Weather Watch: Global warming - so what?

Global warming is happening...but, so what? Let's be honest here... this isn't something that happens overnight.

It could take several decades before the "worst" of the global warming effects are obvious and let's be clear here - humans have this incredible ability to adapt. How else can you explain why Inuit's survive in the arctic circle...or why towns exist in the Sahara. Or why anyone would want to live in Taumarunui.

We can adapt - remarkably well. We are built to survive. We have incredible brains that allow us to develop technology or smart survival skills.

There is one flaw in my argument here, but I'll get to that later.

Think about it - the 'politicians' who paint a doom and gloom outlook for the world are the same ones that predicted Y2K would detonate the planet. We survived that. We had warning and we planned and we survived. We survived The Plague despite terrible (or non-existent) health care at the time.

We survived SARS, Bird Flu and despite news headlines a few months ago swine flu is also being managed well. We have a massive degree of 'heads up' when it comes to Global Warming - so why, then, can we not survive it? Why can't it just be another thing we adapt to and carry on as if life hasn't even really changed.

Well, I think we can - and I actually think it could be a good thing for us - and not just because England will finally have a decent climate.

I was watching a fascinating documentary on Nat Geo the other night, hosted by that Scottish man who is hard to understand. He was talking about the melting of ice and how if the Greenland ice sheet melts away then the world's sea level will rise by several metres. Much of Florida - gone. Manhattan - gone. New Orleans - gone...even more. London - glug glug.

But let's keep this all in perspective. We aren't talking about a dam bursting and 7 metres of water rushing into Wall Street. We're talking about a gradual (and yes, in scientific terms 'rapid') increase in the world's sea level. But couldn't this be a good thing for us?

Let's think back to World War II for a moment. Yes, it was utterly devastating the cost it had on human lives. But one positive that came out of it was the huge growth in the American economy (something that still benefits many of us around the globe today).

People moved all over the USA - small villages became booming cities as they produced steel, aircrafts, bombs - any war material you could imagine.

The war forced the American economy to rocket forward and helped achieve things like landing on the moon just two decades later not to mention the rapid development of aircraft which reshaped the way humans travel around the world.

So why can't global warming have a positive effect on the world? Why can't we actually embrace it and think "wow, we have an opportunity to make something positive of us".

Why don't we actually look for that silver lining. The world is constantly evolving. We are all changing and adapting to things in our lives on a yearly basis. I don't work for the same company I used to work for 10 years ago.

I live in a different town (I no longer live in Taumarunui either - and to be fair, I hated my job there, not the town...so I take back most of that dig.). Many of my friends are new. My relationships have changed. My pets have come and gone. My extended family has changed. My income has gone up and down. But I have adapted to all of this...and in more ways than less I am the same person.

So surely we can adapt to a rise in the sea level over half a decade. Surely we will "carry on" if some animals become extinct.

I think it was a pretty "positive" thing that global cooling wiped out the dinosaurs millions of years ago - humans wouldn't exist if they hadn't have died out. Who knows what exciting, positive, changes global warming will have on fish and animals around the globe - in the long run.

Maybe it will produce more fascinating fish/animals?

It really is quite dramatic watching how fast the world's ice is melting. It can be alarming to hear scientists talk about it. But keep in mind that scientists are talking about it in a scientific way. It's like when we hear last month was "1.7 degrees warmer than average". Well I don't know about you but I consider that hardly noticeable on a day to day basis.

But actually, that's a big jump. So we have to keep in perspective the alarming nature of scientific findings (such as ice melting, sea levels rising etc) versus the human ability to cope.

Like the war, global warming could be fantastic for our economy.

Rather than the American government sinking billions, if not trillions, of dollars into the Iraq war that should never have started why not sink that money in to protecting their country against the negative effects of global warming? Building bigger, better, levees. Shifting city centres inland further. Building better sea walls. Improving weather forecasting technology. Imagine the boom to the New Orleans economy if the US government invested billions into "flood proofing" the city.

Every western nation in the world can survive a rise in sea levels if they put their resources in to it. And while this is all happening we're all learning new ways of treating the planet better - to avoid anything like this happening again.

I mentioned one flaw earlier on. Well to put it bluntly - it's the poor nations that won't be able to adapt. There's no doubt it will take money to adapt. Bangladesh. The Pacific Islands. Not to mention drought nations that only receive water from snow and ice melt. Without the glaciers, the rivers dry up. Due to famine and war they may not be able to adapt and move to a better area.

But let's be honest here - when has the west ever really, truly, cared much about the poor nations? The USA could all but wipe out Aids in Africa with just some of the money they spent in Iraq.

But most western countries aren't a fan of "saving" poor nations unless it's politically positive to do so (such as getting something in return...maybe oil, diamonds, etc). Iraq is bombed - why isn't North Korea?.

So for the poor nations nothing changes - things only get worse. But that doesn't affect you and me does it? Unless of course we, as the human race, tackle global warming in a totally new way.

If we take responsibility here and go "actually, it is the fault of the west for increasing the rate of global warming - therefore it's our duty to protect the poorest of nations". Can you imagine if global warming gave the "Big Eight" the kick in the conscience it needed to really, truly, help out the poorer nations?

We're all slowly changing to being 'greener' countries. Once China and other developing nations have caught up technology/economy wise to the rest of us we'll see even less dirty industry. So while we're very, very, slowly starting to be cleaner people why not tackle global warming in a positive way. Mankind will adapt to the changes through technology.

I'd happily pay more tax to see the most developed countries in the world give more to those that suffer from drought, or sea-rise flooding. I'd rather pay that percentage of extra tax than wasting it on how Wanganui should be spelt or paying for MPs to have huge accommodation grants.

This is a wake up call - it's time to get a bit of perspective here. It's time to embrace what is inevitably going to happen and turn it around in to a positive change - not just for New Zealand - but for the entire planet.

Top: Most western countries aren't a fan of "saving" poor nations unless they're getting something in return. Photo / AP