The Panama Canal was dug relatively shallow compared to the ocean on either side. It fills with water using a system of water locks. This depends on nearby lakes being full. Unfortunately, when those lakes suffer from drought, ships simply have to wait to cross the canal.
See also: "A severe drought is affecting the Panama Canal. That’s not a good sign for supply chains — or your holiday shopping." Alicia Wallace, CNN, August 26, 2023
"The dry weather in Panama shows no sign of letting up with the El Niño weather phenomenon wreaking havoc to schedulers working for the country’s canal administration.
The Panama Canal Administration warned yesterday that following the driest October on record, the volume of daily transits will be cut further.
At its maximum, the canal can handle 40 ship transits a day, a figure that has been eroded this year as months of record drought take their toll. In tandem, canal administrators have been forced to cut maximum draft limits for ships transiting the waterway’s larger neopanamax locks by close to 2 m."
— Record dry weather forces further dramatic cuts at the Panama Canal, Sam Chambers, Splash247, November 1, 2023
Every seemingly small choice we make — how to travel, what to buy, where and whom to buy from, and how long we're willing to wait — will make a difference on the future of the planet. Related to this, please see: "Both Climate Optimists and Doomers are Wrong: It’s not hopeful complacency or smug nihilism from here on, it’s selfless mitigation", T. J. Brearton, Medium, August 23, 2023. It's a 7-minute read on Medium.
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