December 15th, 2009 | International Action Join in the discussion, there is 1 comment »
Two Degrees…
2003 was the hottest year on record; supposedly a one in several thousand year event. During the summer tens of thousands of people in Europe died of heat stroke, and tree and plant growth fell by 30%.
AT TWO DEGREES, HALF THE SUMMERS WILL BE HOTTER THAN 2003.
Cities dependent on glacial meltwater will die as the glaciers disappear. These include major cities on the Indian sub-continent. Two billion people will face water shortages and up to 30% of plant and animal species will be put at risk of extinction (IPCC, 2007). Asia, Africa, Australia and Latin America will suffer particularly.
Most of the Arctic will melt in summer. Polar Bears, ringed seals and walruses will probably die out. And the Maldives? They’ve had it. The coin tossed at 1 degree turns out to be a two-headed penny at 2 degrees.
In North America and Europe things are not so bad. According to the Independent, Crop yields in the USA will increase by up to 20 per cent due to warmer temperatures but economic damage from extreme weather events such as Hurricane Katrina will continue increasing.
WHAT ABOUT US?
Warmer temperatures may increase wheat yields by up to 25 per cent in places like Shropshire, but water availability will drop in the south by up to a quarter. Heatwaves, forest fires and extreme weather events such as flash floods will be more frequent. New diseases will appear as wetter and warmer winters no longer kill off bugs, and summers will become more unpredictable. We should be able to adapt to it – and live with it.
Lucky us!
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Come on everyone – wake up to the impending crisis and if you haven’t already started cutting your carbon emissions it is really time to begin. 110 world leaders meeting in Copenhagen, the might of the U.N. all in one place at the same time. They’re not there for the photo shoot, this is serious stuff.
Have you ever played RUSSIAN ROULETTE? Ever considered playing it with your children or grand children? No of course not, we’re none of us daft enough to take such a risk with the ones we love but that is exactly what you, your neighbours and relatives are doing by not reducing your carbon emissions.
Hundreds of folk in the Strettons have begun to cut down – none of them are wearing hair shirts or living in holes in the ground but you can tell who they are. They’re the ones who walk or cycle that short trip into town rather than use the car and think of the harm they do to those living in developing countries and so cut down on flying.They’re the ones who know their carbon footprint and have pledged to reduce. There will always be those who are selfish and don’t care about the consequences of their carbon emissions. Is that you? Surely not. If you are reading this you are probably one of the growing number of folk who do know and are trying to reduce. In time the carbon cutters will be the majority and the carbon guzzlers will be !!!!!