Thursday, March 13, 2008

Namibians Understand Global Warming


Precipitation fluctuations - drought & flood or "feast or famine" if you will - are one of the hallmark effects of global warming driven climate change. This past year alone we've witnessed massive inundations in places like England, central Europe, Mexico and across Asia.

We think of drought as a powerful cause of crop failure but flooding can be just as bad. That's what's underway right now in Namibia as you can see in the picture above. The floods are expected to severely curtail the cereal grain crop in much of that country.

Meanwhile, here in the land of the affluent we've developed a fondness for burning food to make SUV juice.

And it's not just the disruption of Namibia's food supply. The floods have also overwhelmed the country's primitive, pit toilet system contaminating the water these people have to drink. 74-cases of cholera have already been recorded and you can bet there'll be plenty more to come.

But, of course, every cloud has a silver lining, even rain clouds. Namibia's torrential rains have been a positive boon for army worms. There's been a huge outbreak of army worms, nasty little creatures that breed fast and consume anything green in their path - green as in pastureland, green as in food.

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