Early Spring

Global warming is not just the melting ice in the Arctic and drought in the third world country. The signs are showing right here in the U.S. right around us. Biology professor David Inouye noticed an unusual early February boom right in his neighborhood and noted that the “early bird is the one that’s killed by the winter storm.” Not just the birds, the early Spring season also caused more pollens and insects. For instance, in central California, butterflies are fluttering in March, which 25 years ago the butterfly was predicted to emerge from mid-April to mid- May. This unusual biological spring, called phenology, which is “based on the tilt of the Earth as it circles the sun”, is causing worries and apprehensions by the scientists. This seasonal change could cause some species to become extinct, and the plants that grow too early could be affected by the freezing weather. (Boston Globe, 2007)

To help reduce the effect, EU is committed to lessen the overall carbon emissions. From the Boston Globe article, European Union leaders warned China and the U.S. last week, the two biggest polluters, with “trade sanctions if they don’t commit to ambitious cuts in greenhouse gases by next year” (Boston Globe, 2007). Some European countries worry the threat from other producers who do not have strict rules on global warming. Chancellor of Germany stated “industry, faced with global competition, could be exposed to a real disadvantage if no international climate accord is struck.” Despite their concerns, European nations continue to focus on reducing carbon emissions, where they set an end-of-year deadline and are the nations with the biggest burdens of the cuts. (Ames, 2007)