Wildlife & Countryside Services Discussion Forum

	Wildlife & Countryside Services Discussion Forum Thank you for visiting our message forum. Please feel free to discuss anything on a wildlife, nature, conservation or gardening theme. Join in with one of the existing topics, start your own, or let us know if you have any comments or suggestions by e-mailing us at webforum@wildlifeservices.co.uk. Our thanks go to Ron Bury of Photo-Tech, who has kindly supplied the photograph of the red squirrel for use on our forum. You can see the full image of the red squirrel, plus many other Photographs of Scotland, on his website at www.photo-tech.co.uk. You can visit the web site of the Friends of the Anglesey Red Squirrels at www.redsquirrels.info, to find out about the successful conservation of red squirrels on Anglesey. We hope that you enjoy the forum, and that we can assist you with all your requirements for wildlife gardening, pond construction and maintenance, environmental education, wildlife surveys, countryside management, garden furniture and ornaments, etc.
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Martin Bailey (W&CS)

Dec 21, 07 - 4:12 AM

Global Warming - True or False??

There has been a lot of discussion recently about whether global warming is true or not; whether we have caused it (if it is true); what we can do (if anything) to reduce its effects (if it's happening); and whether we should bother trying. Therefore it seems a good subject to open for discussion on our forum.
First of all, is the climate warming? Well, it seems to be, and most scientists seem to agree on this one.
Secondly, are we to blame for this increase in global temperature? Maybe, maybe not, it depends who you ask.
Thirdly, what can we do about it? If it's a natural phenomenon, probably not much. If we have caused/exacerbated the problem, probably quite a lot, if we can be bothered, but will it be enough, or too little, too late?
Lastly, should we bother trying? If its a natural phenomenon, maybe not, but if we are the cause perhaps we should, if only to make life easier for ourselves in the long term.
What will happen on a warming Earth?
Again, there are disagreements over this. In the UK, we may be affected severely if the melting ice in the Arctic causes the Gulf Stream to slow or shut down (it's apparently slowing already). This could result in Scandinavian temperatures and related heavy snowfall, etc. Remember what happened to the UK the last time we had a few inches of snow? What will happen if it's measured in feet or metres? Total collapse of the transport system, probably!!
What about rising sea level? With predictions ranging from a few inches to several metres, can we afford to be complacent? What will happen with a rise of 1 metre? Well, we can probably wave goodbye to a few coastal towns. Where will the people go? Coastal farmland could be inundated. So reduced food crops, then.
What about the wildlife? This seems to be a simpler issue here in the UK. Wildlife is already being affected by changing temperatures, weather and seasons. Species that have a very limited geographical range will find it difficult to move, especially if they are limited by climate as well, such as species on mountain slopes. As the temperature rises, they will have to climb higher up the mountains, but none of our mountains are very high, so what happens when they reach the top? Extinction probably.
What about us, as individuals? Well, in the UK we can probably look forward to more extreme and unseasonal weather. Maybe drier summers and wetter winters. Conversely, some areas will have wetter summers, and maybe even drier winters. If the Gulf Stream slows significantly, we will probably go back to winters where snow is on the ground for weeks instead of days - won't that be fun!!
Anyway, what do YOU think about all this?? Discuss.

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