Mild and wet, but why?

With the eyes of the world on the climate change conference in Paris this week we have been looking at the effects of climate change locally.

Stormy seas breach Loe Bar Jan/Feb 2014

As winter takes hold this year there are many of us wondering just why it's so mild. There is no doubt that climate change is happening, the effects can be seen from the poles to the equator including right here on our own doorsteps in Cornwall. Climate change is linked to the extreme weather events that we’ve had over the last few years and are set to continue to have in years to come. It is predicted that Britain will continue to have progressively drier summers and warmer wetter winters if global temperatures continue to rise even by what might be considered the smallest of fractions. You might be thinking that warmer weather seems quite attractive but even a 2 degree difference could have significant consequences for future generations to come.

Beach rubbish brought ashore by stormy seas

It’s believed that the storms we saw in 2014 here on the south coast of Cornwall will happen more often which poses a threat not only to our homes but to the local wildlife also. With storm surges and global sea level rise also comes the very real risk of flooding and changes to the shape of our coastline. Storms also damage habitats and as species behavior changes the balance between predators and prey becomes affected and many species choose to simply move putting habitats under even more pressure.

It is hoped that the meeting in Paris this week will achieve an agreement to limit emissions of carbon dioxide, the gas scientists believe is most responsible for driving climate change. It is also hoped that agreements will be made on the way we farm, manufacture and consume goods around the world, if this happens then it will be considered one of the most significant processes in climate change history. 

Rising levels in Loe Pool affecting wildlife habitats

Layla