Warning: Depressing content.
Center for American Progress
AlterNet (September 29 2007)
Say Goodbye to French Wines. Wacky temperatures and rain cycles brought
on by global warming are threatening something very important: Wine.
Scientists believe global warming will "shift viticultural regions
toward the poles, cooler coastal zones and higher elevations". What that
means in regular language: Get ready to say bye-bye to French Bordeaux
and hello to British champagne. [LA Times]
Say Goodbye to Light and Dry Wines. Warmer temperatures mean grapes in
California and France develop their sugars too quickly, well before
their other flavors. As a result, growers are forced to either (a) leave
the grapes on the vines longer, which dramatically raises the alcoholic
content of the fruit or (b) pick the grapes too soon and make overly
sweet wine that tastes like jam. [Washington Post]
Say Goodbye to Pinot Noir. The reason you adore pinot noir is that it
comes from a notoriously temperamental thin-skinned grape that thrives
in cool climates. Warmer temperatures are already damaging the pinots
from Oregon, "baking away" the grape's berry flavors. [Bloomberg]
Say Goodbye to Baseball. The future of the ash tree - from which all
baseball bats are made - is in danger of disappearing, thanks to a
combination of killer beetles and global warming. [NY Times]
Say Goodbye to Christmas Trees. The Pine Bark Beetle, which feeds on and
kills pine trees, used to be held in control by cold winter
temperatures. Now the species is thriving and killing off entire forests
in British Columbia, unchecked. [Seattle Post Intelligencer]
Say Goodbye to the Beautiful Alaska Vacation. Warmer weather allowed
Spruce Bark Beetles to live longer, hardier lives in the forests of
Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, where they killed off a section of spruce
forest the size of Connecticut. [Alaska Science Forum]
Say Goodbye to Fly Fishing. As water temperatures continue to rise,
researchers say rainbow trout, "already at the southern limits" of their
temperature ranges in the Appalachian mountains, could disappear there
over the next century. [Softpedia]
Say Goodbye to Ski Competitions. Unusually warmer winters caused the
International Ski Federation to cancel last year's Alpine skiing World
Cup and opening races in Solden, Austria. Skiers are also hard-pressed
now to find places for year-round training. Olympic gold medalist Anja
Paerson: "Of course we're all very worried about the future of our
sport. Every year we have more trouble finding places to train." [NY Times]
Say Goodbye to Ski Vacations. Slopes on the East Coast last year closed
months ahead of time due to warmer weather, some losing as much as a
third of their season. [Washington Post]
Say Hello to Really Tacky Fake Ski Vacations. Weiner Air Force and
former House Majority Leader Dick Armey are building a year-round ski
resort in Texas, with "wet, white Astroturf with bristles" standing in
for snow to make up for all the closed resorts around the country. [WSJ]
Say Goodbye to That Snorkeling Vacation. The elkhorn coral which used to
line the floor of the Caribbean are nearly gone, "victims of pollution,
warmer water and acidification from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide
seeping into oceans". [Denver Post]
Say Goodbye to That Tropical Island Vacation. Indonesia's environment
minister announced this year that scientific studies estimate about
2,000 of the country's lush tropical islands could disappear by 2030 due
to rising sea levels. [ABC News]
Say Goodbye to Cool Cultural Landmarks. The World Monuments Fund
recently added "global warming" as a threat in their list of the top 100
threatened cultural landmarks. "On Herschel Island, Canada, melting
permafrost threatens ancient Inuit sites and a historic whaling town. In
Chinguetti, Mauritania, the desert is encroaching on an ancient mosque.
In Antarctica , a hut once used by British explorer Captain Robert
Falcon Scott has survived almost a century of freezing conditions but is
now in danger of being engulfed by increasingly heavy snows." [AP]
Say Goodbye to Salmon Dinners. Get ready for a lot more chicken dinners:
Wild pacific salmon have already vanished from forty percent of their
traditional habitats in the Northwest and the NRDC warns warmer
temperatures are going to erase 41 percent of their habitat by 2090. [ENS]
Say Goodbye to Lobster Dinners. Lobsters thrive in the chilly waters of
New England, but recent numbers show that as those waters have warmed
up, "the big-clawed American lobster - prized for its delicate, sweet
flesh - has been withering at an alarming rate from New York state to
Massachusetts". [Bangor Times]
Say Goodbye to Discoveries of Sharks That Can Walk. Scientists recently
revealed a "lost world" of marine life off the coast of Indonesia,
including twenty new species of corals, eight species of shrimp, a
technicolor fish that "flashes" bright pink, yellow, blue, and green
hues, and sharks that "walk" on their fins. ("Avon Lady. Candygram".)
However, marine biologists warn the threats posed by global warming
means millions of other crazycool sea creatures may become extinct
before we ever discover them. [ABC]
Say Goodbye to Meadows of Wildflowers. Scientists think global warming
could wipe out a fifth of the wildflower species in the western United
States. They'll be replaced by dominant grasses. [National Wildlife
Federation]
Say Goodbye to Guacamole. Scientists from the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory predict hotter temps will cause a forty percent drop
in California 's avocado production over the next forty years. [Lawrence
Livermore National Lab]
Say Goodbye to Mixed Nuts. Guess you'll have to start eating pretzels at
the bar instead: Scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory predict hotter temps will cause a twenty percent drop in
California's almond and walnut crops over the next forty years. [Science
Daily]
Say Goodbye to French Fries. Scientists from the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research say warmer temperatures are killing
off wild relatives of potato and peanut plants, "threatening a valuable
source of genes necessary to help these food crops fight pests and
drought". [AP]
Say Goodbye to Your Pretty Lawn. Thanks to global warming, dandelions
will grow "taller, lusher, and more resilient". By 2100, the weed will
produce 32 percent more seeds and longer hairs, which allow them to
spread further in the wind. [LA Times]
Say Hello to More Mosquitoes. Get ready for more mosquitoes. Mosquitoes
like to live in drains and sewer puddles. During long dry spells
(brought on by higher temperatures) these nasty, stagnant pools become a
vital source of water for thirsty birds ... which provide a tasty feast
for the resident mosquitoes. At the same time, these dry spells "reduce
the populations of dragonflies, lacewings, and frogs that eat the
mosquitoes". [Washington Post]
Say Hello to Poison Ivy. You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion.
Increased carbon dioxide levels cause poison ivy and other weeds to grow
"taller, lusher, and more resilient". [LA Times]
Say Hello to Bulgarian Hooker Shortages. "Brothel owners in Bulgaria are
blaming global warming for staff shortages. They claim their best girls
are working in ski resorts because a lack of snow has forced tourists to
seek other pleasures." [Metro UK]
Global Warming Kills the Animals
Species Disappear. The latest report from the World Conservation Union
says that a minimum of forty percent of the world's species are being
threatened ... and global warming's one of the main culprits. [Reuters]
Cannibalistic Polar Bears ... As longer seasons without ice keep polar
bears away from food, they start eating each other. [AP]
... And Dying Polar Bears. A recent study completed by the US Geological
Survey shows that cannibalism - while brutal - may be the least of the
bear's problems. Many are also drowning, unable to swim in the increased
spaces between melting sea ice. Two-thirds of them may be gone by 2050.
[National Geographic] [Mongo Bay]
More Bear Attacks. Earlier this year, Moscow warned its citizens to
beware of brown bear attacks. In Russia, it's been too hot in the winter
for bears to sleep. When bears can't hibernate, they get very grouchy
and become "unusually aggressive". [Der Spiegel]
Dying Gray Whales. Save the whales! Global warming is thwarting majestic
gray whales' struggle to recover from their endangered status. In recent
years, more gray whales have been washing up on beaches after starving
to death. Culprit: Rising ocean temps, which are killing off their food
supply. [Washington Post]
Death March of the Penguins. Scientists blame global warming for the
declining penguin population, as warmer waters and smaller ice floes
force the birds to travel further to find food. "Emperor penguins ...
have dropped from 300 breeding pairs to just nine in the western
Antarctic Peninsula". [National Geographic] [MSNBC]
Farewell to Frogs. An estimated two-thirds of the 110 known species of
harlequin frog in Central and South America have vanished since the
1980s due to the outbreak of a deadly frog fungus ... brought on by
global warming. Scientist J Allen Pound: "Disease is the bullet killing
frogs, but climate change is pulling the trigger". [National Geographic]
Farewell to the Arctic Fox. The White Arctic Fox used to rule the colder
climes, but as temperatures warm up, its more aggressive cousin, the Red
Fox, is moving North and taking over. [Wired]
Farewell to the Walrus. Walrus pups rest on sea ice while their mothers
hunt for food. A new study shows more and more abandoned pups are being
stranded on floating islands as ice islands melt. Also, sadly, mother
walruses are abandoning them to follow the ice further north. [Mongo Bay]
Farewell to Cute Koala Bears. Australia's Climate Action Network reports
that higher temperatures are killing off eucalyptus trees while higher
levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are decreasing the
nutritional value of the eucalyptus leaves Koala bears eat. They warn
that the cute furry creatures could become extinct in the next few
decades. [Science]
Jellyfish Attack. Ouch! At least 30,000 people were stung by jellyfish
along the Mediterranean coast last year; some areas boasted more than
ten jellyfish per square foot of water. Thank global warming: Jellyfish
generally stay out of the way of swimmers, preferring the warmer,
saltier water of the open seas. Hotter temperatures erase the natural
temperature barrier between the open sea and the shore. The offshore
waters also become more saline, causing the stinging blobs of hurt to
move in toward the coastlines (and your unsuspecting legs). [BBC]
Giant Squid Attack. Giant squid - an "aggressive predator" that grows up
to seven feet long and can weigh more than 110 pounds - used to only be
found in the warm waters along the Pacific equator. Hotter waters mean
today they're invading the waters of California and even Alaska. [ABC]
Homeless Sheep, Goats, and Bears. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and
grizzly bears are becoming homeless, due to the disappearance of the
alpine meadows in Glacier National Park. [AP]
Homeless Deer and Marsh Rabbits. The deer and marsh rabbits in the
Florida Keys also face a housing crisis, as water levels rise and warmer
temperatures destroy coastal prairies and freshwater marsh habitats. [AP]
Gender-Bended Lizards. Scientists in Australia found warmer temperatures
caused baby bearded dragon lizards to change from males to females while
still in their eggs, making it harder for them to find mates. Trippy.
[ABC AU]
More Stray Kitties. Global warming has extended the cat-breeding season
beyond spring, which is the usual time for a kitten boom. The kittens
are often homeless and end up in animal shelters. And remember, "The
trouble with a kitten is that / Eventually it becomes a cat". [NBC-10:
Philadelphia] [Ogden Nash]
Suffocating the Lemmings. Lemmings like to burrow under the snow when
they hibernate for the winter. Warmer temperatures cause rain to fall
during the winter months, where it freezes into a hard sheet of ice
above the sleeping lemmings, who can't crack their way out come spring.
[Denver Post]
Goodbye to Cod. Cod in the North Sea are dying out. The warmer waters
kill off the plankton the cod eat, making those ones that survive
smaller. The warmer waters also mean the poor dears have become "less
successful at mating and reproducing". [MSNBC]
Birds around the World. Recent research found that "up to 72 percent of
bird species in northeastern Australia and more than a third in Europe
could go extinct due to global warming". [Monga Bay]
Birds on the Coast. Hundreds of Pacific seabirds - such as common
murres, auklets, and tufted puffins - washed ashore last year after
starving to death. Scientists blame global warming which led to less
plankton, which led to fewer small fish for the birds to eat. [San
Francisco Chronicle]
Birds in your Backyard. A report by the National Audubon Society found
that birds such as the bobwhite and field sparrow are dying thanks to
global warming, as higher temperatures mess with their migration
schedules. With vital food stocks peaking earlier and earlier, many
migratory birds get to the party too late and can't find enough to eat.
[CNN] [ABC News]
Death to a Snail. The Aldabra banded snail is officially extinct.
Existing only on an atoll 426 kilometers northwest of the northern tip
of Madagascar, the snail died out after warmer weather cut the rainfall
in its habitat. [Monga Bay]
Global Warming Kills the Planet
Greenland's Melting. Greenland is melting at a rate of 52 cubic miles
per year - much faster than once predicted. If Greenland's entire 2.5
million cubic kilometers of ice were to melt, it would lead to a global
sea level rise of 7.2 meters, or more than 23 feet. [LA Times]
Less Ice in the Arctic. The amount of ice in the Arctic at the end of
the 2005 summer "was the smallest seen in 27 years of satellite imaging,
and probably the smallest in 100 years". Experts said it's the strongest
evidence of global warming in the Arctic thus far. [Washington Post]
The Northwest Passage Becomes a Reality. Remember the "Northwest
Passage"? For centuries, explorers were obsessed with the
almost-mythical idea of northern sea route connecting the Atlantic and
Pacific. Well ... it's here. So much of the ice cover in the Arctic
disappeared this summer that ships were able to take recreational trips
through the Arctic, and scientists say so much of the ice cover will
disappear in upcoming years that the passage could be open to commercial
shipping by 2020. [CNN]
Ice Shelf in Antarctica Bites the Dust. In 2002, a chunk of ice in
Antarctica larger than the state of Rhode Island collapsed into the sea.
British and Belgian scientists said the chunk was weakened by warm winds
blowing over the shelf ... and that the winds were caused by global
warming. [ENS]
Ice Shelf in Canada Bites the Dust. In 2005, a giant chunk of ice the
size of Manhattan broke off of a Canadian ice shelf and began free
floating westward, putting oil drilling operations in peril. [Reuters]
Say Farewell to Glaciers. "In Glacier National Park, the number of
glaciers in the park has dropped from 150 to 26 since 1850. Some project
that none will be left within 25 to thirty years." [AP]
The Green, Green Grass of Antarctica. Grass has started to grow in
Antarctica in areas formerly covered by ice sheets and glaciers. While
Antarctic hair grass has grown before in isolated tufts, warmer
temperatures allow it to take over larger and larger areas and, for the
first time, survive through the winter. [UK Times]
The Swiss Foothills. Late last summer, a rock the size of two Empire
State Buildings in the Swiss Alps collapsed onto the canyon floor nearly
700 feet below. The reason? Melting glaciers. [MSNBC]
Giant Seas in Africa. Global warming may unleash giant "sand seas" in
Africa - giant fields of sand dunes with no vegetation - as a shortage
of rainfall and increasing winds may "reactivate" the now-stable
Kalahari dune fields. That means farewell to local vegetation, animals,
and any tourism in the areas. [National Geographic]
Florida's National Marine Sanctuary in Trouble. Global warming is
"bleaching" the coral in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,
killing the coral, tourism, and local fish that live among the coral for
protection. [Washington Post]
The Oceans are Turning to Acid. It sounds like a really bad sci-fi
movie, but it's true: The oceans are turning to acid! Oceans absorb
carbon dioxide which, when mixed with seawater, turns to a weak carbonic
acid. Calcium from eroded rocks creates a "natural buffer" against the
acid, and most marine life is "finely tuned" to the current balance. As
we produce more and more carbon dioxide, we throw the whole balance out
of whack and the oceans turn to acid. [CS Monitor]
Say Goodbye to the Great Barrier Reef. According to the United Nations,
the Great Barrier Reef will disappear within decades as "warmer, more
acidic seas could severely bleach coral in the world-famous reef as
early as 2030". [CBC News]
Mediterranean Sea? Try the Dead Sea. Italian experts say thanks to
faster evaporation and rising temperatures, the Mediterranean Sea is
quickly turning into "a salty and stagnant sea". The hot, salty water
"could doom many of the sea's plant and animal species and ravage the
fishing industry". [AP]
A Sacred River Dries Up. The sacred Ganges River in India is beginning
to run dry. The Ganges is fed by the Gangotri glacier, which is today
"shrinking at a rate of forty yards a year, nearly twice as fast as two
decades ago". Scientists warn the glacier could be gone as soon as 2030.
[Washington Post]
Disappearing African Rivers. Geologists recently projected a ten percent
to twenty percent drop in rainfall in northwestern and southern Africa
by 2070. That would leave Botswana with just 23 percent of the river it
has now; Cape Town would be left with just 42 percent of its river
water. [National Geographic]
Suddenly Vanishing Lakes. What happened to the five-acre glacial lake in
Southern Chile? In March, it was there. In May, it was ... gone.
Scientists blame global warming. [BBC News]
Goodbye to the Mangrove Trees. Next on the global warming hit list:
Rising sea levels linked to climate change mean we could lose half of
the mangrove trees of the Pacific Isles by the end of the century. [UNEP]
Volcanoes Blow Their Tops. British scientists warn of another possible
side effect of climate change: A surge of dangerous volcanic eruptions.
[ABC News Australia]
More Hurricanes. Over the past century, the number of hurricanes that
strike each year has more than doubled. Scientists blame global warming
and the rising temperature of the surface of the seas. [USA Today]
More Floods. During the summer of 2007, Britain suffered its worst flood
in sixty years. Scientists point the finger directly at global warming,
which changed precipitation patterns and is now causing more "intense
rainstorms across parts of the northern hemisphere". [Independent]
More Fires. Hotter temperatures could also mean larger and more
devastating wildfires. This past summer in California, a blaze consumed
more than 33,500 acres, or 52 square miles. [ABC] [AP]
More Wildfires. Global warming has also allowed non-native grasses to
thrive in the Mojave Desert, where they act as fast-burning fuel for
wildfires. [AP]
Thunderstorms Get Dangerous. Hurricanes aside, NASA scientists now say
as the world gets hotter, even smaller thunderstorms will pose more
severe risks with "deadly lightning, damaging hail and the potential for
tornadoes". [AP]
Higher Sea Levels. Scientists believe sea levels will be three feet
higher by the end of the century than they are now. [National Geographic]
Burning Poo. As "shifting rainfall patterns" brought on by global
warming "have made northern Senegal drier and hotter", entire species of
trees (like the Dimb Tree) are dying out, making it harder for natives
to find firewood. As a result, more people are having to burn cow dung
for cooking fires. [MSNBC]
A New Dust Bowl. Calling Mr Steinbeck. Scientists this year reported the
Southwest United States is "expected to dry up notably in this century
and could become as arid as the North American dust bowl of the 1930s",
a process which has already started. [ABC News]
Global Warming Makes Us Sicker
People Are Dying. 150,000: Number of people the World Health
Organization estimates are killed every year by issues related to
climate change. [Washington Post]
Heat Waves and Strokes. Authorities in China say warmer temperatures are
responsible for an uptick in heat-wave associated deaths, such as
strokes and heart disease. They calculated between 173 and 685 Chinese
citizens per million die every year from ailments related to global
warming. [MSNBC]
Death by Smog. Three words you really don't want in your obit: "Death by
Smog". Yet Canadian doctors say smog-related deaths could rise by eighty
percent over the next twenty years. And since warm air is a key
ingredient in smog, warmer temperatures will increase smog levels. [CBC
News]
More Heart Attacks. Doctors warn global warming will bring more
cardiovascular problems, like heart attacks. "The hardening of the
heart's arteries is like rust developing on a car", said Dr Gordon
Tomaselli, chief of cardiology at Johns Hopkins University. "Rust
develops much more quickly at warm temperatures and so does
atherosclerosis". [MSNBC]
More Mold and Ragweed = More Allergies, Asthma. A Harvard Study in 2004
showed higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is good
news to allergens like mold and ragweed (they love the stuff). And that
means higher rates of asthma attacks, especially in kids. [Globe and Mail]
A Resurgence in Deadly Disease. "The World Health Organization has
identified more than thirty new or resurgent diseases in the last three
decades, the sort of explosion some experts say has not happened since
the Industrial Revolution brought masses of people together in cities".
Why? Global warming "is fueling the spread of epidemics in areas
unprepared for the diseases" when "mosquitoes, ticks, mice and other
carriers are surviving warmer winters and expanding their range,
bringing health threats with them". Ick. [Washington Post]
More Malaria in Africa. "A WHO report in 2000 found that warming had
caused malaria to spread from three districts in western Kenya to
thirteen and led to epidemics of the disease in Rwanda and Tanzania".
[Washington Post]
Malaria Spreading in Western Europe. The World Health Organization warns
warmer temperatures mean malaria-carrying mosquitoes are able to live in
northern climes, which could lead to a surge in malaria outside the
tropics (aka Europe). [BBC]
Malaria Spreading in South America. Thanks to global warming, "Malaria
has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000
feet above sea level". [An Inconvenient Truth]
Malaria Spreading in Russia. Russians found larvae of the anopheles
mosquito, the malaria carrier, for the first time in Moscow last
September. [BBC]
Spread of Dengue Fever. Scientists predict warmer temperatures will
allow mosquitoes carrying Dengue Fever to travel outside the tropics.
Since people in cooler climes lack immunity from previous exposure, that
means transmission would be extensive. You get a severe fever, you start
spontaneously bleeding, you can die. There is no vaccine. [Science Daily]
Death in the Time of Cholera. Cholera, which thrives in warmer water,
appeared in the newly warmed waters of South America in 1991 for the
first time in the 20th century. "It swept from Peru across the continent
and into Mexico , killing more than 10,000 people". [Washington Post]
Spread of Lyme Disease. Cold weather no longer kills ticks that carry
Lyme Disease. Ticks recently began spreading along the coastlines of
Scandinavia , which formerly was too cold for them to survive. Cases of
Lyme Disease in the area have doubled since the late 1990s. [MSNBC]
West Nile Virus Home Invasion. Once confined to land near the equator,
West Nile Virus is now found as far north as Canada. Seven years ago,
West Nile virus had never been seen in North America; today, it has
"infected more than 21,000 people in the United States and Canada and
killed more than 800". [Washington Post]
Global Warming Threatens Our National Security
IISS: "A Global Catastrophe" For International Security. A recent study
done by the International Institute for Strategic Studies has likened
the international security effects of global warming to those caused by
nuclear war. [On Deadline]
UN: As Dangerous As War. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
said this year that global warming poses as much of a threat to the
world as war. [BBC]
Center for Naval Analyses: National Security Threat. In April, a report
completed by the Center for Naval Analyses predicted that global warming
would cause "large-scale migrations, increased border tensions, the
spread of disease and conflicts over food and water". [Seattle
Post-Intelligencer]
Genocide in Sudan. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon charges, "Amid the
diverse social and political causes, the Darfur conflict began as an
ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change".
[Washington Post]
War in Somalia. In April, a group of eleven former US military leaders
released a report charging that the war in Somalia during the 1990s
stemmed in part from national resource shortages caused by global
warming. [Washington Post]
Starvation. A study by IISS found that reduced water supplies and hotter
temperatures mean "65 countries were likely to lose over fifteen percent
of their agricultural output by 2100". [Yahoo]
Large-Scale Migrations. Global warming will turn already-dry
environments into deserts, causing the people who live there to migrate
in massive numbers to more livable places. [MSNBC]
More Refugees. A study by the relief group Christian Aid estimates the
number of refugees around the world will top a billion by 2050, thanks
in large part to global warming. [Telegraph]
Increased Border Tensions. A report called "National Security and the
Threat of Climate Change", written by a group of retired generals and
admirals, specifically linked global warming to increased border
tensions. "If, as some project, sea levels rise, human migrations may
occur, likely both within and across borders". [NY Times]
Famine. "Developing countries, many with average temperatures that are
already near or above crop tolerance levels, are predicted to suffer an
average ten to 25 percent decline in agricultural productivity by the
2080s". [Economic Times]
Droughts. Global warming will cause longer, more devastating droughts,
thus exacerbating the fight over the world's water. [Washington Post]
The Poor Are Most at Risk. Although they produce low amounts of
greenhouse gases, experts say under-developed countries - such as those
in sub-Saharan Africa - have "the most to lose under dire predictions of
wrenching change in weather patterns". [Washington Post]
Your Checkbook. A report done last year by the British government showed
global warming could cause a Global Great Depression, costing the world
up to twenty percent of its annual Global Domestic Product. [Washington
Post]
The World's Checkbook. A study by the Global Development and Environment
Institute at Tufts University found that ignoring global warming would
end up costing $20 trillion by 2100. [Tufts]
_____
This piece is from the Center for American Progress Action Fund's Mic
Check Radio.
(c) 2007 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
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