Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
effects of global warming help pls!	henriyaz	12/06/07
Hi! Anyone interested to give main points/suggestions below(please) 1)Could Global warming increase certain diseases? How could this occur? 2)What might to glaciers & ice-caps as a result of global warming? How could this occur? 3)What might happen to oceans as a result of global warming?How could this occur? 4)What might happen to agriculture as a result of global warming?How could this occur? 5)3)What might rainfall be affected by global warming?Why? 6) Do scientist agree on the effects of global warming? Thanking you very much in advance & patience:-)
Answered By		Answered On
Jim.McGinness		12/06/07
Hi, Henriyaz, 1. Malaria is the disease most often mentioned as likely to be affected by climate change. If the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes is extended, the population of people at risk from malaria will increase. This is probably the most serious disease consequence, but other diseases like Lyme disease may also extend their ranges as their insect hosts find new territories. 2. Warmer temperatures and changed snowfall patterns have already affected glaciers and ice caps. Maintaining a glacier requires that melting (and travel downhill) not exceed the rate at which new snow and ice are formed. If snowfall is reduced or melting is increased, the glacier will shrink. 3. Warmer temperatures and increased CO2 levels affect oceans in a number of ways. The volume of the water in the ocean will increase as temperature increases. The salinity profile of the sea water will be affected if there is increased (or decreased) freshwater runoff. As more CO2 is dissolved in sea water, it increases acidity. Ocean circulation currents are affected by both salinity and temperature, so changes in either of these input factors could result in changes in the patterns of ocean currents. 4. Agriculture effects from climate change are mixed. Some regions will become more productive and others will become less productive. Whether the whole world is better off after these changes or not is very hard to predict. Clearly the people depending on agriculture in areas that are becoming less productive will find the changes detrimental. 5. Patterns of rainfall will likely change but I don't think we can predict with much certainty how any particular region will fare nor whether the overall global effects will be positive or negative. 6. Scientists generally agree that the climate is changing but the precise causes and effects are not so generally agreed upon. Even the magnitude of the temperature changes over the past few decades is still disputed, since the measurements can be biased by urban effects or changes in sampling technique.

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