Some hard facts!

Some examples of the effects global warming already has:

  • 2006 was globally the sixth warmest year in history of measurements.

  • In North Europe, the autumn of 2006 was the warmest of the past 3 centuries (in Norway, temperatures were 12°C higher than normal).

  • In Europe, 2000 was the wettest year over the past century and many countries suffered the worst floods, resulting in the dead of many people and the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

  • The Northpole is melting with 1% per year!

  • The Antarctic peninsula decreased with 13.500km2 since 1974!

  • Polar bears are suffering a severe feeding problem due to the lesser extend of the winter sea ice, resulting in the total mortality of 57% of newborn bears in their first year.

  • Krill numbers in Antarctica may have dropped as much as 80% since 1970!

  • Several whale and penguin populations (like e.g. mink whale, adélie penguin, northern and southern right whale, etc.) already suffer the effects of the decrease of krill populations (like population decrease, impact on reproductive success, etc.).

  • Already 4 of the 6 glassier of the Andes in Venezuela melted down and scientists believe that this will occur in much more places.

  • The golden toad (Bufo periglenes) and the harlequin frog (Atelopus varius) disappeared as a direct result of global warming.

  • A mass stranding of bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico was linked with an unusual cold-water event.

  • Bears in Siberia enter late in their hibernation which has an impact on the animals this bear preys on, an so affecting the whole local ecosystem.

  • Sea-turtles in Brazil suffer a change in male-female ratio due to the warming of their nesting sites since the temperature of these nests determine the sex of the turtles (cold nest sites will provide male offspring, whereas warmer ones female). The warming of the nests therefore threatens the population growth.

  • A decrease in precipitation in various regions causes droughts and bushfires putting in danger many animal species like e.g. the orangutan in Indonesia.

This way we can continue to number the consequences of global warming.

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