Posted on 04/05/2006 5:54:34 PM PDT by SJackson
Wisconsin's a great place to live, and we love it. The idyllic summers and sparkling lakes, the dramatic pageant of the seasons between the spectacular geography and the varied weather, our state is a terrific place to grow food, raise a family and enjoy life outdoors.
But all that's changing. We had a handful of unprecedented air-quality alerts last summer. And one day with 28 tornadoes. We've been seeing record-setting temperatures. And a growing infiltration of pests, from purple loosestrife to the gypsy moth and coming soon the emerald ash borer. These phenomena have two things in common: One, they take a little of the shine off our wonderful quality of life; and two, they are all advance-guard manifestations of global warming.
Many people still seem to think that global warming is a problem our grandchildren may have to worry about. Actually, the effects of global warming began showing up in the 1980s, and the pace is picking up. Last November, the Union of Concerned Scientists updated a 2003 report about the likely effects of global warming on states in the Great Lakes region. It said that before the end of the century, Wisconsin's climate will be similar to that of present-day Oklahoma. That'll take some getting used to, huh?
What's in store for the Badger State? Well, if the climate follows the "gradual change" model and not the "swift and drastic" model, our average monthly temperatures will range from about 93 F down to about 25. Summer highs could reach 120. We'll have a lot more rain during planting and harvesting seasons, and significantly less during the growing season. Summer soil moisture will be about a third less. Small streams will dry up and wetlands will shrink, reducing wildlife habitat and providing less food for migratory birds. Water quantity and quality will decrease.
When rain does come, it will more likely be a violent occurrence, with storms, including multi-day storms, increasing 50 percent to 100 percent from present levels. That means more flooding and erosion. Summertime air pollution and ozone levels will increase, aggravating asthma and other respiratory diseases. Higher carbon dioxide levels will mean more problems with pests.
Many of these phenomena will feed each other, making things worse. Drier weather will mean more fires, which will produce more air pollution, which will further reduce rainfall. And so on.
The changing climate will affect our social engine as well. Insurers are already raising their rates to compensate for losses from increasing natural calamities floods, tornadoes, fires, high winds. According to a risk analyst interviewed by environmental researcher Eugene Linden in "Winds of Change" (Simon & Schuster, 2006), insurers could price themselves out of business by 2010, if not before. Our new weather will strain our ability to produce food. Tourism will decrease. And an increasingly struggling economy will put the hurt on everyone.
Why are we losing Wisconsin? Largely because we insist on driving our big cars too much. Global warming is due primarily to carbon dioxide. Cars are the second biggest generators of carbon dioxide, next to coal-burning power plants. And Americans are the worst producers of carbon dioxide, at 7.5 tons per person per year. People in Japan, Germany and the U.K. produce about half that, and they are working at cleaning up their act. We are getting worse.
We can't turn the clock back, because the carbon dioxide that's out there will affect the climate for many decades. But we can help to keep things from deteriorating faster. Drastic measures are called for, including getting rid of gas hog vehicles, and driving much, much less. Beyond that, we need to reduce consumption in all aspects of life. Buy less, own less, waste less. We can't wait for government initiatives, because they may never come. We each have to just do it.
The next time you're out for a cruise, wave a fond goodbye to Wisconsin, because the climate we love is as good as gone. Of course, Oklahoma is not a bad state to be in. But let's stop there. If we keep on driving the way we have been, we may end up in Panama.
John Ingham, a writer and editor, lives in Dodgeville. E-mail: jingham@mhtc.net. Published: April 4, 2006
Someone tell this moron that before global warming, 10,000 or 12,000 years ago, we were fighting wooly mammouths and tigers up here. Then Wisconsin was sunk under Lake Wisconsin. But the Native Americans discovered campfires, warme the atmosphere, and here we are. Who need's to go back. If Wisconsin is under ice, they might lose their Senators.
You forgot the global warming barf alert. Nice article with no scientific facts to back up the lefty philosophy from the Crap-itol Slimes.
Good riddance, John. We don't want you with your BS here anyway...
What a simplistic pantload that was.
You keep your own weirdos, Lady! We already have enough of our own! ;) (Said as an adoptive Okie; I'm here, we can close the gate to further immigration now...)
It's global rejection of God's blessings, and global embracing of sins curses. Now you know the rest of the story.
Hey, we live in a free country (... I think ...) so if he wants to move there, he's all yours! We have enough problems having Madistan here as it is! LOL!!
Trust me, he's not moving to Oklahoma.
Oh please, if you like traditional Wisconsin climate so much, we can always grab 54,310 square miles of Ontario or Manitoba, not like there's anybody living there now!;))
Looks like you lucked out, Old Student.
Darn good thing I have Dove chocolate on hand. LOL!
On the upside, they won't need shoes and will find their cousins more attractive.........
We don't want him in Oklahoma! He can keep right on going to Panama because he sure won't fit in here.
If it's going to be 120 in WI, it's going to be 140 in OK. I would think the migration would be to the north.
Moving to Oklahoma to AVOID tornados? Good luck with that.
Oooh! Right into Canada! Works for me!! ;o)
Me, too.
Because of global warming? Gimmee a break. That stuff doesn't seem to mind heat or cold. It puts out about a billion seeds per plant and it looks nice. Some nurseries even sell it. It speads like crazy.
Oh b@lls. Please keep this sissy up in Wisconsin. We're droughting now, last year it was wet, this winter was non-existent, last winter was a doozie, two years ago we had some of the highest temperatures on record......la,la,la....as I type we have 40mph gusts and my fields might as well be gasoline they're so dry. It's called life....deal with it.
Should I be the one to tell him that the most prevalent greenhouse gas in the air is water vapor?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.