NEWS: Flash Floods hit Britain

Originally posted by orionthehunter

I might have missed something here but why would you want to relocate coastal cities? Are you expecting the Antarctic Ice Cap to suddenly melt away?

Tropical storms/hurricanes will become stronger and and will hit more often coastal areas. This is why I believe we need contingency plans to evacuate entire cities.

I don't think there will be a sudden meltdown of any glaciers, but they will thaw faster, and yes ocean levels will continue to rise.

Originally posted by orionthehunter
While I believe global climate change may be occurring, I don't know if a sudden decrease in greenhouse gases would change things that much. I've read a theory that says the gulf stream shut down process is caused by natural processes and our greenhouse gases may not be the cause.
www.iceagenow.com...

Yes, there is a normal cycle in which the Earth has caused other climate changes before, adding greenhouse gases and chemicals to the atmosphere and the oceans accelerate and worsen such changes.

Originally posted by orionthehunter
A slowing down or even a shut down of the gulf stream has occurred before and will occur again. I don't believe mankind had anything to do with the global climate change the last few times it occurred.

Yes, but adding more gases and chemicals adds to the problem does it not?

Originally posted by orionthehunter
Spending a lot of money to reduce greenhouse gases may not have much impact.

As i already said, even if we stop from releasing any more gases and chemicals nothing can be done to stop the climate change, so we agree in this.

Originally posted by orionthehunter
However if any agreement on greenhouse gases is ever reached, I believe China and India need to be included.

Agreed

Originally posted by orionthehunter
I believe there is still uncertainty about the future climate we will have. If the gulf stream shuts down due to natural processes and triggers conditions for an ice age, wouldn't a warming effect due to greenhouse gases be beneficial?
I'm not sure myself.
[edit on 22-6-2005 by orionthehunter]

The effects of global warming is what will trigger a new ice age. That is what global warming is doing. It is releasing great amounts of fresh water into the oceans, which is changing the balance of salinity levels of the ocean; a balance which is needed for the current (the North Atlantic Conveyor Belt) that allows the cold waters from the Arctic to flow towards the ecuator, and the warm waters from the ecuators to flow towards the northern hemisphere. The North Atlantic Conveyor Belt is what allows for most of the northern hemisphere to have mild winters, and summers, otherwise most of northern Europe and the US would be covered in perpetual ice.


[edit on 22-6-2005 by Muaddib]

While this flash flood in the UK by itself may not be anything that unusual, if you look at several other changes or a sudden increase in more precipitation and flash flooding in various places around the world, that may be more of a sign of climate change. I believe people everywhere like to complain about the weather. I know because I hear complaints about the weather all the time.