2010 Diary week 23
Global warming, climate change and weather extremes
Participation in workshop “50+ adaptation to a life change”
From 31st May to 6th June Christine and I participated in a Grundtvig Seminar/Workshop “50+ adaptation to a life change”. The workshop was an EU sponsored Lifelong Learning Programme organised by Kolping College and took place in Troškūnai, Lithuania. David presented a paper “The Impact of Lifelong Learning on My Life” which will be posted next week.
Book Review
Part III of The Greenhouse Effect points out that “A climatic warming of 4 or 5ºF would thrust the world into a climatic environment similar to one that prevailed about 4,000 to 8,000 years ago – an era called the Post-Glacial Optimum, or the Altithermal Period.” “An Altithermal-type climate suggests immense water supply problems in the western United States, stifling western farming.” “The changed precipitation and temperature pattern of the Altithermal Period have significant and far-reaching implications for the future of agriculture on a global scale.” “Record crops in recent years, thanks largely to good weather, have made us forget how dangerously low our food reserves were in the mid-1970s. In 1976, world grain reserves had dwindled to just 31 days.” “The difference between a good harvest year, and a bad one (such as 1972 or 1974) amounts to about 10%, or 36 days, of annual consumption.” “Under the Altithermal Period climate scenario, both the Sudan and India would be ‘winners’ in terms of precipitation” “Another winner would be Russia. If the Russians were able to divert water from northward flowing rivers to new lands, they could double their grain production.” “On the losers side of the ledger, chalk up the United States; US grain production would likely decline under an Altithermal-type regime. In combination with the water supply miseries likely with a warming world the economic impact on the United States could be staggering.” “One thing is certain, none of us will live to see the cost of eating recede.”