Ecologists are debating their origin – a unique combination of local factors or a consequence of global warming?
The palms were discovered in a grove between Liepaja and the smallest town in Latvia – Durbe. According to one version, in the late 1990s, foreign sailors ate coconuts here during their vacation. The seeds ended up in fertile soil warmed by thermal springs. As a result, we have fruit-bearing palms.
According to another version, the trend is more extensive – it concerns the change in Latvia's flora caused by the increase in the average year-round temperature.
Be that as it may, meet the characteristic features of palms, which in the long term may replace the typical pines and birches of our latitudes in the forests of Latvia – a tall slender trunk without branches and long feathery leaves. So, get used to it and don’t flinch when you go mushroom picking and come across a coconut.
The Association of Agricultural Organizations of Latvia has already started talking about the experimental planting of palms in the current rapeseed fields, as well as attempts to grow oranges instead of apples and pears.
Along with the flora, the fauna will gradually change. Geese and swans retreating north may be replaced by pelicans and flamingos. In the waves of the Gulf of Riga, we may spot a bottlenose dolphin, and in the marshes of Kurzeme, crocodiles and/or alligators.
The question remains open regarding the impact of global warming on energy: on one hand, fuel savings for winter heating are forecasted, while on the other hand, an increase in energy consumption required for air conditioning in summer is expected.
To address all these issues, it is planned to establish a Committee under the Government of the Republic of Latvia to study the problems caused by climate change. Meanwhile, ordinary residents are advised to hide their fur coats in closets and look for sun hats.
