The Consequences of Global Warming

There are fires, floods, and melting ice. Russia is under terror as the heat continued to set fire on numerous forests. The floods in Iowa are bigger than ever and the ice from the High Arctic is melting very fast. The scientists say that these changes are not clues of things to come, but a sign that the changes have already occurred and that the changes are imminent since the process has already started. The climatologists from the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization have predicted these changes and these events. They said that the weather from August and July fit the patterns which they have predicted for many years.

However in most of the cases the scientists always avoid associating particular events with the global warming. Things seem to change because the climatologists want to find a way of prediction particular events like the ones from Russia and Iowa. They will meet next month in Europe and then the next month in America, where they will discuss the possibility of predicting such events. The United Nations, U.S. and British government will sponsor the meetings. British government climatologist Peter Stott believes that it is extremely important to find out a mean of predicting these events. He believes that they will be more and more frequent and the main reason for it is the global warming.

He stated that since the entire planet is affected by the global warming, such events can occur anywhere. However there are certain actors which influence these events and it is their task to identify these events. It seems that modelers of climate systems are waiting to receive the required funds in order to be able to develop supercomputer modeling which would be able to predict the links between the global warming and the events such as the ones mentioned. They believe that the processes occur because of a cause and effect relationship, meaning that without certain factors they would not be able to occur.

The changes which often occur can create lots of damage and havoc to the entire world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is the U.N.’s network of climate scientists, has predicted for a very long time that the rising global temperatures will produce more intense and more frequent heat waves. The rainfalls will become more intense as well, as a result of the heat waves. Even though rain is more than welcomed when there are powerful heat waves, but in excess they can be damaging. When heavy rains happen, the possibility of floods is increased. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes stated in 2007 that they have observed those changes beginning with the 1950s.

However the climatologists do not blame the weather for the events which are currently happening. They do not associate the increase in temperature with the floods and with the droughts, because they believe that there are many factors which can influence them. The experts stated that it is better to think about the heat wave in terms of odds: warming does not certainly double the chances for floods, but it might double those chances. However they stated that the people from the World Meteorological Organization have predicted that such events are likely to occur this summer all over the world.

Russia for example is experiencing the hottest summer in their history, as the temperatures in Moscow have reached 37.8 degrees C. Hundreds of wildfires have appeared as a result of the heat which has caused massive droughts all over the country. The wildfires caused lots of smog which finally lifted after six days of being present in the area. The wheat harvest was reduced by more than one third, and as a result, Russia has stopped the wheat export.

China has been heavily affected by the heat as well, as it is experiencing the biggest floods in tens of years. More than 1,100 people have died because of the flood, and about 600 have been declared missing. It is very likely that the majority of them have passed away as well. The rains have increased in China by 33 percent since 1961. Iowa has been affected by the heat waves as well, as the floodwaters forced people to evacuate their homes, and at least one person has lost his life. One of the areas which have been affected the heaviest by the global warming is the Arctic region.

A chunk of ice having a 260-square-kilometer size has been carved off from the Petermann Glacier in Greenland’s far northwest as a result of the global warming. It is predicted that this will have consequences, as the water levels will rise, and in case the chunk of ice will melt, floods might occur all over the world. The experts predicted five months ago that the ice from Greenland is starting to melt. The problem is that the amount of ice which is melting is bigger than the amount of ice which is recovered during the winter, and that can result in serious consequences all over the world.

The sea levels are rising with 60 percent faster because of the melting ice, and the warming waters are also a concerning factor as well. The worldwide temperature readings have revealed that this January-June period was the hottest period since the mid-19th century. More than 15 countries have experienced all-time-high temperatures in 2010, which is a new record. The experts say that the main reason for the global warming is the pollution which is a result of the carbon dioxide emission. They stated that if the situation is not changed, the consequences will be irreversible. Can this be the end of the world as we know it?11