This Heatwave is Not a Myth

Many of the extreme weather events will occur in areas that are already experiencing trouble producing their own food because of resource depletion, specifically in the developing world where hunger is already prevalent. June 21, 2005.


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This article may be reprinted freely as long as this resource box is included. The last Ice Age was only 5-9 degrees colder than today's temperatures.

Myth #3: Global warming is a good thing; an extended warm season would be more comfortable and extend the growing season, thus increasing global food supplies.

Fact: While a small amount of warming might benefit some select regions, the negative effects of global warming will far outweigh any positives. It was provided by ACoolerClimate, a website devoted to creating a revolutionary movement by showing people how to help prevent global warming. Additionally, rising sea levels are predicted to displace 13 to 88 million people each year, placing a greater strain on agricultural lands. Insects that pose threats to the well-being of humans will experience an evolutionary advantage as a result of larger areas being hospitable to them for longer periods.

Myth #4: Like examples of the past, humans can easily adapt to the effects of global climate change, especially with current and future technologies.

Fact: Although humans can adapt to new climatic situations quite rapidly, there are several notable historical examples of major population decreases as a result of climate change. "The Latest Myths and Facts on Global Warming." Environmental Defense, 2005. More mild cold seasons will invite non-native species, threatening the livelihood of native plants (which will already be under stress). Additionally, conflict over food and water will likely have a ripple effect across the globe.

It is clear that the need to act on global, industrial, political, and individual levels is imperative to address one of the biggest environmental challenge humans as a species has ever seen. Since the Industrial Revolution, the world's consumption of fossil fuels has increased at an alarming rate and climate scientists consent that the combustion of these fuels are the primary culprits of global warming. While some animals and plants were able to adapt to slow changes over time, many will become extinct as a result of faster climate changes. Education is the first step; action is the next. The pressure from the movement of large groups of people displaced by global warming will be felt across borders, both political and socio-economic. So is misinformation. If industrialized nations are able to fufill the prophecy spoken by so many media pundits and invent their way out of this crisis with technology, those countries lacking the resources to do the same will be left h! igh and dry. and Michael Oppenheimer, PhD. The fallout from global warming will drastically impact all aspects of modern human life, as well as the global economy with which we are so intertwined.
Information is now being discovered and disseminated throughout the planet at an unprecedented rate. In contrast, scientists predict that the average global temperature will increase anywhere from 2.5 to 10.4 degrees F in the 21st century alone. Global warming has all the makings of a catastrophe, but the powers that be would rather that you did not realize that. [PDF]

"Myth Manners Thinks Abrupt Climate Change Would Be Rude." Grinning Planet. Skeptics are often spokespeople or "scientists" hired by industries that have a stake in new emission-cutting regulations or changes in consumer buying patterns that would curb global warming.

Myth #2: The current warming trend is just part of the natural cycle of rising and falling climate variation. If the global warming trend continues without action, the rate of increase and the degree of warming will exceed anything experienced since the beginning of human civilization. While this may seem like a small fluctuation on a regional scale, on a global scale it is significant. Some of the predicted effects of global warming include: drought, flooding rainstorms, forest fire, and species extinctions. Here are some basic facts about the reality of global climate change.

Myth #1: Within the scientific community, debate persists as to whether or not anthropogenic (human-caused) gases are the primary cause of global warming.

Fact: Worldwide, climate scientists are united in agreement that the current rise in greenhouse gases and global temperatures are directly correlated to human-related causes. There is virtually no disagreement about the fact that global temperatures are rising. Related Global Warming Article: Help Prevent Global Warming by Knowing Your Paper Recycling Facts The future is in our hands.

Sources:

Wang, James, PhD. Whatever debate exists does so in the popular media and political arenas. A small shift in degrees is not a big deal.

Fact: While climate change does follow a natural cycle of fluctuation in global and regional temperatures over time, we are experiencing a major increase in the rate at which climate change is occurring that does not fall within the normal boundaries of global climate cycles. Evolution requires time to change any given species-successful changes are made over thousands (or millions) of years.
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