Global warming: US experience

The US experiences worst drought in decades

Striking changes in weather at places are an eye-opener for those who refuse to acknowledge effect of climate change because of global warming. For instance, people across the United States have been experiencing wild weather for the last one month or so. Unprecedented heat wave is passing through half of the United States with temperatures reaching 109 degrees Fahrenheit in Tennessee, 105 degrees in Indiana, 104 degrees in Montana, and 113 degrees in South Carolina while District of Columbia, Federal Capital, Maryland, Virginia experience around 100 degrees on an average. Incidentally, District of Columbia was severely hit recently by thunderstorm which knocked out power and kept the city roasting without air conditioning for days in 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Global warming appears to be real.
The national climate data centre gave the information that first six months of 2012 were the hottest ever recorded --an amazing 4.5 degrees above the 20th century average. Therefore, denial of global warming makes no sense. In the words of columnist Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, "then you are either in deep denial, or delirious from the heat" while atmospheric scientist Don Wuebbles has this to say: the scientific evidence is undeniable. There can be no longer any doubt; human induced climate change is affecting our weather. NASA's James Hasen, who established himself as best known scientist in the climate alarm camp and a leading advocate of aggressive measures to curb fossil fuel in energy use is of the opinion that “extreme hot weather has become more frequent and affects a larger area of the world than was the case during the preceding 30 years”. The present precarious atmospheric condition reminds of the criticism by the Republican minded critics, including Fox news channel network, against Al-Gore, former Vice-President under President Bill Clinton, who was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for creating greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted to combat global warming.
As a result of global warming drought has consistently been persisting in Colorado, Kansas, and Iowa leaving cornfields stinted and wilted in the heat wave. The same is the case in Oklahoma as has been gathered from Fakhruzzaman Chowdhury, a translator of repute and columnist, who is temporarily staying there with his younger daughter and wife, renowned actress Dilara Zaman. He said they were passing very difficult days as the temperature rose to 104 degrees at times. A part of Oklahoma was affected because of wild fire that caused damage to more than 60 homes and threatened another 100 homes. Now, however, the fire is under control.
According to CNN report, 61 percent of land in the lower 48 states stretching from Nevada to South Carolina was experiencing drought. This is the highest percentage in the 12-year record of America's drought monitor. Perched conditions prevail in some areas as a result of record-setting heat wave. Price of corn and soybean oil is on rise as a result of damaged crops, affecting the people of low income category.
One has been watching since 1992 the issue of global warming being dealt with by the United Nations; also participated in two conferences under the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change in Bonn in 1997 while serving as a diplomat in Bangladesh embassy. Although these conferences have generated hope that world leaders understand the consequences of the devastating effects of climate change, but the dream that was generated at Earth summit in 1992 or at Johannesburg in 2003 have faded. Today's planet earth would have been a safer place if recommendations got implemented by now. An all out movement on global warming and climate change has now become imperative because negligence made by industrialist countries to mitigate the crisis is deteriorating the situation.

The writer is a retired diplomat from Bangladesh.