Jerome К. Jerome said that we are never happy with the weather. The weather, like the government, is always in the wrong. But something has been really wrong with it lately. Droughts, wildfires, landslides, avalanches, gales, tornadoes, floods… All over Europe it’s the same story. The weather is definitely getting worse and the so-called extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent.
B. Greenhouse effect is actually a natural feature of our atmosphere without which life on our planet would be impossible. Certain atmospheric gases (the most important of them is carbon dioxide — C02) work as a kind of blanket, keeping the Earth warm. The amount of these ‘greenhouse’ gases used to be more or less the same for centuries. But the industrial revolution changed this steadiness. Because of heavy industry and other human activities the amounts of C02 and other gases have increased by 30%.
C. Climate experts predict that by 2050 the global average temperature will rise by 2-3 degrees. It doesn’t seem much. Remember, however, that the difference between the average global temperatures now and the last ice age (20,000 years ago) is only 6 to 8 degrees.
D. Northern regions will be wetter andD. Northern regions will be wetter and warmer, southern regions will be drier and hotter. Forests will grow instead of tundra in Siberia. It’ll be possible to grow grapes in Britain. Not so bad so far. But parts of Spain, Italy and Greece will turn as dry as a desert. Snow will melt in the Alps and other mountains, and the water will cause floods, landslides and avalanches. Sea levels will rise and a lot of coastal areas will disappear under water. So will whole species of animals and plants.
E. Moreover, some experts argue that the short-term global warming will lead to a more catastrophic long-term global cooling. As the arctic ice cap melts, a flow of fresh water will change currents, including the Gulf Stream, which now keeps Europe warm.
