Whether it matters

Noah Asked: "What are your thoughts about global warming. Is global warming a fact or a piece of scare mongering fiction. What do we need to do to reduce the effects of the change in weather and how can we prepare for the future."

Some long term weather forecasters are and have been for some time warning of a significant change in the weather patterns. A change that will bring wetter warmer summers and colder winters to the UK. The problem is that the weather is now almost unpredictable beyond saying its going to carry on raining. When I was a kid, we had long warm summers and the occasional cold winter sometimes associated with snow. The winter of 1962/63 was a typical case in question. I don't have any insider information beyond - you can give a pretty accurate weather forecast - by predicting the same weather for tomorrow as you have had today.

Flood defence provision have long been ignored by various governments. As has the sensible option of not building houses in a flood water plain. But some long term initiatives have taken place. In London, the Thames Barrier was constructed to reduce the risk of flooding. However, at the same time, no significant improvements have been made in our river systems and inland waterways. The old Victorian infrastructure is now unable to cope with record amounts of surface run off water. The once state owned water provision has been sold off into private hands where significant profits for investors come from not updating or replacing infrastructure unless absolutely necessary. 

There is a hidden problem of infrastructure damage such as washed out railway lines. Breaches of water courses creating flooding in areas where flooding has not been experienced in the past. Huge covered surface areas now stop the water from soaking away. In many cases the questionable water course improvements that have been made. Now just fast track the problem down stream to the nearest bottle neck.

As for global warming, the jury is out on that one. However, the industrial revolution created a worldwide change in the amounts of carbon in the atmosphere. Combine this with man made chemicals such as refrigeration gasses that damaged the ozone layer.   Particulates from internal combustion and other such products are at a much higher level than previously. Perma frost thawing that is allowing much larger amounts of methane to build up into the atmosphere. The long term outcome of these changes are uncertain. But I can't see any benefit being created.


Regards.

Uncle Mort.