It’s not just ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’*
I was in London last week, and the newspapers were full of the flooding in the countryside. England has had flooding before. Much of it is built in a flood plain. But this was the most intense rainfall in a 24-hour period, the wettest May-June-July since records began in 1766, and the most severe summer flooding since the early 19th century.

Those in the affected areas were suffering – 350,000 without water, 50,000 homes and businesses damaged, whole towns cut off, thousands without power, diary farms that couldn’t get water for their cows, and uninsured crops that were destroyed. Losses were estimated at $10 billion in American dollars. There was panic buying at grocery stores, the prospect of rising food prices, and public health worries like rats and E.coli. And the rain just kept coming.

It was caused, in large part, by a stalled jet stream too far south, which at the same time delivered a vicious heat wave with hundreds of deaths and fires in Eastern and Southern Europe. Surface temperatures in the North Atlantic are above normal, probably a result of exceptionally warm weather in Europe last winter and spring.

Extreme weather now common
All over the world this summer, there’ve been floods, monsoons and droughts. Floods in China, in Texas, in Kansas. Droughts in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. Monsoons in India and Bangladesh. Heat waves in Montana and much of the U.S. West. Drought in Australia. The list goes on. And much of it is unprecedented.

It’s not unusual to have occasional extreme weather events. They happen all the time. And they’re isolated, so much of the world doesn’t care. But we’re getting more and more, and that’s exactly what has been predicted by climate scientists. As the Earth heats up, more water vapor in the air means more severe rainfall in some places, and very little rain in others. England and the higher latitudes will get the rain, lower latitudes like Africa the droughts.

Lady Young, head of Britain’s Environment Agency, declared last week, “Climate change is coming home to roost.” New Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the country must act now to protect itself from the impact of Global Warming, which will make flooding a regular event.

The need to prepare
As with Katrina in New Orleans, England wasn’t ready for this disaster. Despite 25 reports since the last flooding chaos in 2000, the government was woefully unprepared. Recommendations that the Environment Agency take overall control of such problems never happened. Only a portion of the money allocated for defenses and infrastructure had been spent. And despite the advance warning this time, trucks carrying metal defenses to install along the riverbanks waited too long and got blocked by flash floods. Water supplies to those who needed it were totally inadequate.

The papers were full of what needs to be done to prepare for the next time, for surely there will be a next time (this was the second flood this summer). More must be spent on drainage, clearing out pipes and ditches, protecting electricity substations and water plants, setting aside areas for retention, and building homes higher up and more able to withstand water.

Ultimately, a major concern is London itself, untouched this time but vulnerable. London itself is built in a flood plain. In 1982 it built the extraordinary and costly Thames Barrier, which rises up to block surges from the North Sea, but that must be raised higher in the next 20 years, for South England is slowly sinking and the water at high tide is now 2 feet higher than it was a century ago.

Climate scientists forecast that by the end of the century, storms like those that swept England this summer will be far more frequent there and at other high latitudes. And much of the rain will fall in torrential downpours, bringing a month’s worth of rain in a single day.

Predictions for 2080
Forecasts for 2080 show winter rainfall in London up 30%, with the Thames rising an average of 20 inches. Parched ground, caused by hotter summers, will be less able to absorb the water, increasing the risk of flash flooding.

Flood walls alone won’t solve the problem – they only push it downstream. In Japan, structures are built on raised ground, with parklands, tennis courts and sports fields to hold floodwaters. In the Netherlands, homes are on stilts and some float on the water, with farmland bought up to set aside for flood retention. In the Florida Keys houses are on stilts. In the Mediterranean, stone, concrete and tile floors make for easier cleanup, or the ground floor is used for cars, with housing above.

This is not just England’s problem – it just happened to strike there last week. The series of unfortunate events this summer will likely continue and get worse throughout the world, as the climate warms and the seas rise. What are we going to do about it? Get caught unawares, like in New Orleans. Or plan ahead for disasters like flooding and drought?

Or get serious about stopping greenhouse gas emissions.

(Sources: The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, CNN, International Herald Tribune)
*Title borrowed from Lemony Snicket


Congressional round-up
Updated 9 p.m. CST Aug. 1.

*The House will consider a 786-page energy package (H.R. 3221) Friday and Saturday. It includes bills from 11 committees and covers many topics, including energy efficiency, R&D, public transportation, renewables infrastructure, a smart electricity grid and carbon sequestration. A separate energy tax bill gives incentives to renewables and alternative energy by cutting oil and gas subsidies.

*The Markey-Platts and Hill-Terry dueling corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) amendments were both withdrawn from consideration late Wednesday. Instead, advocates for a strong CAFE bill will work in Conference with the Senate-passed bill. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) had made changes to his amendment in the hope of winning more votes, exempting large pickup trucks, extending the date to 2019 from 2018 for a 35 mpg standard, and structuring the bill like the Senate-passed version. Markey-Platts was up against the auto-industry-backed Hill-Terry bill, supported by House Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.)

*A Renewable Energy Standard amendment will now be the focus of environmental advocates on the Hill. In order to gain more support, chief sponsors Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) reduced the percentage of renewables to 15% from the original 20% and added new sponsors. This amendment is critical because the Senate did not pass a renewable standard bill. If Udall-Platts passes the House, it will go to Conference and have a chance to end up on the President's desk. Last chance to call your rep on behalf of Udall-Platts et al. Capitol switchboard is (202)225-3121.
(Sources: Greenwire, Sierra Club and others)


News briefs

1. Tibet heating up faster than any place on the planet
Tibet, with its high altitude and glaciers, is the most sensitive place on earth to Global Warming and is heating up at a rate of 0.3 degrees Celsius (0.54 F) every decade, according to the Xinhua news agency. Chinese scientists have long warned that melting glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau could dry up major Chinese rivers and cause droughts, desertification and sandstorms. The average temperature in China is rising at a much slower rate, 0.4 degrees C every 100 years, and the worldwide average is .074 C per century. (Source: PlanetArk.com)

2. Lake Superior’s high temps, lower levels puzzle scientists
One buoy reads 75 degrees for the surface temperature of Lake Superior, the deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes, which holds 20% of the world’s fresh surface water. The average temperature has risen 4.5 degrees F since 1979, compared with a 2.7-degree increase in the air. And water levels are the lowest in 80 years, down more than a foot in the past year. What’s going on? Well, precipitation is way down since the 1970s, and 6 inches below normal this year, and the winter ice cap has shrunk due to mild winters. The expectation was for the area to get more rain and snow. Instead, it’s gotten less, which is affecting fishing, shipping and vegetation. Scientists are busy trying to figure out what to expect next, so we can be more prepared. (Source: AP, AOL)

3. California plans biggest, best solar farm so far in U.S.
Cleantech America LLC has announced plans for an 80-megawatt solar farm near Fresco, Calif., that will be able to power 21,000 homes. Likely to cover 240 acres, the plant will be 17 times the size of the largest existing one in the U.S., which is near Tucson, the company said. According to CEO Bill Barnes, Community Choice Solar Farm will be big enough to drive down the price of solar, and will help change the industry. While the company still needs to buy the land and contract for solar panels, it is confident the project will be finished by 2011. Cleantech is partnering with the California Construction Authority, which will help ease the way. (Source: PlanetArk)

4. Germany and Spain claim world’s largest solar plant
Solar Millenium Group in Germany and ACS of Spain have begun the second phase of what they say will be the world’s largest solar plant, near Madrid. Covering 480 acres, the plant will go online in 2009 and will serve 200,000 people, the two companies announced. Each phase will produce 650 megawatts. Solar Millenium said it plans a third plant in partnership with Portuguese Energy Group. Spain is the largest producer of renewable energy, according to Greenwire. (Source: Greenwire)


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