Posted on 07/06/2009 9:14:07 PM PDT by presidio9
Climate change is rapidly expanding the size of the world's tropical zone, threatening to bring disease and drought to heavily populated areas, an Australian study has found.
Researchers at James Cook University concluded the tropics had widened by up to 500 kilometres (310 miles) in the past 25 years after examining 70 peer-reviewed scientific articles.
They looked at findings from long-term satellite measurements, weather balloon data, climate models and sea temperature studies to determine how global warming was impacting on the tropical zone.
The findings showed it now extended well beyond the traditional definition of the tropics, the equatorial band circling the Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Professor Steve Turton said that meant the subtropical arid zone which borders the tropics was being pushed into temperate areas, with potentially devastating consequences.
"Such areas include heavily-populated regions of southern Australia, southern Africa, the southern Europe-Mediterranean-Middle East region, the south-western United States, northern Mexico, and southern South America," he said.
"All of (them) are predicted to experience severe drying.
"If the dry subtropics expand into these regions, the consequences could be devastating for water resources, natural ecosystems and agriculture, with potentially cascading environmental, social and health implications."
Turton said tropical diseases such as dengue fever were likely to become more prevalent.
"Some models predict the greatest increase in the annual epidemic potential of dengue will be into the subtropical regions, including the southern United States, China and northern Africa in the northern hemisphere,
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Don’t they WANT more rain forests and more jungles?
The sky is falling and the jungle is calling....
Like I always say... location, location, location.
All I know is that it has rained in NY City for about 7 weeks now with a day here and there with some sun. It’s nice tonight if it was early October..Where the hell is global warming , I’m waiting for it so I can hit the beach someday.
The sky is falling. They just will not give up. I wonder how much grant money was involved?
But, but, but - we’re destroying the rain forests!
Hey, this is a good thing for the tourism industry...
This is the second summer of the second little ice age. You have to wonder if any of these fools have been outside since January.
310 miles in 25 years.
IF (and that's a mighty big IF) - that works out to 12 miles a year.
How much of this is due to logging, increased farming and the like.
At this rate, I'm doomed — in two or three centuries.....
Bullsh*t.
Tropics, disease and drought?
Doda - Doda - Doda ALERT
WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE-
AS THE SUN HEATS AND COOLS!
Idiots all!
It sounds to me like the “researchers” at James Cook University may have applied for a government grant.
Well I thought they wanted to save the rain forrests ?
Bunny huggers need to get their ducks in a row or STFU !
Tropics expanding due to climate change: study
BULLSHIT!
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