When a hurricane becomes more intense because of global warming and wipes out a city, the effects are obvious. Yet, there are some results of extreme events that are less apparent. These situations can change life in many ways.
Heat, of course, will be an important factor in global warming. There will be more days that are hot, higher daytime highs, and many lasting heat waves. This will affect people, animals, and the environment.
There will be more people who will die as a result of intense heat. Elderly people and poor people who cannot afford air conditioning will be most at risk. The people who do have air conditioning will run theirs more. The added energy use will increase global warming as more greenhouse gases are emitted into the air.
Farmers and ranchers will notice problems with their operations due to global warming. Crops will have a risk of being damaged by drought, flooding, or erosion. The uncertainty has always been a part of farming, but now, it will be even worse.
Farmers and ranchers will see that their livestock is suffering from the effects of global warming as well. Their food and water supplies will be in jeopardy, and storms will put them in danger of injury. Wildlife will be affected as habitats are changed.
Another effect of the higher temperatures caused by global warming is that tourism will make gradual shifts. A region that had the ideal temperature one year might be too hot the next. Then, tourists will move further north for their vacations.
The effects of higher daytime lows are mostly good. There will be fewer deaths related to cold weather, less reliance on fuels for heat, and some crops will benefit. The bad news is that other crops will suffer, and pests and diseases will flourish due to global warming.
As global warming gets worse, precipitation will become more intense. This will lead to floods, mudslides, landslides, and avalanches. Soil erosion will be a fact of life. At the same time, there will be increased risk of drought. This will lead to more forest fires. It will also limit the quantity and quality of the water supply.
Finally, the hurricanes intensified by global warming will have a great impact on the earth. People will be injured or killed in the storms themselves and others will die as a result of infectious diseases that come as a result of the mess of the clean-up.
Hurricanes also damage such natural wonders as coral reefs and mangroves. These are two ecosystems that will be disrupted if global warming is allowed to continue. The coast of any are with such hurricanes will be in bad shape. There will be coastal erosion, and the coastal infrastructure will be weakened.
The effects of extreme weather caused by global warming are tremendous. It is only natural to want to try to avoid them. To stop global warming, it will take a group effort combining the energies of individuals and governments alike.
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It is certain that enough global warming would be harmful to human beings. If the temperatures were hot enough and the sea levels were high enough, it would spell an end to life as it is known at this time. Yet, there may be some short-term benefits of global warming.
Few people would argue and say that a warm climate is not preferable to a cold one. Not only are warm climates generally more pleasant, there are health benefits as well. People who suffer from conditions that are affected by the cold, such as rheumatoid arthritis, often move to warmer climates. A small amount of global warming would allow people to stay in their homes.
One scientist did an extensive study of statistics to find out the health benefits of warmer weather. He studied the numbers of deaths in different months of the year in places that get cold in the winter and warm in the summer. He determined that many more people die in the winter than in the summer. This would seem to support the benefits of global warming.
However, he also noted that the statistics in this part of the study were not entirely accurate. They were muddied by the fact that there are other considerations during season changes that would not occur in global warming. For example, days were shorter in winter, but they would not be shorter if more global warming occurred.
In 2004, it was observed by lobster fishermen that the warmer temperatures caused by global warming had affected their work. There seemed to be an abundance of Maine lobsters living and thriving in the warmer waters. They were happy for the increase, but expected it to be short-lived as the optimal temperature for lobsters probably has a very small range.
It has been thought for quite some time that global warming would increase the amount of corn, wheat, barley, and other grains that could be grown. Not only the warmer weather and the longer growing seasons were anticipated to yield this result. Carbon dioxide exposure was expected to increase productivity along with global warming.
Studies have shown, though, that the carbon dioxide benefits are very minimal. Current projections are that farmers will only be able to keep up with demand for crops for a few more decades. Then, it is predicted that world-wide shortages will take hold.
Furthermore, agriculture in tropical zones is expected to decline rapidly as the temperature becomes too hot to support plant life. The temperate zones will be able to have better farming, and more of the world's crops will be grown there.
Some economists point to global warming as a boon to international trade. They feel that the loss of ice sheets in the Arctic will open up routes that have not been accessible in the past. This will provide faster travel between Europe, America, and Asia, they say.
People give plenty of reasons to embrace global warming. They see only promise in the climate change of their planet. Perhaps they just do not want to feel required to do anything about global warming. Or, perhaps there is some room for hope.
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