The World's Weather Is Changing, Our Seasons Are In Turmoil, and We Still Don't Get It

One of the principal signs of global warming is thehave all occurred during the past 25 years.
frequency of adverse weather conditions. AsAustralia has experienced widespread drought
global warming continues to gather momentum,since 2001 - threatening not only people's lives but
average temperatures across the globe willthe countries crops including wheat, Australia is
increase and occurrences of extreme weather willthe world's third largest wheat producer continued
become ever more commonplace.drought threatens to destroy over half of the
Changes in our normal weather patterns, has farcountries output.
reaching consequences, for our weather governs2006 marked China's worst drought in over 50
the seasons, and as our seasons become everyears - an estimated 18 million people were left
more erratic, the effects will impact upon theshort of water and over 321 million acres of
habitats and habits of animals, plant andvaluable arable land and some 17 million animals
Eco-systems across the globe. Agriculture will facewere affected.
a growing number of challenges as traditionalThe number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes has
winter, spring and summer crops will providealmost doubled within 25 years!
lower yields which will undoubtedly reflect in theThe horn of Africa experienced two years of NO
price and availability of fundamental food crops.rain as a consequence over 8 million people are
With continued increases in global temperatures,facing starvation.
we will also bear witness to the consequences ofIn 2005 temperatures plummeted shrouding Delhi
widespread desertification. It is anticipated thatin thick frost
some 4 billion hectares of land could be at risk, aThe longest river in the world the Amazon was
phenomena created by long periods of drought.reduced to a mere trickle as the country was
Desertification has wide reaching implications andravaged by unprecedented drought during 2006
110 countries that have, what are termed 'dryIn January 2006 Russia experienced a chilly -40C
lands' face the economic and environmentalJapan suffered under 10 foot of snow during the
consequences that come with desertification.winter of 2005
With desertification comes another problem thatMelting of permafrost has caused widespread
will, with time become ever more deadly, for asdevastation and millions of dollars worth of
once semi-fertile land becomes ever more ariddamage across Alaska
and desert like, dust clouds will gain prevalence.Louisiana has lost approximately 1 million acres of
FACT: In Asia dust clouds will not only becomewetland due to rising sea-levels
widespread, they will manifest themselves overLest anyone can forget the sheer devastation of
industrial cities and combine with other noxiousAugust 29th 2005, when Hurricane Katrina
pollutants that will have the ability to block 10 perdecimated much of new Orleans.
cent of the sun's heat!Nor can we afford to forget the events that
On the other hand, countries like India will suffertook place on boxing day 2004 when Sumatra
as their normal wet season becomes permanent,was hit by a giant Tsunami.
this permanent flooding has the power to displaceIn Romania and Bulgaria thousands of people were
some 150 million people living in a space half theforced from their homes when the River Danube
size, yet with twice the population of the UK.!broke its banks after hitting a 111 year high.
The 1990's saw three times as many naturalFlash floods devastated the sleepy Cornish village
disasters than in any other period in history.of Boscastle
Weather Facts:Torrential flooding killed more than 800 people and
Globally the hottest year ever recorded was 1981left tens of thousand's homeless in Ethiopia.
Twenty out of 21 hottest years ever measured