It may be hard to believe right now, as we have been bundling up every day for the past three months, and will continue to for at least another two, but Earth’s 2016 surface temperatures were the warmest on record since modern record keeping began. This warming is a continued trend as 2016 is the third year in a row that has been called the warmest on record. So what will 2017 bring? If it continues in line with the warming trend, here’s what we can expect: Heat waves. Frequent and severe, a heat wave occurs when the daily maximum temperature of an area exceeds the average maximum temperature by 5 degrees, and does so for more than five consecutive days. This is especially dangerous for those that do not have access to safe drinking water. Dehydration has killed thousands of people during the heat waves that have happened over the past decade. Melting ice. Especially in the Arctic where it is expected to see a record low of summer sea-ice cover. This creates a feedback loop as there is less solar radiation being reflected off the ice, and is instead absorbed by the Earth and oceans. This will further warm the Earth’s oceans, melt even more sea ice and sea levels will continue to rise. As sea levels rise, millions of people who live in low lying areas such as islands and deltas will be affected. This can already be seen in Pacific island communities such as Tuvalu. One fifth of the Tuvaluan population have already had to leave their homes, becoming climate refugees due to sea level rise. Increase in disease. The rates of disease carried by pests has increased because warmer temperatures allow for them to have a larger range of distribution. Mosquitos that carry Zika have become more widespread as their breeding season lengthens. Changes in temperature, precipitation and humidity alters how long they live and how many offspring they have. I don’t mean to frighten you…but I kind of do. This is our near-future reality. My next post will be a follow up to how we can take action in the midst of a changing climate. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-noaa-data-show-2016-warmest-year-on-record-globally https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/21/arctic-will-be-ice-free-in-summer-next-year http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/zika-and-climate-change/470643/ AuthorColleen
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AuthorsJust two water lovers exploring todays water issues. Archives
July 2017
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