Did Climate Change Cause Floods around Nottinghamshire? pix 1

Floods around Nottingham : Trent and the Soar

On my tour of the affected areas around the city ..... I started through Chilwell, Beeston and Long Eaton, and on the River Trent, to Trent Lock. Then, down the River Soar into Leicestershire and the area between the Sawley Marina and the M1 motorway. Back along the Trent to Attenborough and the reserve there.

Back then through Nottingham and checked on the east side of the city, through Burton Joyce and Lowdenham. More rain is expected tonight.

Watching the mainstream media ..... they wont say if this is further evidence of climate change ...... or not!

Well, is it global warming, or what? Some of us suspect it might be.

Now, even the Prime Minister [Tony Blair, that is, still] said this morning, that he thought the floods were related to such major global issues, and that we should beware.

"Speaking at a joint press conference with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, Tony Blair said that scientific objections to climate change were "falling away" and that there was a "consensus" on the need for action."

"Pointing to the recent G8 summit in Germany, the PM also said that the US commitment to a new global deal on reducing greenhouse gas emissions marked a major step forward. The next challenge was to bring on board developing nations such as India and China he said.

"The important thing out of G8 was that for the first time we agreed that we need a stabilisation goal, we agreed that we need a new international deal...and we agreed on a process for getting it done.

"[Today's flooding] is not the first time over the past few years we have been subject to quite unusual and extraordinary weather variations and its yet another reason why it's important we take this issue seriously."

 http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page12099.asp

Cool, so that's alright then!

The Environment Agency agreed saying: "The Environment Agency says global warming means we face extreme floods more regularly in the future."  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6240594.stm

It was worse outside our area though. Four people have died and thousands have been forced from their homes after severe flooding hit Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Wales yesterday.

The Environment Agency has labelled the conditions "phenomenal" and said a sixth of the annual rain had fallen in some places in 12 hours.

Here in Nottinghamshire the rainfall statistic is 145mm or just over 5in in 24 hours

Another bucketful, is expected before, and over the weekend.

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Environment Agency Floodline Number :: 0845 988 1188
[Flood Watch alerts may be issued outside Flood Warning Areas. All watches and warnings are available on Floodline 24 hours a day].

Environment Agency information regarding flood warnings currently in force in the Midlands region.

 http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/Midlands.html

Met Office
 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk


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ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:  tash@gn.apc.org
Web:  http://tash.gn.apc.org
Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
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"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
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