By: Eric Hartwell
It appears that since 1750 the planet has been gradually warming. This is now thought to be due to human activity - caused by man alone. Amazingly there are still people who doubt that global warming either exists or is caused by man. They insist that such events are “only circumstantial”.
They claim that temperatures go up and down and that greenhouse gas levels are much the same. Estimates suggest that summer temperatures in the U.K. could rise by up to five degrees centigrade in the southeast of England. This is predicted by the year 2080 and has been supported by a scientific panel of 2,500 scientists appointed by the United Nations. Areas in sub-Saharan African and parts of the Mediterranean would be even more dry with episodes of droughts.
The effect of global warming will be also that of increasing storms and rainfall and this will be increased in the winter months, especially in Northern Europe. Many parts of Britain already have very little snow fall and it is thought that snow would be a thing of the past in Britain by 2080. In tropical regions, that already suffer from hurricanes and cyclones, it is thought that these will increase in frequency and intensity.
The effect of global warming is also that of increasing sea levels as the polar ice caps melt. Areas such as Bangladesh, which is low lying, plus areas of the African coast would be flooded repeatedly if sea levels rose. It is predicted that it may rise by up to 17 inches in some parts. This would lead to some parts of the world being uninhabitable.
