Flood, tornado, snowstorm, wild fire, mud slide, earthquake, cyclone, tsunami . . . did I miss a catastrophe that happened during the past year? We may argue about the cause, but the basic fact remains that the climate IS changing.
My thoughts are that global warming is altering the climate of the world and we must be prepared to deal with highly volatile and quickly changing weather patterns. Global temperature is predicted to increase by 3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F), with nights and winter becoming warmer.
The resultant melting of ice and expansion of the oceans will cause the sea level to rise by 500 mm (20 inches). All around the world, islands at sea level are being abandoned due to rising water levels. By 2050, 70 million people in China, 30 million in Bangladesh and 1000s of Americans in Florida and Louisiana will be displaced by rising water.
Storms and floods will become more frequent and more powerful. Some areas of the world will experience heavier rain and snowfall while other locales will be decimated by drought. Warmer seas mean an increase in the intensity of hurricanes and cyclones. Deserts will expand and forest fires will rage out of control. In the US, California will undergo a severe drought.
In southern Canada and northern USA, rainfall will increase and snowfall will decrease. While in the tropics and subtropics, rainfall will decrease causing increased desertification. Glaciers, which contain much of the world's freshwater supply, will disappear by 2025, with resultant threat to drinking water, irrigation and hydro power in countries like Peru and Bolivia.
In any emergency, the first sign is usually loss of power. This means no electricity to run water treatment plants or to power water pumps that keep parts of our country from being underwater. Without power, the flood waters will recede gradually, presenting problems of disease and hygiene. Without power, municipal water supplies are left high and dry.
Instead of worrying about global warming, do something constructive to prepare for the times to come. Install a rainwater capture system, solar panels and wind generators. Take advantage of geothermal power and the insulating properties of earth. Buy a
diesel generator that will allow you to keep your food from spoiling and power crucial appliances. Decide how you will obtain and purify water, deal with household waste and keep food on the table.
Once you are prepared, look to the neighborhood and the community. A large
kubota diesel generator will keep many essential services working. Make sure the hospitals, shelters and emergency services have
diesel generators. Ask them what will happen if the power fails?
You may have to live in the NOW, but you can prepare for the FUTURE.
