Is It Getting Warmer?

Breitbard.com - March 26, 2007

This study analyzes what the world would be like if global warming continues unabated until 2100 using the scenarios described in the recent IPCC report.  It doesn’t do an analysis on the probability of this happening or the possible effects of massive ice melting and the consequential raising of ocean waters.  Instead, the study details the effects of changes in local temperature to various parts of the world.

Many of the world’s climate zones will vanish entirely by 2100, or be replaced by new, previously unseen ones, if global warming continues as expected, a study released Monday said.

Rising temperatures will force existing climate zones toward higher latitudes and higher elevations, squeezing out climates at the colder extremes, and leaving room for unfamiliar climes around the equator, the study predicted.

Our findings are a logical outcome of global warming scenarios that are driven by continued emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

The models suggest that the climate zones covering as much as 48 percent of the earth’s landmass could disappear by 2100.

By that point, close to 40 percent of the world’s land surface area would also have a “novel” or new climate, according to the climate models.
 
The trend poses the greatest threat to areas of rich, but threatened, animal and plant life, in regions such as the Himalayas, the Philippines and African and South American mountain ranges. The changes could threaten some species with extinction and also displace or fragment local human populations.

You can read the article about the study here.

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