Global Warming in Wisconsin

Global Warming in Wisconsin

Global warming could have serious consequences for Wisconsin. The majority of scientific research now agrees that by the middle of this century the earth's atmosphere and oceans could very well warm up. Many scientists believe the process is already well underway.
Because of the interplay of many climatic factors, it's difficult to predict exactly what an increase in global temperature might bring; however, credible scenarios show Wisconsin could face many serious problems, such as:

wetter winters and drier summers with longer, hotter and more frequent heat waves
weather and climate changes that could require farmers to raise different crops
dairy cattle with heat exhaustion and growing pest populations
poor air quality and higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, an air pollutant that causes severe health problems
warmer and more shallow river waters – conditions that could hurt populations of cold-water fish like trout
dropping lake water levels (even on the Great Lakes), stranding docks and marinas, and greatly increasing dredging maintenance costs for harbors
dropping water tables in underground aquifers, due to increased water demands and reduced surface recharge
denser algae blooms and lower oxygen levels in ponds and lakes
more frequent floods, droughts, forest fires and damaging storms
changes in tree species that could damage the forestry industry and wildlife populations
increases in disease-carrying insect populations
damage to Wisconsin's $13 billion annual tourism economy

What is global warming?

Historical records indicate the average global temperature increased by 0.5 to 1° Fahrenheit (F) between 1890 and 1990. In the next 100 years, scientists predict the temperature may rise another 2 to 6° F. Such increases have occurred previously in Earth’s history, but never over such a short time span. In fact, the average global temperature rose more in the last century than at any time in the past 10,000 years.

Scientists agree that the cause of these changes involve six main human-influenced greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. These gases – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons,
perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – make up about 1% of our atmosphere. They keep our planet warm by trapping the sun’s energy and slowing its escape back into space. This heat-trapping ability is called the greenhouse effect, and it allows us to enjoy an average global temperature of 60° F. If our atmosphere lacked greenhouse gases, the Earth would be a cold rock floating in space, and life as we know it would not exist.

Since the Industrial Revolution, however, atmospheric concentrations of the most important human-influenced greenhouse gases – CO2, methane and nitrous oxide – have increased at an unnatural rate. In the last 200 years, CO2 levels have risen almost 30%, methane levels have gone up 145%, and nitrous oxide levels have increased by 15%.

Where are all these "extra" greenhouse gases coming from? From large-scale burning of fossil fuels for industry and motor vehicles, intense agricultural activity, mining, and other human activities which pump more and more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, creating a heightened greenhouse effect that leads to a higher average global temperature – global warming.

(from information provided by the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resoures)

Links to More Wisconsin Climate Change Information