Impacts of Global Warming in the UK
Impacts of Global Warming in the UK
Current data for climate change suggest that global warming is taking place due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. If global temperatures continue to rise it will present a number of challenges in the future. Different countries will experience global warming differently depending on their location and level of development, but even within a country, there will be ‘winners and losers’. For example, in the UK Global Warming is good news for coastal resorts, especially in northern England (e.g. Blackpool and Southport) where cooler weather deters visitors out of season. Tourism contributes largely to the UKs economy so this would be beneficial. However the more northern areas of the UK, such as Scotland, will not prosper. Scottish Ski Resorts rely on the colder weather to attract its visitors, and the rise in temperature means snow is becoming less frequent. In the future, Scotland may not be able to open ski resorts which will not only impact on the economy, but on people’s livelihoods. There are 5 Ski resorts in Scotland that generate over £2.5 million per season, with £16.4 million of that being spent on accommodation, shops and fuel. Resorts closing would impact on not only their employees but also on the surrounding areas. While global warming in Scotland is bad for the economy, it might be beneficial to the environment as emissions and pollution would theoretically decrease.
A further impact of climate change on the UK is sea level rise. As the UK is composed of islands, most places across the country will be effected by the predicted rise in sea levels, such as Benbecula in Scotland. The island’s drainage system was built in the 1800s and is not very efficient. It may not be able to cope with the predicted sea level rise. Beaches may degrade or disappear and tourism in coastal areas would be badly affected. Loss of vital agricultural land would mean livelihoods destroyed and the island's food resources reduced,
Current data for climate change suggest that global warming is taking place due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. If global temperatures continue to rise it will present a number of challenges in the future. Different countries will experience global warming differently depending on their location and level of development, but even within a country, there will be ‘winners and losers’. For example, in the UK Global Warming is good news for coastal resorts, especially in northern England (e.g. Blackpool and Southport) where cooler weather deters visitors out of season. Tourism contributes largely to the UKs economy so this would be beneficial. However the more northern areas of the UK, such as Scotland, will not prosper. Scottish Ski Resorts rely on the colder weather to attract its visitors, and the rise in temperature means snow is becoming less frequent. In the future, Scotland may not be able to open ski resorts which will not only impact on the economy, but on people’s livelihoods. There are 5 Ski resorts in Scotland that generate over £2.5 million per season, with £16.4 million of that being spent on accommodation, shops and fuel. Resorts closing would impact on not only their employees but also on the surrounding areas. While global warming in Scotland is bad for the economy, it might be beneficial to the environment as emissions and pollution would theoretically decrease.
A further impact of climate change on the UK is sea level rise. As the UK is composed of islands, most places across the country will be effected by the predicted rise in sea levels, such as Benbecula in Scotland. The island’s drainage system was built in the 1800s and is not very efficient. It may not be able to cope with the predicted sea level rise. Beaches may degrade or disappear and tourism in coastal areas would be badly affected. Loss of vital agricultural land would mean livelihoods destroyed and the island's food resources reduced,