Will we be able to sustain it?
It does worry me that we are having these extreme heat waves. After all, it is a clear sign that global warming is kicking in. Regular temperatures in England of around 30 degrees are becoming alarming as they will have a massive affect on our farms and infrastructure. Lots of people are considering staying in the UK for holidays because of the sunny weather yet I am more concerned about the long term ramifications.
Already we have farmers with not enough grass to feed cows and a reduced ability to produce milk. They are having to use their winter stocks of hay to feed the animals. What happens when these run out and what other products are being affected? Poorer harvests will result and gradually these kinds of temperature may make it harder to successfully grow some of our stable crops. Prices will rapidly go up due to food shortages.
Hose pipes bans have begun as reservoirs start to dry up. If this becomes worse, we could be watching how we use water much more closely, just to survive. Will the UK become more like Spain, with less fertile soils and fewer forests? If it does, will its flora and fauna change, with the introduction of more dangerous spiders and snakes, and the beginnings of desertification? Who knows how far this can go?
One thing I do know is we are doing little to prevent the growth of global warming. It is time for us to look at the biggest contributors, such as aeroplanes and cars. Also, we need to encourage China and India to use far less pollutants as they develop their industries. In the mean time, more dramatic thunder storms and flash floods will keep coming.
