the 9 to 5 alternative

Note: Today’s post—along with 7,500+ 8,500+ others throughout the blogosphere—is part of Blog Action Day ’09: Climate Change. Check it out at www.blogactionday.org.

Maroon Bells Wilderness, Colorado (summer 2006)

I could care less where you stand when it comes to climate change. You might think that certain scientific opinions are rubbish. You might find it skeptical when a country claims that by 2020, it will reduce its carbon footprint by a particular percentage. With such a controversial issue, there are a million different opinions and interpretations of causes, effects, solutions, etc.

What I can say with 100% certainty, though, is that our world is changing. The polar bears, the ice caps, the water levels, it doesn’t matter how it’s happening. It’s happening.

I was trying to think of a good way to contribute to Blog Action Day this year. Rather than talk about problems and solutions, I thought I’d keep it simple and write out some observations. Lucky for me, while scouring the Interwebs, I chanced upon a BBC report called “Climate Change Around the World.” It broadly describes the current and potential changes due to climate change in various regions of the world. As both an avid traveler and outdoorsman, it’s sad to think about the negative externalities we are now seeing with a warming world. As a general rule in life, I tend to air on the side of optimism, yet it’s difficult to think how slow progress has been and how long we have to go.

The text below comes from the aforementioned article and has been copied and reformatted:

North America

Warming in western mountains is very likely to reduce snowpack, bringing more floods in winter and reduced water supplies in summer.

Increases in problems with pests, diseases and forest fires are likely.

Cities with a history of heat waves are likely to experience many more, with potential health impacts, especially for the elderly.

Rising sea levels, severe weather and storm surges, combined with population growth in coastal areas, are very likely to increase economic losses.

Latin America

Increasing temperatures and decreases in soil water in the eastern Amazon region would lead to replacement of tropical forest by savannah. Species extinctions are likely.

Drier areas are likely to see salinisation and desertification of agricultural land, with falling crop yields and livestock productivity reducing food security. However, soybean yields are likely to increase in temperate zones.

Sea level rise is very likely to bring flooding to low-lying regions such as the coast of El Salvador, Guyana and the Rio de la Plata estuary. Increasing sea temperatures are likely to impact coral reefs and south-east Pacific fish stocks.

Changes in rainfall patterns and the disappearance of glaciers are projected to significantly affect water availability for human consumption, agriculture and energy generation.

Europe

Nearly all European regions are expected to be negatively affected by some future impacts of climate change.

Central and Eastern European countries could face less summer rainfall, causing higher water stress. Health risks due to heat waves are expected to increase. Forest productivity is expected to fall and the frequency of peatland fires to increase.

Southern European countries are very likely to see reduced water supplies, lower crop production, more wildfires and health impacts from increased heatwaves.

Northern countries are likely to benefit from increased crop yields, forest productivity, and food supplies from the North Atlantic. By 2020, most areas of Europe are likely to see an increased flood risk.

Africa

Some regions are likely to experience water shortages. Coupled with increasing demand, this is likely to result in large increases in the number of people at risk of water scarcity. It is likely to affect livelihoods, the report by the International Panel on Climate Change says.

Projected reductions in the area suitable for growing crops, and in the length of the growing season, are likely to produce an increased risk of hunger. In some countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50% by 2020.

Rising sea levels threaten large cities. Degradation of coral reefs and mangroves is likely, with impacts on local fisheries and tourism.

Rising temperatures, coupled with over-fishing, will decrease the supply of fish from large lakes, with important impacts on food supplies.

Asia

Glacier melting in the Himalayas is virtually certain to disrupt water supplies within the next 20 to 30 years. Floods and rock avalanches are virtually certain to increase. Heavily-populated coastal regions, including the deltas of rivers such as the Ganges and Mekong, are likely to be at risk of increased flooding.

Economic development is likely to be impacted by the combination of climatic change, urbanisation, and rapid economic and population growth.

Forecast changes in temperature and rainfall are likely to reduce crop yields overall, increasing the risk of hunger.

The presence of lethal diarrhoeal diseases associated with floods and droughts is expected to rise in East, South and Southeast Asia and rises in coastal water temperature could exacerbate cholera in South Asia.

Australia and New Zealand

Ongoing water shortages, notably in southern and eastern Australia, are likely to get worse by 2030.

Ecologically important regions such as the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu National Park are likely to lose a significant part of their wildlife before then, by 2020.

Some coastal communities are very likely to see an increased risk of coastal storms and flooding.

Temperature rises of 1C-2C are likely to bring benefits to cooler areas, such as New Zealand, in the form of longer growing seasons and reduced energy demand. Greater warming is likely to bring a net negative impact – such as increased risk of drought and fire.

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