Have A Hot, Dry, Stormy Life, Kids - IHT

[hatrack]

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What if one ignores all this and says, If my children are affected, I will provide for them. If they are living in areas likely to be flooded or afflicted by severe droughts, or if they must escape conflicts over resources, or lose their jobs or run out of food, I will take them in, and their children, and maybe even some of their friends. Those with children living in low-lying areas of the world, and particularly in hurricane-prone regions, must definitely start making plans now. Ocean waters are rising, and storms of increased intensity and frequency are already upon us. The displaced people of New Orleans are still looking for a semblance of normalcy and stability. Island states in the Pacific are building up walls that are probably as vulnerable to breeching as the Louisiana levees.

Oceans are changing. The algae in the seas are absorbing some of the excessive carbon in the air, but as they do so, the acidity of the oceans is rising. You may recall from your chemistry class how calcium carbonate fizzes when acid is poured on it. Shellfish do poorly in acidic waters, so there goes the shrimp, crab and lobster fishing industries. What will your children eat when they move in with you?

In the past, mountain glaciers melted in the warm summer months and were replenished with winter snowfalls, providing a regular source of water downstream. Urban centers expanded, farmlands were irrigated and oil production was enhanced by the water pumped into the ground. However, as glaciers recede and disappear, water will become scarce, droughts will increase and farm crops will fail. The ice on Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro is already gone. Conflicts are inevitable, as we cannot live without water; I hope you will have some for your children to drink. Diseases and pests that have been kept in check by limiting temperatures are on the move. Forest-killing beetles are eating their way across areas never touched before in British Columbia and now Alberta. The forests of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario await them. Forestry jobs are at risk, and the dead trees heighten the risk of fires; if your children will be affected, better make some room.

If all that is not enough, polar ice caps are melting and are expected to release a plug of cold, fresh water that could drastically affect ocean currents. Moderating currents like the Gulf Stream will be abruptly deflected, leaving northern countries in the cold and contributing to drought. Wherever they live, our children will have to burn more fossil fuels, perpetuating the problems we are creating for them. If you are still smug about global warming, I would like to know where you live. I need to move to this safe haven and wait for my children to arrive, along with other displaced people.

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http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/13/opinion/edlopouk.php