Photo credit:
Derek Farr ( DetroitDerek ) of Flickr
"Weather" is dynamic. It varies by region and it varies from day to day within a region. Two people in different regions may experience the same weather. For example, it might be sunny and mild in Chicago at the same time as it is sunny and mild in San Diego. "Climate," on the other hand describes "average weather." Based on the weather, both of these people might think about planting avocado trees, but for the Chicagoan it is only a daydream because the climate there is too extreme for avocados.
Describing climate involves gathering weather information for thirty years or so, and averaging the findings in order to create a general description. These data tell us what to expect in the way of weather: high and low temperatures for a given month, average rainfall, number of sunny days, humidity and so forth.
As greenhouse gases accumulate and global warming proceeds, earth's climate is changing. The global climate of the 21st century will be quite different from the climate of the 19th century. Average temperatures are going up. In the US climatologists predict there will be less rain and higher temperatures affecting crops in the mid-West. Venice and the Netherlands will have to deal with rising sea levels but overall European agricultural output is expected to improve. Millions of people in Southern and Southeast Asia will experience flooding. African subsistence farmers will be hit hard by a lack of water. In Latin America too, shortages of fresh water will likely be a problem.
Gradual climate change will give us time to adapt. Perhaps as importantly, there is an international effort underway to reverse the causes of climate chnage, to slow it, and eventually stop it.
How to green your detergent usage
Comments (1)Add a Comment
Inappropriate or promotional comments may be removed.
The idea that we puny and insignificant human beings can alter the climate of the entire globe merely by passing gas.....is....in a word....delusional!