Flooding and Drought -- the Effects of Global Warming? Source: Environmental Defense Network , August 20, 2002.
This is one summer to remember: Europe is experiencing some of the worst flooding in a hundred years, and many parts of the United States are suffering long-term drought. How much has global warming contributed to these weird weather phenomena?
Maybe a lot, says Environmental Defense climate specialist Dr. Janine Bloomfield. According to Bloomfield, the changes brought about by global warming don't just mean warmer temperatures but also major disruptions of the sort we are witnessing this summer. Based on climate modeling, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected that both droughts and floods are likely to increase as greenhouse gas pollution continues and global warming results.
Overall, the Earth continues to warm. The 10 warmest years in the past century have all occurred since 1985. Of these, 1998 was the warmest year on record, and 2001 was the second warmest year. Data indicate that these are likely to have been the warmest years in the last 1,000 years. Global warming is here and the consensus among the scientific community is that humans are in large part responsible.
Pollution from quite a few of our daily activities (such as driving cars and heating our homes with oil heat) release carbon dioxide and other gases into the air, as does burning coal to generate electricity in power plants. Many of these pollutants remain in our atmosphere for decades or even centuries, creating a blanket around the earth, trapping heat and raising temperatures on the ground.
"Fortunately," says Bloomfield, "though people helped create global warming, we can also help solve it. Changing the way we produce and use energy, along with planning and adaptation strategies, can help minimize the damage without sacrificing our economy or our quality of life. Leading companies including DuPont and Shell are already proving they can reduce global warming pollution and still make a profit. Investing now in smart policies and sound planning will help us avoid paying a higher price late on.":
