A Little Reality: Got your Global Warming Proof Right Here

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Got your Global Warming Proof Right Here

Shrinking Canadian glacier.

I can find any argument I want from the Global Warming deniers. Most base their opinions on the theory that, once you dismiss all of the symptoms, there is no definitive proof. My favorite denier is the guy who admits it is happening but believes Global Warming will be a boon to mankind.

Like cancer, the symptoms are the most important clues to diagnosing a plantary disease. What are the symptoms?

Warmer Temperatures. Seems obvious. Nineteen of the 20 hottest years in historical record have occured in the last 25 years.
Warmer Water and More Intense Rain. Not just all the catagory 4 and 5 hurricanes, there have been historic floods in Europe the past several years.
Droughts. The heavy rain in some places means severe droughts in others. The current East Africa drought is of biblical proportions. Global warming is a zero sum game when it comes to rainfall.
Shrinking Glaciers. The linked article includes photos showing what has happened to several glaciers in the past 100 years. Glaciers are freshwater reservoirs in many parts of the world. As they disappear, so will the freshwater they hold.

Rising Sea levels. As the oceans heat up and the polar ice caps melt, the oceans will rise. Of course, the Global Warming deniers will claim that it will not make any difference if the oceans rise a few feet. It will make a difference to the people living on this Polynesian atoll. Their homes will completely disappear.
Deadly Heatwaves. In 2003, a heatwave in Europe killed 30,000 people. A nationwide heatwave in 2005 killed scores of Americans. Japan, India, and South Africa have also had killer heatwaves. Deniers like to pretend only the winters are getting warmer. It is the summers that will get us.
Wildfire. Near Flagstaff, over 1000 homes are currently endangered by wildfires. In my hometown, San Diego, in October 2003, wildfires destroyed over 2400 homes, burned over 370,000 acres, and killed 17 people. For days, the smoke was so thick you could look directly at the sun at noon with your naked eye. Texas, Colorado, Alaska, Australia, Europe, and Africa have all seen massive wildfires in recent years. Photos of the San Diego inferno are here and here.