Slowing Global Warming Hikes Chances Of Droughts

by Tanya on  August 11, 2009 at 3:36 PM Environmental Health
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
Geo-engineering, though it may solve slow global warming, may increase the risk of droughts.

Methods put forward include reflecting solar radiation back into space using giant mirrors or aerosol particles.

But, according to a report by BBC News, the researchers warn that such attempts to control the climate could also cause major changes in precipitation.

They want the effect on rainfall to be assessed before any action is taken.

According to Gabriele Hegerl of the Grant Institute at University of Edinburgh and Susan Solomon of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at Boulder, Colorado, "if geo-engineering studies focus too heavily on warming, critical risks associated with such possible 'cures' will not be evaluated appropriately."

They argue that climate change is about much more than changes in temperature. So, using temperature alone to monitor the effects of geo-engineering could be dangerous.

The researchers cite the powerful effects on rainfall of volcanic eruptions, which also prevent solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface, albeit by throwing up dust rather than reflecting the radiation back into space.

For example in 1991, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo not only reduced global temperatures but also led to increases in drought.

The pair correlated 20th Century weather records with data for the increase in greenhouse gases and dates for major volcanic eruptions.

This revealed that greenhouse emissions tend to slightly increase rainfall in the short term but also showed that reduction in rainfall in the months following a major volcanic eruption is far more dramatic.

Page 1 Page 1 | 2  Next
 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X
  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
News Categories:  
Sexual Health Center

Environmental Health Related News

» Nuclear Disasters Likely to Occur Once in 20 Years » Cut Down Seagrass Ecosystems to Liberate Carbon
» Research Shows Global Warming Intensifying Water Cycle » Future of Renewable Energy: Space-Based Solar Power?
» Earth Will Not be Able to Sustain Human Activity by 2030 » Fungus That Can Consume Discarded Plastic Discovered
» Prudent Intake Can Induce Dip in Carbon Footprint: Study » Study Links Air Pollution Level Changes in Beijing With Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers
Read More >>