Archive for the ‘Climate Change’ Category

How YOU Can Affect Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change

The majority of the scientific community agrees. Man is adversely affecting the environment and accelerating global warming. Greenhouse gases created by our modern lifestyles are blanketing the Earth in a warming cocoon and causing an ugly metamorphosis – a planet riddled with severe weather, animal species extinctions, and an inhospitable environment for future generations.

Governments and industries are not reacting quickly. In our lifetime, the world as we know it may no longer exist. It is up to everyone to start making changes NOW, working together towards a common goal: the preservation of this glorious, beautiful world in which we live.

Quit overstuffing yourself at the table.

Huh? That is a strange statement! How can your eating habits have an effect on greenhouse gases?

There are a growing number of overweight and obese people in the so-called affluent countries. Have you ever considered where all those hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets come from? Producers use prime agricultural land to cultivate grass and grain crops for feeding animals in the human food chain.

A single cow needs about five acres of pasture in order to thrive. During its lifetime, a cow can create truckloads of manure – manure that creates a considerable amount of methane (a greenhouse gas). The agricultural land required to raise one cow would feed humans more efficiently when devoted to crops like wheat and soybeans.

The meat we consume goes through several processing stages using a variety of materials – including paper, plastic, Styrofoam, and cardboard. Transportation to the slaughterhouse, processing plant, retail store, and then to the kitchen burns up energy and creates toxic greenhouse emissions.

All that extra food ultimately creates methane gas when it ends up in the sewer. In addition, each extra pound of fat on the body requires more oxygen to maintain, depleting a resource that plant life must replenish.

Give back some of the oxygen you breathe!

Plant life consumes carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and produces life-giving oxygen. However, man clears forests and prime agricultural land to erect ever-higher skyscrapers. If we were to spend more time building down into the ground instead of up into the air or sprawling into the countryside, we would leave more surface area for agriculture and nature. Until architects embrace this concept, we can help replenish a bit of the Earth’s oxygen by filling our lives with greenery.

Surround yourself with houseplants. Every balcony can have flowerboxes filled with beautiful oxygen-producing blooms. Apartments with flat roofs can have rooftop gardens. Business people can fill office buildings and retail establishments with live trees, hanging plant baskets, and exotic flowers. Even people with a ‘brown thumb’ can find easy-to-grow plants like philodendrons, cacti, spider plants, ivies, and African violets.

Reduce the impact of your trash.

Most landfills produce huge amounts of methane. Garbage produces methane gas when it decays in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment. Most landfills crush garbage and place it into a plastic-lined pit, then layer the trash with dirt and more garbage.

You can help prevent landfill methane production by composting as much as possible. Just about anything organic is compostable – potato peelings, coffee grounds, unsalted pasta water, moldy baked goods, etc. Avoid large items like whole potatoes and corncobs. You should chop them into smaller pieces before adding them to your compost bin. Avoid meat, oily or fatty substances, or anything prepared with appreciable amounts of salt.

Add finished compost to your houseplants and garden, or use it for lawn top-dressing to create lusciously healthy growth. You can purchase a commercial compost bin at your local department, hardware, or garden supply store. Alternatively, search the Internet for ‘plans compost bin construction’ if you would like to try building a bin from scratch.

You can add many unusual items to your compost:

  • 100% cotton clothing (no buttons or zippers)
  • 100% wool sweaters or socks
  • brown paper bags
  • burnt toast, cakes, potatoes
  • corked or soured wine
  • crushed eggshells
  • dryer lint
  • feathers and fur
  • hair clippings
  • junk mail (no plastic or metal)
  • leather goods (metal and plastic pieces removed)
  • pasta, cooked or uncooked (without the sauce)
  • shells from almonds, peanuts, and walnuts
  • shredded paper
  • small pieces of cardboard
  • small quantities of expired dairy products
  • tea bags and coffee filters
  • toenail and fingernail clippings
  • vacuum cleaner bags and contents
  • wooden skewers (broken into small pieces)
  • wooden toothpicks
  • You can locate a more comprehensive list if you search the Net for ‘things to add to compost’.

    These tips are just a start. Keep watching for further informational articles in the days to come.

    (c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

    Author: Kathy Steinemann
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Global Warming Is Expected To Increase The Intensity Of Hurricanes & Tornadoes

    Global warming is expected to increase the intensity of forces of nature, such as tornadoes and hurricanes. It is determined not by individual weather events, such as heat waves or cold snaps or hurricanes, but by the global mean surface temperature. It is already increasing the intensity of hurricanes in the North Atlantic, increasing the risk of devastating impacts when a storm hits.

    Global warming is also leading to more dramatic swings in the weather in some areas. It is already affecting the world we know, endangering polar bears, shortening ski seasons and creating more intense storms. Global warming is a huge risk, it is an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface.

    Global warming is bad news for human life, including changes in agricultural yields, melting of glaciers and the extinction of certain species for ever.

    Global warming is an increase of average world temperatures as a result of what is known as the greenhouse effect. Certain gases in the atmosphere behave like glass in a greenhouse, permitting sunlight through to heat the earth’s surface but trapping heat as it radiates back into the space, causing an increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface. Since the late 1800’s, the global average temperature has increased about 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F (0.4 to 0.8 degrees C). Global warming is determined not by individual weather events, but by the global mean surface temperature. North America experienced a fairly normal winter in 2006-2007, and some parts had extremely cold weather this year ?

    Greenhouse gases are an air pollution problem, and all air pollution problems of the past have cost significantly less to fix than projected, while declining faster than expected. This gives cause to hope that artificial greenhouse gases can be controlled reasonably cheaply and without wrenching sacrifices to the global economy. Greenhouse gases are released by activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, and agriculture. Other phenomena such as solar variation and volcanoes have had smaller and probably negative effects 1950.

    Global warming is already under way. The evidence is vast and the urgency of taking action becomes clearer with every new scientific study.

    Author: Bob Wright
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Home Changes for Global Warming Prevention

    There are many changes that we can make in our homes in order to prevent global warming. In order to reduce the rate of damage that is occurring as a result of this, we must be willing to do our part. Many people go all out and change as much as they can in order to prevent global warming. Other people only make a change or two. It does not matter how much change you make, as long as you are trying. Everything helps a little. Of course, more is better. If you are not able to implement all of the tips that are listed in this article, that is ok. Just pass the information along and see what a difference that we can all make by working together.

    1) The first thing that you can do to change your home in order to prevent global warming is to make sure that you are using light bulbs and appliances that are considered energy efficient. Using standard light bulbs and appliances that are not energy efficient will only lead to the issue of global warming getting worse. If you are unable to afford the expense of replacing all the light bulbs in your home at once, start with the ones that are used the most and then move on to the rest as you are able to afford it.

    2) The next step to changing your home in order to assist in preventing global warming is to ensure that you do not run any unnecessary water. You should turn the water off as you are washing dishes, make sure that you only run a dishwasher and a washing machine when you have full loads, do not fill the tub all the way up when you are taking a bath, turn off the water as you are brushing your teeth, and keep your showers short and sweet. You may also want to limit the amount of water that you use in order to provide moisture to the grass, and fill up swimming pools and spas in the home.

    3) If you run an air conditioner and/or heaters, you should try to use a thermostat whenever it is possible. This will help save a load of money on your heating and cooling costs. It will also help reduce the amount of harmful gases that enter in the atmosphere and result in the issue of global warming. Try to keep the thermostat around the upper 70 scale. It is also very important to ensure that the vent filters in your home are kept cleaned and changed on a regular basis.

    4) You should try to reduce the amount of trash that is produced in your home. You can do this by learning to recycle products for use in the home, or recycle them in your community. You can also reduce trash by ensuring that you limit the purchases of items that contain a lot of unnecessary garbage that you will end up throwing away.

    5) If it is possible, share a ride with another co-worker or with your spouse so that you don’t produce car emissions or pollution. Besides the benefits already mentioned, you will also save on the purchase of gasoline and will have company on your trip. On the weekends plan your schedule so you use only one car to do all of your errands. Again this saves gas and cuts down on the pollution.

    6) If you have the space, grow some of your own food. Fresh vegetables are better for you and if you grow them yourself, you will not have to buy them at the grocery store. You will also save on gas and time because they will be within walking distance. If you have a “bumper crop”, you can always can or freeze them so you will have them during the colder months. You can also recycle the “waste products” (skins, tops, etc.) which you would usually throw away to make compost material.

    These are just a few things you can do at home which will help lessen the ill effects on our environment. As mentioned above, start with 1 or 2 as you have the time or can afford them. Then continue to add more as time goes by. If we all do just a few of these things, then the cumulative effect will start tipping the scales of global warming toward the good end.

    Author: Della Franklin
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Murdoch, Media Mogul Makes Massive Move for Climate Change

    At a time when the public has become saturated with the undeniable news of Global Warming Issues and is fed up with the lack of political action to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Rupert Murdoch has announced that his Company, News Corp., will undergo a purge of its running systems and take drastic steps to reduce its own carbon footprint. A precedent has now been set for all other multinational corporations to follow and considering the size of this giant, a welcomed advance within the Private Sector towards helping to green the planet.

    As a news and media agent with tentacles stretching to almost every continent on Earth it is a spine-tingling breath of fresh air, such a shift in corporate thinking in regard to the damages we must be held accountable for. The aim is to lead by example and educate their audience, of which we are talking millions of people around the globe. Not only in the hope of instigating change for individuals, but in the hope that other corporations will follow this lead and do likewise. Kudos must be given where due here and it shows that there really is hope that not all multinational corporations are driven by the dollar to be made today.

    News Corp. currently contributes 100,000s of tons of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere a year and by introducing changes across the board to reduce that amount of output to zero within 3 years is some mean feat. However, considering the unimaginable profits this company must make on a daily basis, they have a duty like any other high profit margin corporation to implement such changes and turn the doom and gloom scenario into one of a positive outcome. Surely these measures will attract incentive in the form of comfortable tax deductions as well.

    The carbon footprint of News Corp. is 10,000 times this number, however, so starting at a grassroots level across the board, all light bulbs will be changed to energy efficient bulbs. All company fleets will be disposed of and hybrid cars only used. One hopes that by his lead others will see that it doesn’t have to mean financial suicide to go green. The company will also offset its emissions by reinvesting in renewable energy resource productions and developments and only using renewable energy resources for all its power. A procedure many other multinational corporations have no excuse to ignore. This is fantastic news for all of you concerned about the fact that no-one seems to be actually doing anything to implement the radical changes needed to turn the scary picture around.

    Murdoch hopes that through these actions and also by educating through his many media outlets that enough change will occur to make a significant difference. If only 1% of News Corp.’s audience is reached and actually activates such changes, the effect of this will be as huge as the equivalent of switching off the entire state of California for a period of two months! Imagine the outcome if this precedent inspires even 2% percent more of that number or even 1 or 2% of the world’s industrial moguls to follow suit?

    Happy days for all of us are ahead and be reassured that surely our governments will be embarrassed into submission on this score, as well. One would hope that the chain of events this action will set in motion will continue to drive the engines of change for a much brighter looking future for us all.

    Author: Mary-Jane Irwin
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Global Warming Is Expected To Increase The Intensity Of Hurricanes & Tornadoes

    Global warming is expected to increase the intensity of forces of nature, such as tornadoes and hurricanes. It is determined not by individual weather events, such as heat waves or cold snaps or hurricanes, but by the global mean surface temperature. It is already increasing the intensity of hurricanes in the North Atlantic, increasing the risk of devastating impacts when a storm hits.

    Global warming is also leading to more dramatic swings in the weather in some areas. It is already affecting the world we know, endangering polar bears, shortening ski seasons and creating more intense storms. Global warming is a huge risk, it is an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface.

    Global warming is bad news for human life, including changes in agricultural yields, melting of glaciers and the extinction of certain species for ever.

    Global warming is an increase of average world temperatures as a result of what is known as the greenhouse effect. Certain gases in the atmosphere behave like glass in a greenhouse, permitting sunlight through to heat the earth’s surface but trapping heat as it radiates back into the space, causing an increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface. Since the late 1800’s, the global average temperature has increased about 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F (0.4 to 0.8 degrees C). Global warming is determined not by individual weather events, but by the global mean surface temperature. North America experienced a fairly normal winter in 2006-2007, and some parts had extremely cold weather this year ?

    Greenhouse gases are an air pollution problem, and all air pollution problems of the past have cost significantly less to fix than projected, while declining faster than expected. This gives cause to hope that artificial greenhouse gases can be controlled reasonably cheaply and without wrenching sacrifices to the global economy. Greenhouse gases are released by activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, and agriculture. Other phenomena such as solar variation and volcanoes have had smaller and probably negative effects 1950.

    Global warming is already under way. The evidence is vast and the urgency of taking action becomes clearer with every new scientific study.

    Author: Bob Wright
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Copenhagen, Change and Money For Muck

    In an attempt to put aside political bickering, division and the merits of various schemes and policies relating to GHG emissions reduction while briefly touching on the feeble rhetoric rising on a current of hot air out of the carbon neutral ashes of Copenhagen. I write with the intent of simplifying what sustainability is all about and why it proves to be so difficult to grasp, particularly in terms of a global agreement on GHG emissions reductions.

    Firstly, from the World Commission on Environment and Development,the most widely accepted definition of sustainability is:

    “Forms of progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

    The key word here is progress. The qualifier, without compromise. Progress or change is the real issue here and is the factor making the adoption of any fair, binding and actionable agreement so illusive.

    Changing anything is hard. It can be uncomfortable, challenging, frightening, emotionally revealing and sometimes surprisingly easy. Considering how hard it is to change oneself I realise that changing entire societies is a monumental task. As humans, most of us are inherently lazy and it is a lot easier to just keep doing what we do rather than change even if what we do isn’t in our best interest collectively.

    The other monumental hurdle is, of course, the economic factor. Living within a system that is almost entirely dictated by the desire to and the fear of not generating more money every reporting period, our governments and corporations, the power brokers of the modern capitalist world, are reluctant to encourage change. It’s not because they don’t believe it will be good for the human race nor because they fail to realise that such change will distribute energy generation, clean air, natural resources and wealth more equitably. It is in fact this last point that stifles change at every corner.

    While democracy is all about providing each and every individual with freedom and equality, capitalism, which many people consider an essential part of any democratic society, actually minimises access to the means of survival for so many global citizens. Capitalism concentrates wealth, which in turn concentrates power resulting in less people having more and more people having less of the stuff that we now all need to survive, money.

    In an ideal world environmental and social resources would be protected by constitution, an important part of any democracy. What has happened is that historically the environment and social equity has not had any individual rights assigned to it nor has it had any economic costs attached.

    With emissions trading, carbon tax or whatever you want to call it, the basic premise is to put an economic cost on atmospheric environmental degradation which up until recently has been considered a cost external to business. This is a market-based mechanism and is one of the many tools that can be used to minimise environmental degradation. The concept is that by putting a price on poor treatment of the environment and society organisations are encouraged to change their methods of production and distribution to lessen the impacts.

    Those that don’t will have to pay more to produce what they sell and those that do will in theory generate greater profits, as they won’t have to pay the additional costs. Whether applied to GHG emissions, usage of resources or the production of toxic by products it can be a very effective mechanism and can be broadly referred to as extended producer responsibility or EPR. Here is where the problem becomes apparent though.

    Within our democratic societies there are massive systems set up to deliver the energy we require to continue producing and distributing the goods and services that capitalism thrives on. These systems encompass huge infrastructure, jobs and research as well as create whole industries focussed on servicing the systems. These systems deliver energy and modern day goods and services at a huge cost to the environment and society through GHG emissions, toxic by products and over usage of resources. Putting a cost on all of these things will upset the capitalist structure so much that many believe it would fall over completely were we to do so.

    Governments and corporations have invested so much in these systems that have helped our societies attain the standards of living we currently enjoy, that to place them in jeopardy, many believe is tantamount to suicide. Political, economic and societal suicide. By introducing the changes slowly, and offering financial assistance to the big polluting companies that stand to suffer the highest costs, the capitalist system will be OK. By minimising (or should I say compromising) the change required of the heavy polluters and by using mechanisms within the system that has been largely responsible for the problems we are trying to solve we can somehow expect monumental change to occur? That doesn’t seem to make any sense to me.

    Back to the idea of progress or change. A measure of effectiveness of any policy aimed at promoting sustainability is its ability to deliver change. If nothing changes then it stands to reason that nothing has changed. We are scared of change; needless to say change is also a natural part of evolution, forcibly applied, nonetheless without compromise. If we don’t change then we can’t really grow.

    Regardless of what schemes, systems or policies we put in place, sustainability will only ever become a reality if drastic changes occur, without compromise. This will involve the failure of some of our systems, it has to, but unless we accept change we stand to lose a majority of the systems that provide life for us. There are so many influences and pressures on the leaders of our democracies and our capitalist demi gods that it seems leaders and most citizens are only willing to accept the need to implement change if the change associated with it is minimised, or better still avoided. This, I believe is the conundrum of modern society and why the Copenhagen convention of parties was never going to amount to anything remotely radical.

    If we are to apportion blame to anyone or anything it is ourselves individually and collectively as human beings that need to ask the questions regarding our own evolution and our own future, that is the future of our dearly beloved children. For now, like all our leaders and demi gods, I will leave the population issue for another time or better still pretend it doesn’t exist.

    Author: Richard A Nicol
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Why Do Climatic Changes Occur and Can We Prevent It?

    Climatic conditions change with the increase in temperature and emission of carbon dioxide in the environment. Global warming is a result of this increase in temperature. This has claimed around three lakh people across the world and every year there has been the same number of death cases. Living beings on this planet are choking to death due to the carbon di oxide emissions. Acid rains have resulted due to the emissions in the environment.

    One must reduce the usage of fossil fuels so that it will not damage the ozone layer and the green belt. Replace an incandescent bulb with a fluorescent one, so that it saves 100 pounds of carbon. Simple things, like these can avoid the carbon di oxide emissions. Instead of cutting down trees grow more trees so that they would absorb the carbon di oxide in the environment.

    Get into the habit of using bikes instead of cars. Trucks and cars which run on fossil fuels must be avoided to a great extent. Make use of products which can be recycled so that it does not consume more energy to manufacture them. This will help maximum use of the resources and also reduce the carbon di oxide emissions.

    If you have an AC (Air conditioning) System at home, you must turn it off when you go to bed or when you leave the house. The same can be followed for your heating systems as well. A thermostat must be installed in order to cut down on money and carbon.

    Author: Arush Keerthi
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Global Warming Is Expected To Increase The Intensity Of Hurricanes & Tornadoes

    Global warming is expected to increase the intensity of forces of nature, such as tornadoes and hurricanes. It is determined not by individual weather events, such as heat waves or cold snaps or hurricanes, but by the global mean surface temperature. It is already increasing the intensity of hurricanes in the North Atlantic, increasing the risk of devastating impacts when a storm hits.

    Global warming is also leading to more dramatic swings in the weather in some areas. It is already affecting the world we know, endangering polar bears, shortening ski seasons and creating more intense storms. Global warming is a huge risk, it is an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface.

    Global warming is bad news for human life, including changes in agricultural yields, melting of glaciers and the extinction of certain species for ever.

    Global warming is an increase of average world temperatures as a result of what is known as the greenhouse effect. Certain gases in the atmosphere behave like glass in a greenhouse, permitting sunlight through to heat the earth’s surface but trapping heat as it radiates back into the space, causing an increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface. Since the late 1800’s, the global average temperature has increased about 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F (0.4 to 0.8 degrees C). Global warming is determined not by individual weather events, but by the global mean surface temperature. North America experienced a fairly normal winter in 2006-2007, and some parts had extremely cold weather this year ?

    Greenhouse gases are an air pollution problem, and all air pollution problems of the past have cost significantly less to fix than projected, while declining faster than expected. This gives cause to hope that artificial greenhouse gases can be controlled reasonably cheaply and without wrenching sacrifices to the global economy. Greenhouse gases are released by activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, and agriculture. Other phenomena such as solar variation and volcanoes have had smaller and probably negative effects 1950.

    Global warming is already under way. The evidence is vast and the urgency of taking action becomes clearer with every new scientific study.

    Author: Bob Wright
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    Zero Waste Is the New Recycling – Stop Trashing the Climate

    There is a somewhat new environmental concept coming into the mainstream these days. It’s called “Zero Waste.” Zero waste expands on traditional recycling and is the idea that we should be designing our waste streams to gradually disappear. Besides curbside and office recycling, zero waste advocates call for reusable packaging, recyclable products that can be sent back to producers, and consumer items that can be upgraded rather than replaced.

    Many zero waste options are already in use by a huge portion of the U.S. population. Take online music. If you download the latest Britney Speers album or the soundtrack to “Slumdog Millionaire,” you’re directly contributing to zero waste. No more jewel box packaging, no more transportation costs, no requirement for the complex CD manufacturing process. The same principle can be found with online software upgrades. Taking a homemade lunch to work rather than going to McDonalds is also a zero waste opportunity. Obviously electronic publications reduce the environmental impact of the printed world. And using cloth bags while grocery shopping is now becoming very common.

    The real issue that zero waste gets at is not saving landfill space or even natural resources. Zero waste advocates point out that reduced waste translates into reduced energy requirements; and reduced energy requirements mean fewer emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In short, zero waste is one of the keys to solving the global warming problem.

    The long-term benefits of zero waste are explored at length in a landmark report published in the summer of 2008 entitled Stop Trashing the Climate. Written by staffers at non-profit advocacy groups the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Eco-Cycle, and Gaia, Stop Trashing the Climate reports that setting a national goal of 1% reduction of waste per year would be the equivalent of eliminating one-fifth of the coal fired power plants in the United States by 2050.

    According to this report, a serious zero waste effort can reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by almost 37% across all sectors of the U.S. economy. The most important thing to understand here is that for recycling and composting and other forms of waste minimization, the technology is available now. Most of these measures, in fact, are extremely simple. They just require businesses, institutions and municipal governments to re-tool and re-focus.

    Indeed, local governments around North America are making the commitment to zero waste through executive orders and even legislation. Boulder, CO, Seattle, WA, San Francisco, Toronto, and Halifax, Nova Scotia have all embraced zero waste as communities. Principles include investment and support for recycling, composting, reuse businesses, green design, and limitations on packaging. Zero waste communities see that the key to success is measuring waste reduction and gradually building towards elimination of waste altogether.

    Is it possible to completely eliminate all waste from a complex, industrial society? Only time will tell. If you don’t set goals that you want to achieve, how can succeed at anything?

    Author: David Biddle
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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    The World’s Weather Is Changing, Our Seasons Are In Turmoil, and We Still Don’t Get It

    One of the principal signs of global warming is the frequency of adverse weather conditions. As global warming continues to gather momentum, average temperatures across the globe will increase and occurrences of extreme weather will become ever more commonplace.

    Changes in our normal weather patterns, has far reaching consequences, for our weather governs the seasons, and as our seasons become ever more erratic, the effects will impact upon the habitats and habits of animals, plant and Eco-systems across the globe. Agriculture will face a growing number of challenges as traditional winter, spring and summer crops will provide lower yields which will undoubtedly reflect in the price and availability of fundamental food crops.

    With continued increases in global temperatures, we will also bear witness to the consequences of widespread desertification. It is anticipated that some 4 billion hectares of land could be at risk, a phenomena created by long periods of drought. Desertification has wide reaching implications and 110 countries that have, what are termed ‘dry lands’ face the economic and environmental consequences that come with desertification.

    With desertification comes another problem that will, with time become ever more deadly, for as once semi-fertile land becomes ever more arid and desert like, dust clouds will gain prevalence.

    FACT: In Asia dust clouds will not only become widespread, they will manifest themselves over industrial cities and combine with other noxious pollutants that will have the ability to block 10 per cent of the sun’s heat!

    On the other hand, countries like India will suffer as their normal wet season becomes permanent, this permanent flooding has the power to displace some 150 million people living in a space half the size, yet with twice the population of the UK.!

    The 1990’s saw three times as many natural disasters than in any other period in history.

    Weather Facts:

    Globally the hottest year ever recorded was 1981

    Twenty out of 21 hottest years ever measured have all occurred during the past 25 years.

    Australia has experienced widespread drought since 2001 – threatening not only people’s lives but the countries crops including wheat, Australia is the world’s third largest wheat producer continued drought threatens to destroy over half of the countries output.

    2006 marked China’s worst drought in over 50 years – an estimated 18 million people were left short of water and over 321 million acres of valuable arable land and some 17 million animals were affected.

    The number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled within 25 years!

    The horn of Africa experienced two years of NO rain as a consequence over 8 million people are facing starvation.

    In 2005 temperatures plummeted shrouding Delhi in thick frost

    The longest river in the world the Amazon was reduced to a mere trickle as the country was ravaged by unprecedented drought during 2006

    In January 2006 Russia experienced a chilly -40C

    Japan suffered under 10 foot of snow during the winter of 2005

    Melting of permafrost has caused widespread devastation and millions of dollars worth of damage across Alaska

    Louisiana has lost approximately 1 million acres of wetland due to rising sea-levels

    Lest anyone can forget the sheer devastation of August 29th 2005, when Hurricane Katrina decimated much of new Orleans.

    Nor can we afford to forget the events that took place on boxing day 2004 when Sumatra was hit by a giant Tsunami.

    In Romania and Bulgaria thousands of people were forced from their homes when the River Danube broke its banks after hitting a 111 year high.

    Flash floods devastated the sleepy Cornish village of Boscastle

    Torrential flooding killed more than 800 people and left tens of thousand’s homeless in Ethiopia.

    Author: Christine Farrell
    Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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