Climate Change Flooding in the UK

While the predictions forecast an increase in temperatures and a drier climate for places such as most of Australia, especially in the South East, the same predictions forecast much wetter conditions in countries in the north, such as the UK.

While the former predictions are starting to be fulfilled, the latter for the UK is now being questioned. That is, not whether they are true, but whether climate change has already affected the weather in the UK.

With the massive flooding now underway and more expected, these questions are being asked and answered by the scientists within their bureau of meteorology.

Here’s one of the reports from the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology – click here.

These nasty events highlight a number of issues including that too much of the landscape has been altered to become impervious to water and so where the water may have been previously absorbed, it now accumulates as run off.

All the elements that lead to disaster have come together in the UK. These include optimism of continued friendly weather events, decades of bad urban planning decisions, lack of attention to deal with climate change, and lack of care for the ecology, biodiversity and how soil is valued.

The Guardian has a very comprehensive article on the current UK flood disaster and includes answers to the easy accusations that the government should have been doing more dredging.

The solutions require massive changes to the planning and design of our urban environments. The simple question now is – what else does it take for the whole community to agree that massive changes are required?

While this piece is about the UK and flooding, the same levels of disinterest exist here in Australia when it comes to embracing the massive changes required.

The people of Australia have just voted in a Commonwealth Government that is committed to doing everything possible to ignore any challenges being thrown up by climate change.The Rabbott government is still offering large subsidies to Big Coal and threatening the incentives previously offered to increase alternative energy sources.

The electors of Australia were fully aware of this government intentions, so there has been no surprises. What does it take for people to wake up to the dangers ahead for their children?

here’s the Guardian article – click here

There’s also a follow up – with a call to action from a conservative politician – click here

——————————————

Paul Costigan, 15th February 2014