GreenWatch

B. McPherson People fleeing rising flood waters in Pakistan Residents of Pakistan and India are struggling with the worst flooding in decades as heavy rains from the monsoon caused rapid rises in river levels. There are hundreds confirmed dead with little word from villages hit with floods and mudslides. The city of Lahore is flooded. Photographs displayed by Indian newspapers show chest deep water running in the cities of Kashmir and Pakistan. Buildings in the cities tend to be built of fired brick, but many in the countryside are made of mud brick which dissolved in the water’s onslaught. Srinagar in Kashmir has been hard hit with flooded streets and interrupted communications. Rescue efforts have been slowed by lack of boats. Thousands of people have been displaced after losing all their belongings to the fast flowing Jhelum River. Every year during the monsoon, flooding occurs in India and Pakistan but this year’s flooding is now classed as the worst in decades. ...

B. McPherson Some of the latest information coming from NOAA and the US Environmental Protection Agency is warning of an increase in sea levels of at least one meter(39.37inches) and possibly two meters during this century. Much depends on the speed at which the Greenland ice melts. Since the 1880s the average sea level has increased about 8 inches. For land that is low bank sea level erosion and occasional high tide surges can inundate land far inland. The Maldive Islands are already preparing for the day that they will have to evacuate some of their island nation. Tuvalu in the South Pacific already experiences “king tides” which roll across their island. Some nations are preparing for the change in water levels. Planning is going on in many European countries for the construction of water gates to restrict the flow of sea water up rivers. In North America few preparations seem to be happening, yet millions of people will be affected by the changes. The Christia...

By B. McPherson Violent weather assaulting Italy turned deadly in the Tuscany region when flash floods churning through towns killed at least 24 people(source: BBC News ). Five people remain missing. About 40 000 people have been displaced. Torrential rains hit Italy from the Tuscany region south to Sicily. Some places received upwards of 99 mm of rain in a short time. As the rains ease, some Italians have been able to return to their homes, but about half of those displaced remain homeless. The River Po which empties into the Adriatic Sea is expected to crest this weekend. The Gran San Bernardo tunnel linking Switzerland to Italy has been reopened. This series of storms battered Switzerland as well, resulting in the deaths of 11 people. A village was destroyed when a mudslide crashed down on it. In addition to the loss of human life, Italy is adding up the destruction done to historic buildings. Damage to farmland and crops is widespread. The clean up bill is estimated to be $2.6...