It is really surprising that in such a cold place, with an average temperature of 1ºC, vegetables can be grown. But the truth is that, due to climate change, this situation is beginning to change, especially in the town of Bethel, a town in western Alaska.
Incredibly, a farmer got 20 thousand kg of vegetables last year, and this season he hopes to double his harvest.
Temperatures in Bethel are very, very cold. Throughout the year, minimums of 14'1ºC and maximums of 13'3ºC are registered, even mercury has reached -44ºC. While it is true that there are plants capable of withstanding so much cold, vegetables are not. But as we said, global warming can change this situation, you can have them grown in regions where the water freezes - we don't know if it will continue to do so for long - in December.
Thus, This improvement in the climate is a plus point for the owner of the Meyers Farm, Tim Meyers and his wife Lisa, whose customers queue up even before the store opens. But what do they grow? Beets, turnips, potatoes, among others; yes, in greenhouses and plastic covers.
Tim Meyers will get this season to end at Christmas. But also, bet that, in a matter of a few years, you can grow vegetable and horticultural plants throughout the year. If it succeeds, it would be a magnificent achievement for this remote Alaskan town, but it could mean that humanity has done nothing to combat climate change, with all that that would entail.
In Alaska alone, the global mean temperature is expected to rise by 1 to 5 degrees centigrade before the end of the century. Will we ever see the grassy poles? At this rate, it is more than likely.