Climate Change is A Water Issue

Climate change, also referred to as Global Warming by many activist groups, is certainly creating a less predictable future for our coasts, islands, and desert states. The idea that climate change would affect our planet in a huge way has been predicted for a long time. Now, we are seeing the effects in the form of worsening droughts, more intense storms, rising water levels, and increased wildfires. Let’s address each briefly for a better view of what this global epidemic really looks like.
Worsening drought
Droughts are a regular part of many western states in America and some countries found inland on a continent. Unfortunately, the droughts are rising to epidemic proportions that challenge our water sources and economic response. What once was a 20-year pattern of extreme heat days is now becoming a 2 to 3 year pattern. While a predicted increase in temperatures will help some areas, it will devastate other states and countries.
More Intense Storms
Huge storms aren’t convincing skeptics that climate change is real. But, who can ignore the highest of categories in hurricanes devastating our coast. And, followed by an intense storm just prior to that. Each year, storms appear to get worse and worse. We expect some impact on the intensity of storms due to climate change, and we are starting to see it at the micro level of individual storms. Climatologists predict that we can expect the devastation to become extreme year after year.
Rising Sea Levels
Sea level rising is one contributing factor to the worsening of storms. Melting glaciers and human industrial actions in the ocean seems to be contributing factors. The higher the water, the more inland it can be pushed. In fact, sea level has risen by over half a foot in the last decade. More warm water means warmer climates and vice versa leading to a rise in storms.
Not all water-shortage problems are caused by climate change. Some can often be attributed to human actions (or inaction), such as poor drainage and lack of proper water conservation efforts. Climate change is a real problem that we will encounter more and more as time goes on. Other issues such as the loss of shorelines and disproportionate seasons could also be explored to demonstrate the affect that the changing climate is having on our planet.
Increased Wildfires
In America, when we think of wildfires, California often comes to mind. Every year, like clockwork, these fires ravage brushland and eventually homes and communities nearby. Wildfires, however, are unpredictable and becoming harder to control when you consider the worsening situation of droughts in areas where they take place. This counter-effect is not coincidental. The unfortunate coincidence is that many of the areas where the wildfires occur are also areas where droughts have been more severe – and it can take thousands of gallons of precious water to put out a wildfire.