Thursday, August 9, 2007

A map of early warning signs of global warming

Seven environmental and progressive groups collaborated on putting together a world map with icons denoting fingerprints and harbingers of global warming impacts. Here's how they identify them:

FINGERPRINTS: Direct manifestations of a widespread and long-term trend toward warmer global temperatures
  • Heat waves and periods of unusually warm weather
  • Ocean warming, sea-level rise and coastal flooding
  • Glaciers melting
  • Arctic and Antarctic warming
HARBINGERS: Events that foreshadow the types of impacts likely to become more frequent and widespread with continued warming.
  • Spreading disease
  • Earlier spring arrival
  • Plant and animal range shifts and population changes
  • Coral reef bleaching
  • Downpours, heavy snowfalls, and flooding
  • Droughts and fires

I clicked over California and on an icon with a leaping dear on it. I got this:
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Global warming harbinger
Event Plant and animal range shifts and population changes
See Photo Below!
California
Butterfly range shift. Edith's Checkerspot Butterfly has been disappearing from the lower elevations and southern limits of its range.

Reference: Parmesan, C. 1996. Climate and species' range. Nature 382: 765-766.

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