Blog Action Day 2009 - Climate Change

Today is Blog Action Day, an event where bloggers around the world write on the same subject - and this year's is climate change: http://www.blogactionday.org/

I wasn't going to write anything, but have felt inspired by Martin's blog to write something similar:

http://martingulliver.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-action-day-2009-climate-change.html

This is what the Ock Meadow currently looks like:


And this is what it looked like in July 2007:

According to the Environment Agency, this was a once in a 250 year event, so we have a while to wait for the next one
- unless the predictions are correct the weather system is going to become more changeable and wetter (http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/evidence/extreme.shtml).
Whether climate change is happening and if it is how much of it is man made or just the natural affect of coming out of an Ice Age time will tell. But whatever happens the river and the flood plain need to protected from the ever present effect of development.

If you're a sceptic or a believer, the book, Six Degrees by Mark Lynas is an interesting read, where he has used the scientific papers in the Bodleian Library to make predictions on what may happen if the climate does get warmer.

Other local blogs on the subject:

Backstreeter discusses reducing car usage by using bikes (and the problems associated with it)
http://www.abingdonblog.co.uk/2009/10/blog-action-day-climate-change-blog.html

Emma discusses the affect on farming and gardening:
http://coopette.com/blog/blog-action-day-climate-change