scipaFlooding, deserts and global warming
June 6th 2006 11:43
A United Nations report released on Monday found that we may have neglected our deserts when considering the effects of global warming.
Deserts cover almost a quarter of the Earth's surface and are home to near 500 million people. They already are arid areas of land and will suffer greatly as their scarce water resources are further reduced by global warming.
UN Spokesman Nick Nuttall told Discovery Science: "Everybody cares about the mountains. Everybody is worried about the oceans. ... But nobody has really thought about the deserts before. They need help."
Glaciers, too, are under threat. These glaciers supply a large proportion of water needed in the southwestern United States, Central Asia and South America.
So, where is all the water going?
Sadly enough, flooding. According to a January 2004 BBC report,
the number of people in Britain at high risk of flooding is expected to reach nearly 3.5 million by the year 2080, and "damage to properties could run to tens of billions of pounds every year".
In addition to flooding, which will occur in many different areas of the world, sea levels are rising. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)estimates a one foot (30 cm) rise in sea level by 2050.
According to the EPA: "Rising sea level inundates wetlands and other low-lying lands, erodes beaches, intensifies flooding, and increases the salinity of rivers, bays, and groundwater tables."
Of course, coastal areas will disappear, as will some small islands, leaving countless families homeless. This will subsequently lead to an overpopulation problem.
And these are only a few of the many consequences of ignoring our environment's cries for help...
(image from EPA website)
Deserts cover almost a quarter of the Earth's surface and are home to near 500 million people. They already are arid areas of land and will suffer greatly as their scarce water resources are further reduced by global warming.
UN Spokesman Nick Nuttall told Discovery Science: "Everybody cares about the mountains. Everybody is worried about the oceans. ... But nobody has really thought about the deserts before. They need help."
Glaciers, too, are under threat. These glaciers supply a large proportion of water needed in the southwestern United States, Central Asia and South America.
So, where is all the water going?
Sadly enough, flooding. According to a January 2004 BBC report,
the number of people in Britain at high risk of flooding is expected to reach nearly 3.5 million by the year 2080, and "damage to properties could run to tens of billions of pounds every year".
In addition to flooding, which will occur in many different areas of the world, sea levels are rising. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)estimates a one foot (30 cm) rise in sea level by 2050.
According to the EPA: "Rising sea level inundates wetlands and other low-lying lands, erodes beaches, intensifies flooding, and increases the salinity of rivers, bays, and groundwater tables."
Of course, coastal areas will disappear, as will some small islands, leaving countless families homeless. This will subsequently lead to an overpopulation problem.
And these are only a few of the many consequences of ignoring our environment's cries for help...
(image from EPA website)
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