From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
By Paul Homewood
h/t Ian Magness
It’s a sad state of affairs when a supposedly Christian organisation has to resort to outright lies to promote its political agenda.
The familiar taste of the British cuppa is under threat from climate change, with new analysis warning that rising temperatures and extreme weather could make tea more bitter, harsher and less consistent in flavour.
The report, published today by Christian Aid, finds that the delicate balance of flavour in tea depends on stable temperature and rainfall conditions – conditions that are now breaking down in key tea-growing regions across Kenya, India and Sri Lanka.
Alongside changes in taste, the report highlights growing instability in global tea markets. Climate shocks such as droughts, floods and heatwaves are already disrupting harvests, leading to price spikes and supply uncertainty.
Reuben Korir, a small-scale tea farmer from Kericho County in Kenya, said:
“When the weather is very dry or unpredictable, the tea quality changes. The leaves are smaller, and we believe the taste is not as good as it used to be during more stable seasons.
“Rains no longer come when expected, and dry periods last longer. Harvests are not predictable anymore, and neither is the income. Even when we produce tea, the payments are often small and delayed.”
Dr Neha Mittal, senior climate services scientist at the Met Office and visiting scientist at the University of Leeds, said: “Tea brands depend on delivering a stable and recognisable flavour profile. As climate variability increases, achieving that consistency becomes more challenging.”
There is no evidence provided to back up the assertion that tea is becoming more bitter, such as market feedback. Instead all we get are assertions.
As for claims of extreme weather and unpredictable harvests, the data shows this to be an outright lie, even in Kenya, where Christian Aid found a small-scale tea farmer to provide a sob story:
But perhaps most significantly of all, is the catastrophe that hit Sri Lanka’s tea industry in 2022, following their ban on imported fertilisers, which resulted in harvests falling by a quarter:
Net Zero is the man-made disaster Christian Aid should be campaigning about.
Instead their conclusions and recommendations consist of:
- Reducing emissions
- Rich countries paying poor ones
- Climate finance
- Buy organic tea
Tea flavour change was covered years ago in John Brignell’s NumberWatch
The best thing to do with politicised charities is never to contribute to them. Perhaps they will get the message that straying from their original purpose is going to hurt them financially.
senior climate services scientist
That’s quite the word salad of a title. The Met Office is fully behind its “data” and brazenly sells itself as a consultancy.
It is our job to provide information that allows decision-making on all timescales – from whether or not to take an umbrella to work, to how best to invest in large infrastructure projects, given the projected changes in climate this century and beyond.
Settled science
As the science evolves and our scientific understanding develops, our weather and climate services – and ultimately our customers – will continue. – MO
The methodology? progress in technology and computing power. Nuff said.
We all know the true political nature of the Met Office and its personnel. Africa is always a useful tear jerker. The trouble is so many NGOs etc from water to food to health etc rely on it for a few quid each month.
I had hoped the demise of RCP8.5 might have made these childish and silly scare stories a thing of the past, but no. Here they seem to be doubling down on it.
In 1876, Mark Twain said:
“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of climate inside of four and twenty hours. . . .
Yes, one of the brightest gems in the New England climate is the dazzling uncertainty of it. There is only one thing certain about it, you are certain there is going to be plenty of climate—a perfect grand review; but you never can tell which end of the procession is going to move first.”
Oh wait, he said weather, not climate. That was back when they knew the difference.
Our house, near the crest of the now very stable Balcones Escarpment in Texas, has four distinctly different climates depending which direction we walk from the house. To the south is a steep slope down to the Guadalupe river. The slope is nearly perpendicular to the Hot Texas summer sun, and gets quite warm year around. To the east is a long gentle slope for a hundred plus miles, or so to the Gulf of America along the fertile croplands of South Texas. To the north there are cool green Cedar and Oak shaded forests, and to the west is the valley of a steep ridge Where it is windy and cool most of the time, and the wind blows only 2 directions, from the North and from the South.
An old saying…. Don’t like the weather? Hang around for 5 minutes, it will change.
So What..? My feet hurt…Is it Climate Change..? Or old age..? Perhaps I should take expert advice…There is a surfeit of Cobblers around here…
Another charity to put on my naughty list.
Never judge a charity (or any other group) just by it’s name. Dig a little deeper.
Climate Alarmist Propaganda obviously works.
A large part of our population lack critical thinking skills. This leads to believing humans can change the climate and weather, and to voting for clueless Democrats/Leftists.
The politics from the UN down to the local council. All on board [thus far]. Reform councils are reversing it where they can
The education system from nursery to university captured ~1990 and rocket boosted in 1997
The media pumping the message incessantly for something like 35 years – The BBC does it in education, too.
The advent of climate anxiety – hitherto unknown
Need I go on? Children in school and young adults at university have been taught by openly activist teachers and lecturers to accord with the woke groupthink. No debates, no discussions. Cancellation is usually the threat and the norm.
The very bitter would-be eco-authoritarian, Chris Packham
Adverts encouraging people to back British farmers by buying beef and milk are banned after eco campaigner Chris Packham complains to watchdog – Daily Mail
He more recently called for tobacco-style stickers to be placed on meat products to see how people react. “I often fantasise, I will get round to it, I’m gonna have a whole series of stickers printed of animals kept in appalling conditions, and then I’m going to go and stick them on the meat packets in the supermarket and see how people react,” – Daily Sceptic
Inside every green there’s a complete psychopath just waiting to get out.
For most of them, the psycho isn’t waiting to get out anymore.
To Packham: “tobacco-style stickers” were/are about what tobacco does to humans, not about what humans do to tobacco.
Tea is supposed to be bitter, that is why people put sugar in it, morons.
Try higher quality tea from your local tea store.
Tea is supposed to be bitter, that is why people put sugar in it. Although you are too stupid to grasp reality, reality is still here and does not care you are stupid.
He should try Earl Grey. No, wait! Lapsang Souchong. China would be impressed.
Ah, the kitten returns, playing with the catnip attached to a strand of yard.
Amusing.
He needs his daily dose of mental abuse in order to be happy.
Looks like the bot has learned a new phrase and is using it now in every post.
He comes up with new stuff all the time, it’s just that you are no longer worth the effort.
You understand.
It worked.
Here kitty, kitty, kitty! More catmip!
Speaking of psychos, here’s LooserName.
aaand it loses the argument.
Next up, “How the Taste and Supply of Crumpets is No Longer as Good or Reliable, Due to Climate Change”. “Children just aren’t going to know what crumpets are.”
Crumpet
In English parlance… A nice bit of crumpet is…
A sexually desirable woman.
the Taste and Supply of Crumpet I’ll leave to you.
There’s a shrub growing wild in Texas called the Yaupon Holly which has caffeine in its leaves similar to that in tea. The story around here is that England opposed the Louisiana Purchase because it feared that these leaves would take over the British tea businesses. We have them growing wild in our back yard. We’ll be proud to send them some of these great Texas tea leaves (for a nominal fee).
“As climate variability increases,”
WUWT? Weather variability has always happened and there are no significant changes to the levels of variability.
Credit for Dr Neha Mittal not claiming climate change or apocalypse.
One has to wonder what is the job definition of “senior climate services scientist?”
Climate variability doesn’t seem to happen.
Haven’t heard about a single climate zone that actually changed since the start of the scam.
And the bitter taste?
the onLY plausible explanation is because of all the BS – it must have spoiled the taste.
It shouldn’ t be the increase of Co2 as an increase should soften the taste, as the components of the Soil won’t increase while Co2 by did.
And if there is one thing 1200ppm+ greenhouses are famous for is a watered down taste.
Is Christian Aid Christian, or is that Christianity purely cultural and legacy? Yes there are a lot of denominations associated with it, but how many are Christ following i.e. Christian, as opposed to Woke?
Note that the Chief Executive from 2018-2021 was Amanda Khozi Mukwashi who helped organise events for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference and in 2019 wrote in the Guardian about the IMF excluding applicants from the countries most at risk of the climate crisis – treating said ‘crisis’ as a reality. I
Actually if you look at their values you’ll see climate change trumps Christ: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/our-work/about-us/our-aims
If you scroll down the page it says:
In other words climate change is a priority the West must address.
And Jesus? Well they claim:
That’s really not what He taught at all. Yes He kinda sorta said something which is doubtless the basis of their claim, but they’re applying such creativity and flexibility that anything could mean anything.
In Mark 14:7 Jesus also said “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me”.
Seems like they’re Woke activists using a thin veneer of Christianese to justify their efforts. That’s not to say everything they do is bad, but if they’re focused on climate change and other Woke activism then their focus isn’t aid, nor is it Christian.
Good comments!
”tax dodging, which hits the poorest the hardest”
We need to ask them how this works? The poorest among us don’t pay any taxes. In fact, about 50 percent of people don’t pay any taxes.
And the poorest get their government benefit whether somebody dodges paying taxes or not.
I don’t see how the poorest are affected.
I think they just threw this out there to make things seem worse than they really are.
They need to up their scaremongering.
Truth? Based on their website content, Christian Aid long ago abandoned truth.
I suspect, given the 80-year age of the organization, that its roots are entirely different than today’s woke, demonstrably non-Christian version. Their materials read no differently than a typical socialist collection of secular social justice warriors. If you are a Christian and are inclined toward charitable giving, this is not an organization I would recommend.
I would not be surprised to find that less than half the people who work at these agencies spend any time inside a church building during the average year.
For loose tea leaves
There are three different leaves used which one of the following is used alters the flavour.
A) the growing tip few,
B) those immediately below A)
C) those immediately below B)
Then the processes used to create the final product affect the flavour as well, whether it’s green tea or black tea. Also any blending of different types of tea alters the taste.
The growing environment may also affect flavour.
Finally, the brewing process at home affects flavour. The temperature of the water used to is important, 100 degrees Celsius for black tea and 80 degrees Celsius for green tea. The length of time the tea is left to brew.
Some teabags do taste more bitter than others but that is likely for economic reasons.
To add:
Hardness of water
Harvest time (First, Second or, for a few teas, Third flush)
Teaware used
Humidity and surrounding temperature the time you drink it
If kept warm, how it is done (candle / insulation)
A multi variable problem then.
story tip: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01523-7
“rising temperatures and extreme weather could make tea more bitter”
Understanding that Earth is a sphere with colder parts at the ends, warmer parts in the middle and different types of weather at every temperature, I imagined a fusty British sitcom professor insisting…
This dirt has been used to grow tea for over 100 years, we shall NOT be moving the tea garden Northward then, shall we.
It must have been “climate change” than inspired and was the driver behind The Boston Tea Party. 😉
Strage how climate change makes everything worse. Nothing is ever better.
Any change from the optimum NOW is always worse. If the Earth were to begin a rapid and statistically significant cooling trend, that would also be worse in the eyes of the myopic self-centered climatistas.
If a person wants a constant climate, move to one of the following:
Note how the article says that climate change “could make” the tea more bitter, harsher and less consistent in flavor. In other words, it’s not a guarantee; it’s just a possibility just as climate change could cause more violent storms, greater heat waves, more drought, more floods, longer cold snaps, agricultural failures—you name it. So the whole issue has become a convenient catch-all phrase to attribute anything bad to climate change and, naturally, excessive use of fossil fuels which we must all renounce or we’re done for etc., etc., ad nauseam. Except the alarmists haven’t yet realized that their rantings are nothing but a source of hilarity at first and derision in the end.
Two things, public view and public message and second the Christian community is in a horrid state, think ELCA.
There is strong evidence that obsessing about “human-caused” catastrophic global warming is making people bitter. Or maybe they were bitter already and their cynicism drives them toward doom and gloom topics that agitate their pessimism. Causation/correlation. They seem to like being gloomy.