November 18, 2008 Greenhouse Gases As ocean temperatures rise, hurricanes become stronger. Heat drives hurricanes. With sea surface temperatures increasing we will see more Category 4 and 5 hurricanes in the future. The intensity of hurricanes will increase. That means these tremendous tropical storms will get wetter and nastier. In 1998 Hurricane Mitch was a Category 5 hurricane. “Mitch struck Central America …and killed more than 11,000 people, left 2 million homeless, and caused more than $10 billion in damage[s].” (Global Warming Second Edition 8) Hurricanes like Mitch are what we are going to see more often. After all of this there will be a lot of flooding. Some of the most serious and widespread impact of global warming will come from landslides and mudslides driven by increased rains and flooding driven by sea level rise. Hotter summers, will increase the risk of droughts and ratchet up the chances of forest fires. Water resources are likely to be a hot topic of discussion in arid zones where global warming might lead to a reduction in water supplies. Farmers could see more of their precious irrigation waters routed to growing urban centers rather than to their fields. By 2015, according to U.S. and UN estimates, as much as 40 percent of the world’s population will live in places where is simply not enough water to go around.. (Global Warming Second Edition 9) Global warming could stoke ferocious wildfires that will be more difficult and costly to fight and might drastically alter the environment in parts of the world. Wildfire season typically peaks in late summer and early fall. Climate change is already being blamed for a longer fire season and some even predict the possibility of a year-round fire season. Thus, these fires has closed down roads, burned down homes and acres of land. Increased wildfires also could adversely affect the planet. Wildfires emit tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to planet-warming greenhouse gases....