The Leader

Issue date: 11/8/06 Section: News

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee geography professor and climatologist, Mark D. Schwartz, and 13 other scientists released a report stating that the pace of global warming is increasing in the Northeastern region of the United States.

The report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists and group of independent scientists is titled, "Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast." It warns that the increasing pace may change our climate if it is not looked into.

The report predicts warmer and longer summers in the Northeast. That is, unless carbon dioxide emissions are reduced three percent a year, there is likely to be less snow and more droughts.

Also, the temperature could rise between 6.5 and 12.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the Northeast by the end of the century.

The report suggests if cleaner, renewable energy sources replace those that release greenhouse gases, such as coal and oil, the increase of temperature could be cut in half.

The research for this report was done in fall of 2005. The report was written in January and February of 2006.

"My part of the report primarily involved using a model of spring plant development to simulate how projected air temperature increases would affect the timing of the onset of spring plant growth in the Northeast United States over the next century," Schwartz said.

The model is based off the first leafing of lilacs and honeysuckles over the last 40 years. The model indicates that spring arrives five to six days earlier than it did before 1960.

Such global environmental changes can affect almost every aspect of human society for generations now and in the future.

"Decisions being made now and in the near future will determine how severe and how long-lasting these impacts will be," Schwartz said.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools