Global Warming Warnings... dramatic changes in weather sign of global warming

[jedidog 0]

Is it coincidence that there are so many news events of increased extreme weather events, for example; hurricanes, typhoons, droughts, etc ? Looking at localized events it may be easy to think it is just the regular occurrences for example; hurricane season. But looking at it globally it really starts to look as if the world is changing. This year we?ve had very hot summers in the U.S, and Europe and floods in Ethiopia and China. The main concern is that Ethiopia is always regarded as a drought ridden place, yet now there is flooding?

 

There are increasing temperature changes in the oceans and we are seeing forest fires, early spring blossom (And late Summer animals). All in all it?s certainly is changing. This is not to say that this is all a bad news discussion, but rather, it?s a mystery how it?s all happening but there doesn?t seem so much recognition of the global patterns.

 

We see news events one after the other about floods, coral bleaching and stormy weather, but there doesn?t seem much news about the link of all these events. Add, to this the increase in large scale events such as hurricanes, severe droughts, and floods. It seems the world is definitely changing in climatic terms; the question is where is it heading?

 

Can we expect more extreme weather ahead, or just more of the same? The bigger problem is that such events affect economies and population movements. Consider this, if an area is ravaged by hurricanes people are forced to move, then there is the cost of the support and relocation, etc. If these events happen more frequently we can expect more expense and population movement.

 

As global events the global community, for example, the United Nations should perhaps be addressing this with strategies for support and aid knowing that these events are going to either increase or stay at the level they occur now.

I also heard that animals such as polar bears are now becoming restricted in their movement because of the colder climate reduction in the northern areas, and that a brown polar bear was found (is this a freak gene event or slow adaptation?).

[jlhaslip 4]

Good Topic. As an "older" member, it is not nearly as relevant to me, however, you younger members are the next "Stewards" of the Earth, so pay lots of attention to this topic because it will have more impact on you than it will on me. There are cycles in Nature and the temperatures are one of the more noticeable cycles, however, the information I have says that the average temperature in many zones is beyond cyclical, in fact, there is a trend towards rising temperatures. One cause of these higher temperatures is Air Pollution. Another is the reduced Ozone due to CFC's and Rain Forest Harvesting is yet anther issue which must be dealt with.These three causes of Global Warming are man-made and it is imperative that Mankind recognize their input to the alteration of the Global environment. No single country is to blame for any of these causes, rather, it is all of us who are responsible. Most of the man-made sources of Pollution and therefore the trend for warming is created by our search for a lifestyle of leisure and convenience. Driving instead of walking, the convenience of Natural Gas for heat rather than using a heat source which is environmentally friendly (ie: Solar). As the Population increases Globally and Third World countries aspire to the luxuries found in Europe and North America, the situation will only become more critical. There are some simple solutions. Looking back in History gives us some clues. Live where you work and work where you live to consume less energy for commuting. Use Local products to build with. If you have trees, use wood. If there is sand and limestone nearby, use bricks or concrete. Buying and using products from afar takes energy to ship. Buy Local goods and services. Live simpler. And most importantly, Think Globally but act Locally. None of us can solve this problem alone. All of us must act each in our own way to reduce energy consumption. It is important that we recognize this fact and that each of us can make a difference.Begin tommorrow. Don't buy Beef from New Zealand if you live in Canada and don't buy Beef from Canada if you live in New Zealand. The Energy to ship it each direction is crazy. See what I mean?

[Panzer 0]

Just living in New Zealand, ive noticed it this year. Usually over winter we get a bit of snow at ground level, cold southerly winds and rain. This year has just been freak. The stream that runs through our town rose something like 2.5 meters and all the people along the river bank had to be evacuated. We have had extreme snow and frosts. It would be heavy rain one night, then in the morning it would just freeze over.In the news as well, Europe & the United States having their big heatwaves and China having horrific floods.

[jedidog 0]

That's a very important point you made about the transport costs,as you say; shipping beef from Canada to New Zealand the amount of fuel consumption, air pollution (and water polllution) must be phenomenal even if we consider the amount of shipment. Yet, some countries are being criticised for not exporting, importing enough to create a freerer market. But if we are to reduce fuel excess it important to make such things ecologically cost effective. On a smaller scale walking to the local abc store rarther than driving. The small things all add up. So it is a global community problem with a global community solution.

[gaurdro 0]

i think global warming is a part of a cycle of heating and cooling on this planet. humans however have made things significantly worse so in turn when things snap to the cold things will probably be even worsejust a note. trees emitt methane, moreso than a cow. methane is the granddaddy of all greenhouse gases. another thing adding to the problem is the last ice age trapped tons of co2, methane and other greenhouse gases and as glaciers, etc. melt they are releasing more and more of the stuff that we don't want in our atmosphere

[SGCHS 0]

Granted, I don't like breathing polluted air any more than the next guy, but to say man has that much influence on nature is just thinking too highly of ourselves.If it is true we are affecting the environment in a negative way then natural selection (evolution) will take care of the problem for us. The strong survive, the rest become fodder.There is just too much conflicting information for me to get all excited about it. For many years people believed the earth was flat, the sun revolved around the earth, etc. If the earth is billions of years old, then the last 200 years of the industrial revolution are not going to affect the earth cycle all that much.Just relax, enjoy yourself and don't worry about the end of the world. It will happen and there is nothing you can do about it.Da, di, da, don't worry...be happy....

[Cerebral Stasis 0]

I actually read an article (not exactly sure where, though) that suggested that Earth had actually been in a min-Ice Age for the past thousand years or so. It is now returning to it's normal temperature, or so the article suggested.In any case, money is what makes the world go around, not bleeding-heart concepts of saving the earth. Therefore, solar energy isn't widely used, but not because we just like to pollute - it's because solar power is expensive and inefficient. The best and most efficient and clean power source we have is nuclear energy, and everyone throws a fit because of the nuclear waste (even though it is very carefully disposed of) and the possibility of a meltdown (which has never happened in the USA, and very rarely anywhere else, in fact there hasn't been a major case since Chernobyl, and that was due to reactor malfunctions, but since nuclear reactors have become many, many times more efficient and safe, so much so that a meltdown now is a virtual impossibility). Besides, it takes time to change.

[bhavesh 0]

This year's rainy season in India has given many of us surprise, flood in Rajasthan, were rain even in Monsoon is rarity.Flood in India is common but nowadays the number of flood affected areas are increasing. In September, temperature here starts declining, but this time it is still hot. Climate is changing it is not following a regular pattern. All these things points that the earth is heating up. And I think as Dinosaurs had call there disasters by eating and destroying plants (which is one of the theory of there extinction), similarly humans have started there downfall and is not far behind of being extinct.

[sylenzednuke 0]

I agree with Bhavesh as I reside in the same country and as someone rightly said above, think globally and act locally.I have seen climates being at their never-before reached extremes since past 3 years, in summer, there is alot of heat which has been never before experienced atleast by me, the amount of rainfall is increasing and the pattern is becoming stranger and stranger year by year, and also cold in winters are increasing. I was a victim of last years floods in my city Mumbai but actually media hyped it more than it actually was, I mean the floods in Surat and Orrisa were more severe but it was hyped by TV but I am not saying that it wasn't bad at all, 1000 people died in it and I know a couple of them as noone, no one was safe from the floods.The rains this year also were quite dissappointing, they were in sufficient amounts but they were untimely, there would be rain for like 2 days continously with very heavy showers and then bamm, no rain for more 4 days and complete dryness.Well, melting of the ice caps is the bext example I can give about global warming, but this thing is definately there and we have to do something.I try to avoid uneccesary use of private transport but sometimes landup hearing to my heart and not my brain, after watching the movie The Day After Tommorrow, atleast I try to do what I can in saving the earth.Import beef from NZ to Canada, do you guys really do that, I could have never imagined that such things take place?!?!?!

[tdktank59 0]

we however have an advantage over the dinasours... we have the means to survive and keep warm and those sorts of things we can harness fire so we are about 2000000 million steps above them...yes the earth is heating up and we as humans are one of the main causes.... our ozone is breaking apart letting more uv rays into our atmosphere... as well as a few other things...As we drive more and more its creating more and more heat which in turn is doing stuff to the earth. With the new electric cars they are coming out with this should be reduced in about 20 years by ALOT. but thats still a long time away. Has anyone seen the movie The Day after Tomarrow i think its called but this movie brings up some "predicted" things that can happen but pretty much we are leading this earth into another iceage and we cant stop it that easily but i can tell you its going to be getting hotter for a while...