is best appreciated being read in the middle of a Canberra winter with the heating turned off and all the windows open." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to The small hole on the seam gave pause. I realised this faithful pair of cargo pants had lasted longer than World War II. Their roomy pockets carried the daily essentials. Phone, wallet, glasses, notebook and pen were all accommodated. Even the tiny drone for sneaky aerial snapshots. I've lived in them for years, through overseas adventures and chores in the garden, through fire and flood. And, once that hole is patched, I'll live in them for a few more. They're the polar opposite of fast fashion. Indeed, they're not fashionable at all. But for practicality and durability, they can't be beaten. They weren't cheap but their longevity confirms the old adage that you get what you pay for. They also point to the false economy that is fast fashion. Clothing waste is a global issue. In Australia alone, we produce about 300,000 tonnes of it each year. Some is recycled, some is exported but a lot of it ends up in landfill. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10 per cent of the microplastics which end up in our oceans. It accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's wastewater. estimates the water required to make one T-shirt in enough to slake one person's thirst for 900 days. In Chile's Atacama Desert, the mountain of discarded clothing is so huge, it's visible from space. A lot of it comes from the US, where it's estimated a garment is worn only seven to 10 times on average before it's discarded. That's a reduction in, say, a shirt's lifespan of 35 per cent in 15 years. Stumbling on this information reminded me of a face-palm moment in the newsroom some years ago. A young reporter was agonising over what to wear to an upcoming social event. "Didn't you buy a new dress a couple of weeks ago?" I asked her. "Oh, I couldn't possibly wear that," she replied. "I've already socialled it." A handful of Instagram likes and the frock was made redundant. A riffle through my wardrobe revealed a snapshot of recent history. Gone were the pre-COVID business shirts and ties, the suits and the shiny shoes - thanks to working from home, the corporate armour is now superfluous. In their place, a colourful collection of Hawaiian shirts, shorts and one linen suit bought on a whim from a tailor in Thailand for summer. Sweaters and coats for winter. And cargo pants. Apart from the Hawaiian shirts, which get a couple of workouts a year in Asia, and a toasty warm, safety yellow parka bought for me as a present, every item is getting on and yet I feel no compulsion to replace them. Not even the same type of cargo pants as the old trusties, recently offered at a discount, could sway me. Vowing instead to patch the hole, I realised I've embraced slow fashion. And that's liberating. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you have a favourite item of clothing you've worn for years? Is quality more important than price? As you've grown older, have you changed your clothes burying habits? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A man has been taken into custody as part of an investigation into the whereabouts of missing teenager Pheobe Bishop, almost three weeks after her "suspicious" disappearance. - Independent Nicolette Boele has claimed the last remaining seat of the federal election after winning a closely fought recount for the Sydney electorate of Bradfield. - A shaky public spending handover has stalled Australia's post-COVID-19 recovery, with economic growth slowing to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of the year. THEY SAID IT: "Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity. Everybody's buying far too many clothes." - Vivienne Westwood YOU SAID IT: The best winter escape, wrote John, is a pile of good books. Grant has some kind words: "I don't know if you're writing the Great Australian Novel but your beautiful and evocative account of the joys of winter indicates you should! Your respectful use of our language is appreciated, and should be shared on a broader canvas." Jan is reading Flinders by Grantlee Kieza, about the exploits of Matthew Flinders. She, too, has noticed winter changing: "Winter is rapidly becoming all too brief as the years go by. I love the reprieve from the stifling, relentless and parching heat of summer and the (albeit diminishing) promise of snow in the mountains not too far away. In 2024, we had four weeks of barely usable snow cover instead of the traditional four months of a decade or more ago." Ancient Rome has Ros captivated. Like John, she is engrossed in a Tom Holland history, Rubicon, about the decline of the Roman republic: "It is chilling indeed to see the clear parallels between the dying days of the Roman Republic and what is happening in a contemporary Republic with worldwide influence and impact." Ian reads all year round, for at least an hour a day. "At the moment, I'm halfway through Mawson by Peter FitzSimons. A beautifully written and rollicking yarn, it is best appreciated being read in the middle of a Canberra winter with the heating turned off and all the windows open."
