Vast African Lake Levels Dropping Fast - AP

[Eugene]

Vast African Lake Levels Dropping Fast

By CHARLES J. HANLEY
The Associated Press
Saturday, December 9, 2006; 1:12 PM

-snip-

At 27,000 square miles, the size of Ireland, Victoria is the greatest of Africa's
Great Lakes _ the biggest freshwater body after Lake Superior. And it has dropped
fast, at least six feet in the past three years, and by as much as a half-inch a
day this year before November rains stabilized things.

The outflow through two hydroelectric dams at Jinja is part of the problem _ a tiny
part, says the Uganda government, or half the problem, say environmentalists. But
much of what is happening to Victoria and other lakes across the heart of Africa
is attributable to years of drought and rising temperatures, conditions that starve
the lakes of inflowing water and evaporate more of the water they have.

-snip-


Now, in a yet unpublished report obtained by The Associated Press, an international
consulting firm advises the Ugandan government that supercomputer models of
global-warming scenarios for Lake Victoria "raise alarming concerns" about its
future and that of the Nile River, which begins its 4,100-mile northward journey
here at Jinja.

The report, by U.S.-based Water Resources and Energy Management International,
says rising temperatures may evaporate up to half the lake's normal inflow from
rainfall and rivers, with "severe consequences for the lake and its ability to meet
the region's water resources needs."

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/09/AR2006120900360.html

[applegrove]

1. Just a nightmare.

[NNadir]

2. And this is the source of the Nile.

Wunderbar.

[gulfcoastliberal]

3. Depressed K&R...

Our carbon legacy to the future.

[Gregorian]

4. And I just watched Michael Crichton on Cspan

It's a strange feeling to see someone so bright yet so stupid. The guy really doesn't get it. It being the nearly direct correlation of co2 concentration with average global temperature rise. And it's not a prediction. And it's not mild. It's a trend, and it's wild.

Every time I see one of these posts, I get energized to start spewing my thoughts. But I'm a bit tired of just blabbing away. However, the most frightening thing I can think of is how we are so slow to change. As we sit here, huge segments of the human population are gearing up to live like "Americans". And I also want to say that the military and it's activities plays a big role in global warming. And I can say that without fear of being incorrect, because we are the biggest contributor to co2 emissions, and our economy is largely based on the military. It's not just the billion gallons of fuel used in Iraq (which is my estimation from rough calculations), but it is the manufacturing of bombs, bullets, mre's, tanks, planes, and all of the peripheral functions and the fuel they consume in that entire process. IT'S HUGE!


The ultimate question is how do we turn this around. I see two things. Cessation, or innovation.

So either stop doing stuff, or start getting smart. The latter doesn't happen quickly.

Just my thoughts.

[formercia]

5. Globalization

bringing consumerism and increased oil consumption to the rest of the World.

Stop Globalization and things will slow down dramatically. Make a better life for people in the Third World without making them mass consumers.

[Deja Q]

6. Or vice-versa

Given the amount of oil consumption in the US, combined with a less-than-effective transit system, maybe that's why offshoring is taking place?

I'll admit this is the biggest, most obtuse :tinfoilhat: idea ever, but what the heck.

[formercia]

7. The elites wrecked the US infrastructure

now they just walk away from it and start the same process somewhere else.