Soon pumpkin spice lattes will be the only way to know if Fall has really started.
THANKS, CLIMATE CHANGE.
JUST OFFLOAD ALL THE SEASONS TO CORPORATIONS.
Ugh.
(speaking of that I love Summer brought to you by Shark Week).
leaf peepers Lemme lay this on ya…
Cool weather, pumpkin patches, warm boots, colorful leaves, corn mazes, apple cider,
hayrides.
Get ready to lose all of these things.
Womp.
Climate change might be taking away all the things we love about my favorite season: fall
leaves, cool weather, and pumpkins.
Fall is the harvest season, when summer transitions into winter and the plants, animals and insects
get ready to bear down and survive the cold months of the year.
It's an important transition period, but in a matter of decades it's become a completely
different season.
The most visible reminder of the seasons change is the beautiful fall foliage.
According to a 2005 study in Plant Physiology, leaf degradation takes place over 18 days;
but as fall changes, so too do our trees.
IF you're a fan of fall color, climate change is not your friend; the leaves of some trees
(beech, birch and poplar) are ALWAYS brightly colored, but the reds and yellows are hidden
under the blanket of chlorophyll green all year.
Dogwoods, red maples and red oaks create anthocyanins which give their leaves a bright red color.
The additional sunlight from the drier, warmer weather can cause the leaves to die sooner
and dull their colors -- cold snaps is what makes those reds and yellows pop.
And even ignoring the fall foliage, the warmer Fall of the future will cause trees leaves
to stay greener longer and then drop early shortening how much time we can actually enjoy
it; plus temperature shifts let more insects move north, attacking trees that may not have
been exposed in the past.
Over time, native trees will die as the climate becomes inhospitable for them; chances are,
seedlings will start to take root further and further north, moving forests away from
their previous homes and into more hospitable, cooler latitudes.
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found this is already
happening; hardwood trees have moved 300 feet northward since 1962.
But even if you don't care about trees or leaves… you probably like pumpkins!
This large fruit native to the warmer regions of the Americas are a very visible indication
of Autumn.
The problem is, even though they like warmth, too warm and they'll ripen before the first
leaf turns.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, pumpkins grow best when it's 75-85 degrees
(23-29C).
Once a pumpkin ripens, the outside hardens and it's ready to pick; but this year, it
has been hot; as you probably know.
The heat was on so high, that the pumpkins ripened and needed to be harvested in mid-August.
In fact, Oregon-based Rogue Ales planted early in the spring and harvested in the late-summer
which meant their pumpkin beer was out super early too.
If this warming trend continues, pumpkins will become a summer treat, not a Fall staple,
but don't go out of your gourd!
Fall will still exist, it will just be… completely different.
It's going to be warmer for longer, throwing plant cycles out of sync and shifting harvest
schedules.
According to the 2011 issue of Global Change Biology, we're already affecting our climate.
What was once stable is now shifting.
The growing season has extended itself two weeks since 1982; meaning warmer weather for
longer periods; and a warmer, Fall season with more extreme precipitation -- sometimes
dry, sometimes wet.
Insects, flowers, animals and organisms of all shapes and size all rely on the delicate
timing of spring, summer, fall and winter.
When whole seasons change in matter of just a few years, some species will adapt and some
go extinct.
In the end, thanks to climate change or global warming or whatever you want to call it, the
Fall we have today, is not the Autumn of our grandparents, and the Fall our grandchildren
will see won't even resemble the one from our childhood.
Sidebar: not that it matters for the those latte lovers, climate change is making coffee
difficult to grow too, so instead the symbol of Fall will be fake pumpkin flavoring and
whipped topping in a plastic cup…
Honestly, some people probably won't even notice the difference.
What's your favorite season?
If it's Fall how do these changes make you feel?
Also, I know you probably are already, so battle it out: Autumn or Fall?
Which is better?
If you want to argue with me about it, and you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, come
to DNews Live on October 22!
Tickets are available now and they're going fast!
We've got some friends of the show, some space history, illusions, bioluminescence, animal
sex and even the science of creepy sounds.
Grab a ticket with the link in the description, and watch our twitter and facebook for updates!
Oct 22, in San Francisco!
If you'd rather watch a video, learn all the science of the pumpkin spice latte you love
to hate.