Hurricanes: Are They Getting Worse? by Ellen Bell

Since the year 2000, it seems that tropical storms and hurricanes are occurring more frequently, and with more intensity. Are hurricane seasons getting progressively worse? There are many differing opinions within the scientific community. To form your own opinion, it’s helpful to review the number and types of storms we’ve experienced in this decade.

The first year of the new millennium saw a total of 4 tropical depressions, 7 tropical storms, and 8 hurricanes. The most significant storm of the 2000 season was Hurricane Keith, which caused numerous fatalities and was blamed for large amounts of damage in Belize, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

The 2001 season was an unusual year, with no storms actually making landfall in the United States. However, even though the eye never moved over U.S. soil, Hurricane Allison still caused widespread flooding in Houston, Texas. Hurricane Iris caused major damage in Belize when it made landfall there as a Category 4 storm. Hurricane Michelle was also a severe storm, causing numerous deaths and major damage in Jamaica, Cuba, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

During the first 21 days of September 2002, there were 8 newly formed storms, which made that month a record.

The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season was another record-breaker. Traditionally, the hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. However, in 2003, Storm Ana formed on April 20th, which launched the season early for the first time in fifty years. During 2003, there were 21 tropical cyclones, 16 of which formed into named storms and 7 of which reached hurricane status. The strongest of these was Hurricane Isabel, which formed near the Lesser Antilles and landed in South Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane. Isabel caused $3.6 billion in damage and was blamed for 51 deaths in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States.

The 2004 hurricane season was another extended year, with the season extended into December. Hurricane Otto was responsible for this extension, with the storm lasting two days into the month of December. 2004 was also noted as one of the most costly and deadly years on record, with 3,132 deaths and roughly $50 billion U.S. dollars in damage caused by hurricanes and tropical storms.

The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was noted as "most active," with 5 storms making U.S. landfall: Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. The most catastrophic effects of the season were felt in New Orleans and neighboring areas of the Louisiana coast when a 30-foot storm surge from Hurricane Katrina caused widespread flooding and deaths.

The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season was a much less active season than 2005. Like 2001, it was an unusual year in that no hurricanes actually made U.S. landfall.

In 2007, the season was off to an early start with the formation of subtropical storm Andrea on May 9, 2007. The season also ran late that year, with tropical storm Olga developing on December 11, after the season was officially over. Overall damage was estimated at $7.5 billion U.S. dollars, and the death toll was recorded at 416. Also noteworthy is the fact that 2007 was one of four years that had more than one Category 5 storm. 2007 was also the second season on record in which more than one storm made U.S. landfall on the same day (Felix and Henrietta).

Are hurricanes and other tropical storms getting worse? Much of the U.S. public might believe so, particularly with the shock of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which made headlines for many months after the storm. In fact, to this day, New Orleans has still not fully recovered from that storm. As to whether or not tropical storms are actually becoming more frequent and more severe, we're not really sure yet. One thing we do know is that record-keeping is far more accurate today than it was some fifty years ago. Only time will tell what the pattern of hurricanes may do in coming years. In the meantime, we can learn from the past by preparing ourselves for the future.

The Bad Things That Global Warming Can Do To Your Health by Janet Martin

It is common to see news in the paper or on television about flashfloods in the country or in other parts of the world. These are all caused by changes in the weather and environment which are usually attributed to global warming. Although you may know that these phenomena are serious and can wreak havoc in the future, you may not be aware that environmental changes may actually have a direct effect on your health. While the melting of the polar caps should be a cause for alarm, you should be more concerned about the little changes in your body that global warming can bring.

Here are some health concerns linked to environmental changes:

Extreme Rashes

Due to the rise in greenhouse gases, deadlier strains of poison ivy are on the rise. As a result, the rashes expected from more lethal strains would be worse. A Duke University study found that urushiol oil, which is the one responsible for making poison ivy dangerous, when exposed to higher levels of carbon dioxide are 30% more potent than those that are exposed in prevalent CO2 levels. In fact, some experts believe that the toxicity of poison in plants like poison ivy is already higher today than decades ago.

Heatstroke

For the past few years, more and more people in the US have died from heatstroke. The people who are at a higher risk of getting heatstroke are the elderly and the very young children. One of the main reasons why temperature is high in some places in the country, particularly during summer, is that changes in climatic patterns are affecting the region's nighttime cooling. In Europe back in 2003, figures have shown that about 35,000 people were killed during heat waves.

Skin Cancer

Experts have estimated that over 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be reported in the US in 2008. In fact, this type of cancer is the most common in the country today. Although efforts in dramatically reducing the production of chlorofluourocarbons (more commonly known as CFCs) were successful, the damage has already been done in the ozone layer. As a result, more deadly ultraviolet rays are penetrating the earth.

Toxic Seafood

The rising ocean temperature is making sea-borne bacteria flourish. In the past decade, you will see a rising trend of red tide outbreaks in clams, oysters, mussels and other shellfishes that did not only affect fish, but also humans. Aside from making shellfish unfit to eat, these sedimentary organisms are also responsible for turning regular mercury into methylmercury, a more toxic form, which can be found in aquatic animals like shark, tilefish, tuna, king mackerel and swordfish.

Severe Allergic Reactions

People allergic to pollen are sneezing and coughing a lot more as the spring and summer seasons seem to be longer due to global warming. The increase in CO2 is also making plants produce bigger and more pollen. Furthermore, the greenhouse gases are also encouraging more fungi spores to grow.

What You Need To Do

The first thing you need to do is to start caring for the environment. The little things that you do in saving electricity and resources or minimizing garbage and pollution can go a long way in stopping the further deterioration of the planet.

Secondly, it would be wise for you to start protecting yourself from the harmful rays of the sun by using sunscreen every time you go outdoors during the day. Make sure that the sun block that you buy protects you from both UVA and UVB rays.

Lastly, boost your health by eating right and exercising daily. You may also perform detoxification at least once or twice a year to make sure that the toxins inside you will be safely eliminated out of your body and system. One product that can help you undergo detoxification with ease is Colpurin. For more information about Colpurin, simply click on to http://www.colpurin.com/.

Another Striking Sign of Global Warming by Mark Boardman

As the world continues to heat up the impacts are becoming more obvious. This week a huge sheet of ice has broken away from an ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic.

Giant sheets of ice measuring almost seven square miles, which is 20 square kilometres , have come adrift of the largest ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic. This is consistent with climatic warming models and as a consequence scientists warn that more could follow later this year as the summer wears on.

The ice broke away from the ice shelf on Ward Hunt Island in one of the more remote parts of northern Canada. The dislodged ice sheets have formed two floating ice islands measuring roughly 1.9 and 5.4 square miles each.

In recent decades the Arctic temperatures have risen at a greater rate than the global average which has exacerbated the problems arising in these polar regions as a result of climate change. This was the largest break of ice since the Ayles ice shelf broke away in 2005, resulting in a 25 square mile floating ice island.

The Ward Hunt shelf, measuring around 155 square miles, is one of five lying along Ellesmere island in the northern Arctic. Scientists had already identified deep fissures in the Ward Hunt shelf and as the break occurred between these two large cracks there is a fear that more could follow in the next few months before the winter freeze sets in.

At one time Ellesmere Island was home to a massive ice shelf measuring approximately 3,500 square miles. Today all that remains of that enormous ice shelf are five much smaller sheets which cover under 400 square miles in total. This is also consistent with the ever decreasing amount of sea ice to be found in the Arctic ocean.

It is believed that a strong southerly wind was the trigger for the final break off of this latest ice sheet. And as the worlds' temperatures continue to rise the ice that is there is not being reinforced during the winter months. It would likely take many years of colder temperatures to return the Arctic ice sheet to its former state, but with global temperatures continuing to rise the majority of models are predicting the possible complete disappearance of the Arctic sea ice. There are a few models which predict a possible cooling trend due to various factors including sun spot activity and the disruption of ocean currents, but these are currently in the vast minority.

Ice shelves are large platforms of thick sea ice that once floated on the surface of the oceans. This sea ice collides with the land and, combined with accumulating snow and freezing melt water, forms into a thick ice shelf over the course of thousands of years. It is only in the last 100 years or so that Ellesmere Island hasn't been completely ringed by a single massive ice shelf. It was then that the ice broke into 5 separate sheets, the largest of which was Ward Hunt.