Sunday 18 October 2009

Blog Action Day 2009 - Climate Change


I came across Blog Action Day 2009 - Climate Change on Anastasia's blog and thought I'd post some feedback as I happen to be very concerned about global warming and environmental issues, in general. As far as climate change is concerned in Greece, the future looks bleak.

1.The problem of parched land and drought will intensify and desertification will speed up.
2.Areas in seaside towns like Thessaloniki and Messolongi, will most likely find themselves under water.
3.The average annual temperature around the Mediterranean  increased by 1 degree Celsius compared with a 0.74 degree rise globally.
4. Greece's average rainfall in the past few years has fallen by about 30 percent since the mid 1970s. The month of January in 2007 was the driest in half a century while June 2008 was the hottest June on record, scientists have said.
5.Climate change is also affecting the flora and fauna of the country with migrating birds flying further north, citing a recent British study. Non-native viruses and diseases have also appeared.
6.The number of Greek forest fires will increase releasing even more carbon monoxide into the atmosphere .
This will have consequences to our health. Tourism will receive a blow.
7.The European Union's executive adopted plans  to cut greenhouse gas emissions, seeking to push the world into tough climate action.
8.Greece must meet its Kyoto (environmental) protocol targets diligently.The country must boost alternative energy production, increase investment in energy-saving measures and include climate change measures in every policy.

Climate change is a global problem in need of a global solution. This is why I believe that raising awareness is as important as ever before.

7 comments:

sand dune said...

Britain has become twice as stormy in the past 50 years as climate change has forced the deep depressions that used to hit Iceland further south.In a second disturbing discovery, the Hadley Centre for climate prediction and research in Exeter added that pressure changes in the atmosphere had caused storms to become more intense.While low pressure areas which bring high wind and rain are getting deeper, the high pressure areas which bring calm, settled periods are getting stronger. The increased gradients between the two make for more dramatic weather - and for insurance companies, expensive claims for damaged crops, buildings and fences.

Anastasia Marou said...

Thanks for the feedback. I think it's all about a matter of conscience and concern about the future of the planet.

Katie said...

If this is not scary then what is?

•By 2100 temperatures in New York could increase about 4°F in winter and spring, and slightly more in summer and fall (with a range of 2-8°F).
•Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses. New York, with its irregular, intense heat waves, could be especially susceptible.
•There is concern that climate change could increase concentrations of ground-level ozone. For example, high temperatures, strong sunlight, and stable air masses tend to increase urban ozone levels. If a warmed climate causes increased use of air conditioners, air pollutant emissions from power plants also will increase. Ground-level ozone has been shown to aggravate existing respiratory illnesses such as asthma, reduce lung function, and induce respiratory inflammation. In addition, ambient ozone reduces agricultural crop yields and impairs ecosystem health.
•Along much of New York’s coast, sea level already is rising 10 inches per century, and it is likely to rise another 22 inches by 2100.
•New York has one of the most urbanized coastlines in the United States. Over 20 million people use New York’s beaches and coastal regions for recreation each year. New York has been successful at preventing major permanent losses of its beaches and urban coastline, but sites such as Long Island continue to suffer from chronic beach erosion. Long Island’s south shore, which is made up of barrier islands, barrier spits, ponds, and sand beaches, could suffer extensive damage from sea level rise and coastal storms. sea level rise update
•Protecting New York’s coast would require significant resources and planning. For example, Manhattan’s 29-mile coast probably could be protected by raising existing bulkheads and sea walls at a cumulative cost of $30-$140 million for a 1-3 foot rise in sea level. The costs of raising existing bulkheads already have begun to accrue, and they could continue throughout the next century.
The above are based on from the Environmental Protection Agency's report on climate change, which uses data from the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001).

For more info on climate change impacts on New York in areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.

Christina P said...

In my opinion, climate change can be more threatening than the two world wars put together.

Lisa A said...

I agree with Christina. But what we do about it to stop global warming? Of course to raise awareness is a very good start because this will help people to become more sensitive and show more respect for the environment. But also I believe the richer countries must to invest on environmental projects from which will benefit everyone.

Stefania said...

I must admit I didn't know things were so dramatic in Greece. In Cyprus, they are also getting worse. Every year it's getting hotter and hotter and we start to experience extreme weather conditions.

Olga said...

This is a very great cause to fight for and support, everyone as we can. I think that is a great idea to blog for climate changes which are bring a lot of unusual weather everywhere in the world. I remember years ago in Northern Greece we were haveing even snow in October. This year we had some rain but not really cold as before.