Image by Getty Images via @daylifeAfter spending and hour clearing snow from the footpaths around my house yet again this winter I am beginning to question the concept of climate change. Snow storms in the United States have brought record snow fall, in some places in the Midwest 19 inches of snowfall and reports from Arizona a traditionally warm state as much as 3 feet in some instances. New York city the world's leading financial capital has been paralyzed yet again by this unusual weather phenomena with the reputation of its flamboyant Mayor Micheal Bloomberg being severely tarnished as the city's budget cuts resulted in a 75 reduction in the snow removal workforce. The issue of budget cuts and resilience raises its ugly scepter once again. In the UK record snowfall has disrupted public transport services and claimed political scalps in Scotland with the resignation of that regions Transport Minister. The Southern Hemisphere has not been spared from savage weather, flooding in Australia and drought in Argentina has impacted on world food supply chains.
The facts are we have had the 10 hottest years on record since 1995, global temperature rises have increased by 0.18C per decade since 1976 this increase is 3 times more than previous decades and actually snow cover in the US is at the same levels or less than the previous year based on data provided by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Have we reached that ecological tipping point whereby we are unable to reasonably predict weather patterns and temperature? If this is the case the effect on agricultural planning and global food supply may be catastrophic. Newton's Third Law of Motion states that "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" if liberally applied to climate change I believe human action or activity has resulted in our climate reacting in ways which may be neither equal or opposite. In essence "For every action there is an over reaction"
The facts are we have had the 10 hottest years on record since 1995, global temperature rises have increased by 0.18C per decade since 1976 this increase is 3 times more than previous decades and actually snow cover in the US is at the same levels or less than the previous year based on data provided by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Have we reached that ecological tipping point whereby we are unable to reasonably predict weather patterns and temperature? If this is the case the effect on agricultural planning and global food supply may be catastrophic. Newton's Third Law of Motion states that "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" if liberally applied to climate change I believe human action or activity has resulted in our climate reacting in ways which may be neither equal or opposite. In essence "For every action there is an over reaction"
Hi Lowellyne,
ReplyDeleteI feel some sense of bewilderment in your post - your own, or reflecting the bewilderment you see in others.
I am playing a small role in the UK's first Climate Change Risk Assessment process, where the technical people are looking at the most credible models for how the UK's climate might change, and assessing the risks and consequences associated with those changes, for example impacts on human health, rivers, infrastructure etc.
You can keep an eye out for the initial results here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/adaptation/ccra/index.htm
My role is in helping to design and run some of the wider stakeholder engagement - I'm not a technical expert.
Penny