Actionbioscience.org In find the translation of an article by Jeffrey Chanton, a renowned researcher in the Department of Oceanography, State University Florida, which supports the thesis that global warming caused by fossil fuel use directly influences the increase in sea level. Energy from fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal ...) has allowed the human population increased explosively. The result is that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased about 30% in less than 300 years. For Earth, used to slow changes that give time to the biosphere and the species to adapt, change is an unprecedented rate. Rapid changes can cause biological havoc. The CO2 is essential in controlling the temperature of the Earth because it absorbs infrared radiation (IR), which is basically heat. This is called the greenhouse effect. Without it, the Earth's water would freeze. With too much greenhouse effect, water would boil off, leaving the surface of the Earth as a desert.
The rise in global sea level is caused by two factors:
- water arrival melted ice from glaciers and ice caps, among other
- increasing the temperature of ocean waters, making the seas are less dense, spreading and occupying a larger area of \u200b\u200bthe planet
Since the end of last ice age 18,000 years ago, sea level has risen by over 120 meters. Data from tide gauges indicate that the overall rate of increase during the twentieth century was 1 to 2 mm. per year. Along relatively flat coastlines such as the Atlantic, or coastlines bordering fertile river deltas, highly populated, a rise of 1 mm. in sea level causes a shoreline retreat of five feet. Already
we are seeing the decline in costs in the United States:
- along the swampy Gulf coast of Florida, the effects of sea level rise can be observed in the number of dead royal palms on the edges of the salt marsh overlooking the sea
- along the Atlantic coast, erosion is narrowing beaches and vacation houses
The low-lying island nations in the Pacific will be flooded or their drinking water aquifer invaded by salt water. A 1-meter rise would inundate half of Bangladesh's rice fields. Other rice growing lowlands which would be affected are Vietnam, China, India and Thailand. Rising sea levels would create millions of climate refugees in the Philippines, Indonesia and Egypt.
In Spain, the report The impact of climate change on coastal areas referenced Consumer.es , Cantabrian beaches recede about 15 meters, the Gulf of Cadiz, about 10 meters, and the Costa Brava, south of the Canary Islands and southern Balearic up to 70 meters. In addition to the latter areas, the sea level rise will add changes in the direction of the wave that will turn the sand to be placed perpendicular to the waves, moving at one end and back in another. Sites will be solved by dumping sand, but other beaches will be lost.
In the Cantabrian Sea, the waves will be higher and the wind faster, and this, coupled with rising sea level, involve greater risk of flooding by storm, but the 4-meter margin between high and low tide remedy the situation. In the Mediterranean will be worse, because they have the cushion of the tide.
If we continue in this way, our current rate of consumption of fossil fuels indicates that the content of CO2 in the air will double by 2100. This duplication and increase the greenhouse effect increase from 1 to 5 degrees Celsius in global temperature. In addition to increasing sea levels, higher temperatures are likely to affect: - Ecosystems: The warming will change the distribution of trees and other native plants, altering the habitats of animals.
- patterns of rain, drier conditions cause an increase in wildfires, while damper can cause increased pest species such as mosquitoes and pine beetles. While an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere can stimulate plant growth, it is believed that these conditions contain less nitrogen in their foliage, making them less nutritious for herbivores.
- Climate variability: Some plants can be eliminated if the temperature drops below freezing, even for a few hours. Similarly, birds and insects may die if temperatures are high.
The immediate remedy would be to limit the use of fossil fuels, but as this is unfortunately not up to the people of the street, we can contribute our bit less powerful driving cars, heating and air conditioning using coherently, using appliances use energy efficiently ...
long-term solution is to extract energy from fossil fuels more efficiently, and developing alternative energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases.
Links Forest Investment Ecobosques
EFEM
CCC Course in Environmental Management Technical
Amazon Books on Global Warming
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