California, USA
April 07, 2007
As global temperatures continue to climb, every continent in the world is vulnerable to severe shifts in weather patterns and rising sea levels that could lead to drought, food shortages, heat waves and disease, according to the report adopted Friday by an international body of scientists. "No one of us will escape the impacts of climate change." The wealthiest nations won't be spared. People in cities will suffer from heat waves, flooding and other catastrophes brought about by disruption in climate patterns. "Global warming is coming so rapidly that species can't change their genetics fast enough. They have to vamoose." Species are moving toward the poles and to higher elevations. Sometimes the species have nowhere to go. Spring is coming five days earlier on average, and fall is lasting longer by about two weeks. The report recommends that nations adopt mitigation measures such as building sea walls and irrigation systems to deal with the unavoidable effects of global warming that are already happening. Nations should try to control global warming by controlling emissions through energy efficiency and green power.