Thesis statement
In this paper we will discuss the effect of
changing climatic conditions on the faunal collection
and variety of fauna in the western and northern
Labradors.
Analysis
It is necessary to first understand
the phenomenon of changing climatic patterns of
the worldwide environment accentuated no doubt
by the accelerated pace of industrialization,
gasoline burnt in automobiles, and use of synthetic
chemicals in agriculture.
Therefore we will mention the essential causative
factors and the resulting scenarios at present
and in the foreseeable future. From the broader
perspective we will move to the narrow scene of
Labrador.
The Phenomenon of Global Warming
Climate change is a wide-ranging,
all-encompassing term. It is mainly caused by
the phenomenon of global warming which in turn
is caused by the generation of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2), is the
main component of the greenhouse gases.
The areas of scientific controversy revolve around
two issue(i) the rate of change and (ii) the extent
to which the causes are man-made and thus controllable.
It is widely believed by the scientific community
that the warming is occurring at the rate of 1
degree centigrade and 3.5 degree centigrade every
century.
Apparently this rate is not alarming but the
sea levels would rise by one meter, which may
inundate large parts of human habitation in the
world. (A brief review on climate change 2004)
Again it is widely accepted that the greenhouse
gas emission is a function of burning of fossil
fuels, particularly coal and oil and to a lesser
degree, natural gas..
Although domestic households, industry, and road
transport are the chief contributors to the production
of these poisonous gases. One estimate has it
that the emission of CO2 from road vehicles has
increased by 70-80% throughout the European Union
alone in the last 20 years. Each single automobile
can contribute about a ton of carbon dioxide annually.
Rising Sea Levels.
Rising sea levels are a major threat not only
to countries like Bangladesh, the Netherlands
etc.which are barely above the sea level. With
the public opinion weighing heavily against the
nuclear power generation plants the world could
see much higher pollution levels if more gas,
oil or coal-fired power stations are commissioned.
El Niño
El Niño, however, has
provided the most dramatic recent expression of
the destructive potential of global warming, although
precise relationship with the wider global phenomenon
is the subject of scientific argument.
El Niño is a multifaceted and intricate
pattern of storms and hurricanes occurring at
five to six year intervals by the warming of the
Pacific. A body of warm water is displaced from
Indonesia toward the South American coast some
300km away bringing torrential rain and floods
as far away as the African continent. It can benefit
some areas but it can wreck havoc on other areas.
The Australian wheat crop, Philippines rice
crop was destroyed. Wheat production on the other
side of the world, in South Africa and Zimbabwe
suffered.
It has been speculated that such diversion of
the Gulf Stream could give the United Kingdom
a climate akin to that of Labrador. Even more
profound is the dreadful possibility that the
rate of change will exceed the rate at which flora
and fauna can adapt thus irreversibly accelerating
the already crucially high rate of species loss.
Labrador coastal waters are prized for the abundant
harvest for the annual voyages of fishermen from
the Newfoundland. It is also prized for the mystique
and promise the interior of Labrador held because
of its resource potential. For two centuries the
French exploited Labrador for both its fishing
and furring potential.
The island of Newfoundland has a moderate marine
climate, akin to what is experienced by the states
of Maine and Massachusetts and the other Atlantic
Canadian provinces. Winters are usually mild,
with an average temperature of 0° Celsius
(32° Fahrenheit) while summer temperatures
range from warm to hot with an average daily temperature
of 20° Celsius (72° Fahrenheit).
It is difficult to conceive that there would
come about a significant change in climate of
western and northern Labrador. Consider the following
passage to get an idea of this not being so true:
“By the 20th century, scientists had rejected
old tales of world catastrophe, and were convinced
that global climate could change only gradually
over many tens of thousands of years.
But in the 1950s, a few scientists found evidence
that some changes in the past had taken only a
few thousand years. During the 1960s and 1970s
other data, supported by new theories and new
attitudes about human influences, reduced the
time a change might require to hundreds of years.
Many doubted that such a rapid shift could have
befallen the planet as a whole.
The 1980s and 1990s brought proof (chiefly from
studies of ancient ice) that the global climate
could indeed shift, radically and catastrophically,
within a century — perhaps even within a
decade.” (Rapid Climate and northern) too
will see changes. Change 2004)
The rich marine life will not experience a decline
in the warmer waters of western Labrador. There
are nearly ninety species of fish including the
Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon. Walrus and seals
too will survive in the western Labrador. Polar
bears too will grow in numbers in warmer climates.
Labrador has winds coming in from the west.
The harshness of the climate depends on two static
summer weather systems – firstly a large
low-pressure region north of Ungava Bay and, secondly
the North Atlantic anticyclone between Bermuda
and the Azores. (On River-On Line: A Labrador
Odyssey: About Labrador)
The steep fjords and mountains form their own
micro-weather patterns. The katabatic winds. too
have an influence. The air mass over a cold plateau
cools and, because of its increased density, is
pushed by gravity over the edge of the plateau.
It is then funneled to the lower elevations through
narrow fjords and mountain valleys, picking up
speed as it descends. Katabatic winds speeds can
be gentle or gusts of 90 to 185 km/hr and is a
big factor. (On River-On Line: A Labrador Odyssey:
About Labrador)
Conclusion
We have seen that there can be rapid and major
changes in the short term also though fundamental
changes take much longer to take effect. The warmer
climate will support the flora and fauna much
better than the cold northern climatic pattern
of northern Labrador.
Bibliography:
‘A brief review on climate change’
Retrieved on November 13, 2004.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING Retrieved on
November 13, 2004.
On River-On Line: A Labrador Odyssey: About Labrador.
Rapid Climate Change Retrieved on November 13,
2004 from the website
www.aip.org/history/climate/rapid.htm
WEATHER EXTREMES IN A CHANGING CLIMATE Retrieved
on November 13, 2004 from the website www.davidsuzuki.org/files/weather_extremes.pdf
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