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Switzerland: Global warming and tourism
SwissInfo
Will skiing soon be a thing of the past? As this mild winter has shown, global warming could have dire consequences for the tourist industry in the Alps. But tourism, by its nature, is part of the problem. Travellers are responsible for the growth of passenger traffic – by air, road or rail – and therefore greenhouse gas emissions. This dossier investigates the impact climate change is having on alpine resorts – and how they are reacting.
(5 Feb 2007)
Nice collection of articles examining all aspects of the problem. -BA
Grim global warming prognosis for Western U.S.
Jane Kay, SF Chronicle
…In the United States, the West will be hardest hit, scientists say. Heat waves, droughts and intense hurricanes are likely to increase in the coming decades. Air temperatures in the Southwest, particularly from California to Texas, are projected to rise in the summer about 10 degrees by the end of the century, assuming there is a moderate increase in greenhouse gas emissions. A reduction in emissions might keep the temperature rise to 5 degrees.
The findings were released in Paris as part of the fourth assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or the IPCC, formed by the United Nations. It is the result of six years of work and is built on a previous dozen years of study by hundreds of researchers from more than 100 nations.
In a warming world, the Southwest will receive less rain, and the Pacific Northwest may get more, although that is less certain, scientists say. And even less clear is what will happen in Northern California, where the unpredictability of El Niños, ocean winds and currents make forecasting difficult.
Over the next several decades, the snow season is expected to shorten across North America, and the snow cover is expected to contract. Permafrost will thaw to greater depths, the scientists project. And the East Coast will be wetter and cloudier
(3 Feb 2007)
Queensland to drink waste water
BBC News
People in the Australian state of Queensland will soon have to start drinking water containing recycled sewage, the state premier has warned.
Premier Peter Beattie said he had scrapped a referendum on the issue, because there was no longer a choice.
He also warned other Australian states might eventually have to do the same because of mounting water shortages.
(29 Jan 2007)
Vietnam highly vulnerable to climate change: expert
AFP
Vietnam could be among the countries worst hit by climate change and rising sea levels, a British government expert has said.
“Vietnam potentially is one of the countries where sea level rises could have the most dramatic impact,” said Mark Lowcock, a senior official with Britain’s Department for International Development on Monday.
Lowcock said that, while many forecasters predict dire consequences for low-lying Bangladesh, Vietnam would also be badly hit, and “nearly a quarter of the population of this country could be directly affected.”
(5 Feb 2007)
