XPost: can.politics, alt.global-warming   
   From: Dems@newfound.morality   
      
   On 12/30/2017 12:00 PM, gordo wrote:   
   > "global warming impacts   
   > 10 incredible things climate change will do   
   >   
   > Climate change will bring some surprising effects:   
      
   Yes it will:   
      
   https://listosaur.com/science-a-technology/top-10-possible-benef   
   ts-of-global-warming/   
      
   The less-publicized reality of climate change is that some change is   
   likely to be beneficial. Granted, virtually every positive effect has a   
   negative corollary, and sometimes the negative outweighs the positive   
   (territorial disputes over low-lying islands will cease, which is good,   
   but only because the islands will be underwater, which is worse). But   
   it’s not all bad. The following list details the top 10 effects of   
   global climate change that could be good for the planet. This may not   
   convince the doomsayers, but should global warming transpire as many   
   scientists predict, it could make waiting for that toasty Armageddon a   
   much more endurable experience.   
      
      
   10. More Usable Land   
      
   Climate change could produce more usable land for agriculture.   
      
   Presently, vast swaths of the Earth — the northern half of Canada, for   
   instance, and the majority of Russia’s land area — aren’t suitable for   
   agriculture. As the globe warms, however, high-latitude zones now on the   
   verge of cultivation could become agriculture-friendly. More food for   
   the world’s people is certainly a good thing, although it must be   
   acknowledged that climate change could at the same time transform other   
   fragile regions such as sub-Saharan Africa into more of a desert than   
   they are already.   
      
      
   9. Longer Growing Seasons   
      
   Longer growing seasons are one possible benefit of global warming.   
      
   It’s conceivable that the world’s current breadbaskets could become even   
   more productive as temperatures warm, increasing yields. Farmers   
   accustomed to one harvest a year may even see two. What’s more, a larger   
   variety of crops could be grown in more locations than is currently   
   possible.   
      
      
   8. Extra CO2 For Plants   
      
   More CO2 in the atmosphere would be good news for plants.   
      
   We humans can only expel carbon dioxide, but plants love it. With   
   heightened levels of CO2 in the atmosphere thanks to a warming globe,   
   plants will have the opportunity to get drunk on the stuff, growing   
   larger and more robust. This in turn would be good news not just for   
   agriculture, but also for the many animal species that depend on plant   
   life (at least those not already threatened by habitat degradation).   
      
      
   7. Northwest Passage Becomes Reality   
      
   An ice-free Arctic Ocean could mean good news for shipping companies.   
      
   The long-sought shipping lane through Canada’s polar regions is already   
   close to being a viable alternative during the summer months. Its   
   existence could mean the world’s largest ships, particularly oil tankers   
   too big for the Panama Canal, which have to round the southern tip of   
   South America, would have a much shorter route between the Atlantic and   
   Pacific oceans at their disposal.   
      
      
   6. Arctic’s Resources Become Accessible   
      
   A milder climate could make the Arctic's natural resources more available.   
      
   Nobody really knows just how much oil exists in the Arctic, but oil   
   companies and various nations, are moving fast in an effort to find out.   
   Russia is already taking a lead staking claims to promising stretches of   
   international waters that had long been under frozen lock and key.   
   Drilling for Arctic oil, currently not a viable option, could be soon.   
      
      
   5. Less Energy Required For Heating   
   Credit: Advanced Telemetry   
      
   Credit: Advanced Telemetry   
      
   This obvious benefit of warmer winters has yet to come to pass, as   
   recent winters across North America and Europe have actually trended   
   colder than normal in many locales. Whether this is simply a statistical   
   anomaly or a more long-term effect of climate change remains to be seen.   
      
      
   4. Warmer Weather is Healthier   
      
   Warmer weather could mean fewer cases of the flu and other cold-weather   
   ailments.   
      
   The doomsayers have made much of tropical diseases such as malaria   
   spreading as the globe warms, but cold-weather illnesses like the flu   
   kill more people every year. If warmer winters (when they do finally   
   take hold) mean less time spent indoors in close quarters, where so many   
   contagions are spread, maybe someday flu shots will become a thing of   
   the past.   
      
      
   3. Warmer Weather is Safer   
      
   Expect fewer icy roads, and fewer car accidents, in a warming climate.   
      
   No more middle-aged men falling down with heart attacks while shoveling   
   snow. No more motorists careening off icy highways. No more kids falling   
   through thin ice, or elderly people freezing in their homes. Wintertime   
   is a dangerous time. Granted, record-breaking heat waves have killed   
   scores of people, especially in northern cities where older buildings   
   aren’t equipped for such heat, but those structures are being demolished   
   and replaced daily.   
      
      
   2. People Enjoy Sunny Climates   
      
   Climate change could bring more sunny days.   
      
   Where do senior citizens go to retire? Cleveland? Not usually.   
   Statistics may not show the residents of Florida to be any happier than   
   people elsewhere, but nobody would complain if they had their weather.   
   However, some scientists believe climate change has thus far led to an   
   increase in extreme conditions, from heat waves and cold spells to   
   snowstorms and flooding, not just warm, sunny days.   
      
      
   1. Increased Interest in Alternative Energy   
      
   The threat of climate change has spurred interest in alternative energy.   
      
   Fear of global warming has already led many people to look beyond fossil   
   fuels at wind and solar power as possible alternatives for powering our   
   way of life. If climate scientists are to be believed, it will likely be   
   too little, too late. But ironically, such efforts could represent   
   progress toward weaning us from our dependence on foreign oil. A warmer   
   globe leading to energy independence? Even this cloud could have a   
   silver lining.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)