In an article dated November 17, our colleagues from NPR have published an article titled “‘It feels like I’m not crazy.’ Gardeners aren’t surprised as USDA updates key map”. It is true that cultivators, professional or amateur gardeners, have noticed many changes in climatic events for many years, and the graph representing the USDA’s Agricultural Research Hardiness Zone Map is a blatant and irrefutable proof. For example, seeing Texas move from zone 7b to zone 8b has sometimes surprising consequences, such as some seasonal plants regrowing the following year. Plants that were normally recommended for warmer zones thrive remarkably well, with citrus plants often being the major beneficiaries of this climate change. When we witness temperatures exceeding a hundred degrees, as we did last summer, even if some may still have doubts, it is undeniable that the climate has indeed changed.

While questions may arise about the reasons for climate change, with scientists having diverse opinions on the subject, and if we must draw parallels with periods or natural climate changes that have occurred in the past, the speed at which climate change is occurring is the first evidence. The question is: Can we still curb this phenomenon? The answer is far from simple, except to say that it is everyone’s responsibility at a personal level to become aware of what is happening and to act as best they can through everyday small gestures.

If you have a large garden, plant local trees in the background, local fruit trees closer, and do the same for flowers. The same applies to small gardens; by planting local plants, you will notice that these plants require little water and can produce many benefits for both you and the surrounding wildlife. Regarding vehicles, it’s challenging to see electric cars as the sole solution. Hydrogen is also emerging and is probably less polluting to produce than conventional electricity, which relies on sickle-shaped and highly polluting energies to be created. Today, hydrogen has made significant progress and will begin to be marketed more extensively because these vehicles only generate water vapor, a way to give back to nature a little of what we take from it and deplete. If you are fortunate to live in a warm and sunny region, there’s no need to think too long; opt for solar panels. Besides the cost savings, you will depend much less on sickle-shaped energies, and who knows, in a few years, we may be our own energy producers with solar and hydrogen. On this issue, it is crucial not to be moralistic but to reflect and act for the benefit of all.