What will be the effects of Global Warming be?

Question

What could possibly happen?

Answer 1

Almost nil.

The "warming" people are whipping themselves into hysteria over is an average increase of ONE degree Celsius over a period of a CENTURY.

The last time the world was this warm was in the Middle Ages -- and we all know how many SUV's people were driving then.

Plus, there have been periods in Earth's history where the oceans were an average of 20 degrees warmer than now and there were NO permanent polar ice caps.

These facts beg the questions:

1.) How much control over global warming could we have, even if we wanted to?

And

2.) What exactly is the "correct" temperature for the planet, anyway?

Answer 2

What the effects will be are not entirely known--andto a great extent it depends on whether or not people get busy and do something--and to what extent.

But here's some of what is known:

>Coastal flooding--permanant (or at least lasting for decades) by mid century. This will require the evacuation of low-lying areas--including some of the worlds most fertile agricultural land--and building dikes and levees around every coastal city--world wide.

>Climate changes--including shifts in rainfall and temperature patterns. Besides disrupting the ecology, this will devastate agriculture--again--world wide and for decades. For an example of the kind of effects we wil see, read about the "Dust Bowl" in the US c 1930s--this is a local and short-range example of what we can expect.

Beyond that (if we don't act) the picture simply gets worse. Extensive--decades-long crop failures ona global basis, with hundreds of millions of refugees.

There are a number of models of possible further effects. The best known is the "mini-Ice Age" scenario. The model says that melting polar ice (Greenland ice cap) could cause the Gulf Stream to change course. The Gulf Stream gives the US-Canada Eastern seaboard and northwest Europe/Britain relatively warm climates. IF it changed course, these areas would actually get much colder--possibly settiing off a return of glacial ice. A real irony--the overall global temperature would be much warmer, but this one region would experience a "mini Ice Age".

That--and other drastic models--are still hypotheses. The rest of what I mentioned is not--it is what will hapen f we don't act--and soon.

Answer 3

global warming doesn't really exist. The earth goes through cycles of warmer and colder. In the 1940s the scientists of the day were crying about global warming, in the 1970s they were saying were are going into an ice age, now they are saying global warming again. In a few years they will be crying about the cold. There is nothing to wory about.

Answer 4

Global Warming is a lie, and more and more scientists are coming out with evidence that there is absolutely no truth behind man-made global warming.

Global Warming, more then anything else, is an economic policy designed to take the USA down to European standards. They can't compete with us through free enterprise and capitalism, so they want to tax us down to their level with Global Warming legislation.

Global Warming is doing a lot more harm then good. Rain forests are being cut down to plant farms, the manufacturer of a single hybrid causes more pollution then almost 4 hummers driving around, domestic cows and moose farts in the wild cause more CO2 emissions then the transportation industry.

Its all a lie, and people need to relize that. The earth has been heating and cooling forever, and it will continue. In 20 years people will be fearing another ice age, just like they did in the 70's.

And yeah, like another answerer pointed out, flooding in Ohio and in New Orleans...

Dumbasses built their city on a floodplain BELOW sea level in New Orleans.... how they could not see a disaster waiting to happen there is beyond me, and in Ohio, is ANOTHER flood plain. These are areas that are DESIGNED TO FLOOD! And you put concrete down, and the water has no place to go. Its not global warming, its stupidity.

Answer 5

Were these question being asked in the 1930's when temps were much higher, less pollution, no rain?? I think the Global warming idea is a scare tactic INVENTED by a few who need a new industry to promote and make money. Follow the money...an you will find your answer..

Answer 6

Who really knows? The so called experts vary a little but they generally agree that the earth will get warmer and many plant and animal species will find it increasingly dificult to survive including humans.

Sea levels will rise so many countries including most pacific islands will be submerged and people will become environmental refugies moving to higher ground.

As the heat increases and drought becomes more common food crops will fail and there will be greater incidents of famine even in nations that have not experienced famine like the US and Australia. This will of course lead to civil unrest and war, over food, water and energy.

This unfortunately is the optimistic vision if we fail to force environmental terrorists like Bush and Howard to do something.

Answer 7

assuming it's correct (which is controversial): slight temperature increases (which would do damage to the environment, like melt ice caps, and subsequently throw off the climate even more), ice age (not a joke), and the rising of sea level (when the ice melts). there are more, but that covers the basic idea.

Answer 8

we are all going to die.... all the permafrost and methane is going to melt into the atmosphere causing it only to get warmer faster then the water level goes way up from ice caps melting and then the methane traped in the ice caps gets into the atmosphere causing it to get EVEN HOTTER! after this happens the oceans temperature rises causing the frozen methane at the bottom of the ocean to melt and then we have methane oceans evaporating into the atmosphere. after that its game over, mass extinction.... sorry buddy we all have to die somtime. and when I say WE ALL i seriously mean we all........ like at the same time. mass death. wont be fun...



oh and to the person who posted above me.... you have no idea what your talking about... there is TONS AND TONS AND TONS of proof that the global warming is human made... the've takin your little "the world goes in weather cycles" theory into consiteration and studied it more then you could possible imagine and they ruled it out with 100% certainty. so if i were you i WOULD be worried...

Answer 9

There won't be any effects because it DOES NOT EXIST. It is a cyclical weather pattern that has been greatly blown out of proportion by the liberals in order to scare the populous.

They used to be screaming "Ice Age" also.

Answer 10

I agree with some of the answerers. It's going to get warmer, but no major effect on the planet.