4 Little Known Effects of Climate Change

Playing slots at a mobile casino South Africa may take the mind off climate change… but not for long.  The effects of a rapidly warming planet are all too pervasive.  What is more alarming is there are consequences few of us have even dreamt of.

Climate Change Has Endless Repercussions

Mention climate change and a litany of repercussions are rattled off – melting ice caps, bleached coral reefs, rising sea levels, droughts, floods, mass extinctions and mass migrations to remote gaming platforms like Springbok Casino – the list goes on and on.

Delve a little deeper and the micro-impact of each effect is too often overlooked… possibly because it cuts right to the chase.  When climate change – in whatever guise it presents itself – visits your neighbourhood, there is nowhere to hide.

The Micro-Consequences of a Warming Planet

Uncontrollable bush fires are not only lethal in their burn capabilities – they are potential sources of disease.   Rising temperatures are interfering with the sex chromosomes of turtles and reptiles, which will threaten the survival of the species in just one or two generations.

Trees are growing faster, volcanos are becoming more active – and weather events have gone from extreme to off the charts.  Day time temperatures are soaring to a point where even avid gamblers are choosing the online and mobile casino South Africa over Vegas-style gaming halls!

The Global Warming ‘Did You Know’

It is not the broad brushstrokes of climate change that are so devastating, it is the real impact on the ground.  Here are 4 unexpected ramifications directly linked to an overheated planet:

Climate Change Effect #1 – Zombie Fires

If you are familiar with zombies, you will know they never die.  They are the undead, lurching around with their arms outstretched, staring vacantly ahead as they scare mere mortals out of their wits.

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Fires That Hibernate Over Winter

What you may not know is in the ancient boreal forests of Alaska, Canada and northern USA, zombies have become the embodiment of a terrifying new incendiary challenge.

So-called zombie fires are the remnants of summer bush infernos that penetrate root systems and overwinter underground.  Due to the unusually warm temperatures caused by climate change, the peat, forest detritus and boreal soil – located far beneath the snow encrusted surface – has become a viable source of fuel.

Potential Sources of Massive Spontaneous Infernos

While zombie fires are slow burning below the surface, moving around 300 m to 500 m, they create a potentially massive conflagration when they re-emerge again in the spring.

At this point in time, zombie fires only account for an infinitesimal percentage of the total boreal burn… but all that is about to change.  Constantly warming summers are expected to accelerate the incidence of fires that hibernate over the winter, only to flare up in roughly the same spots all over again!

Climate Change Effect #2 – Mercury-Rich Glacial Melt

We know glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate.  What is less well known is the vast sheets of melting ice are releasing massive amounts of mercury into nearby rivers and streams.  We are not talking grams or even kilograms of mercury, we are talking tons – and from just one region alone.

Naturally Occurring Mercury Deposited in Rivers

Where does the mercury come from?  It is a naturally occurring element found in rocks that have been heavily abraded by the movement of glaciers over thousands of years.  Up until recently, the mercury – and other potentially toxic chemical elements – has been trapped in the ice.

More Than 40 Tons of Toxic Chemical Distributed Around the World Annually

Now, the mercury-rich melt water is polluting once pristine waterways.  In Greenland, the concentration of mercury in the glacier-fed rivers is more than ten times that of an average river.

Based on initial data, just this one region is responsible for distributing more than 40 tons of mercury into the world’s waterways – and that is a terrifying statistic.

Can Playing Slots at Springbok Casino Make Up for Marine Degradation?

When you consider most of the mercury lands up in the world’s oceans, the next generation may only have documentaries to refer to as proof marine life did in fact exist.

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Climate Change Effect #3 – Taller Mountains

One interesting climate change anomaly has to do with the world’s highest summits.  In some parts of the world, mountains are actually becoming taller.  How is that even possible?  Surely, melting ice caps mean a reduction in elevation?

To a large extent, that is indeed true but in the French Alps, peaks are rising in height at a rate of around 0.89 mm per year.  That may not sound a lot but at the current growth spurt, Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, will be nearly four cm taller by 2050!

What is Responsible for the Increasing Height?

There are a couple of theories as to why mountains are rising, one of which relates to uplift.  According to this hotly debated hypothesis, melting ice is reducing the pressure of the earth’s crust on the malleable mantle lying beneath.  The upshot is a gradual uplift of the rigid crust and its contoured peaks.

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Climate Change Effect #4 – Pyro Pandemics

The fact that there are novel viruses and dangerous pathogens locked in permafrost and glacial ice is well-documented – but did you know that fires are releasing potentially deadly microorganisms into the air?

One would think that fire destroys everything in its wake – which is does – but the heat preceding the fire is stirring up all sorts of lurgies which are then transported vast distances in the smoke.  The risk of fire generated disease is so significant that a new field of research known as pyroaerobiology has emerged.

Fire – An Off the Wall Source of Dread Diseases

What research has revealed is fire disperses bacteria and fungi as an aerosol, which is then carried in plumes of smoke.  In one recent experiment, drones were used to harvest smoke samples from directly above the burn.

Under controlled conditions in the lab, more than 100 different microorganisms were detected in just one sample.  Some of the pathogens are associated with chest pain, coughs and high fevers – symptoms of disease that are alarmingly similar to those of novel viruses like Bird Flu and Covid-19.

Sign Up at the #1 Mobile Casino South Africa – Play on a Low Power Device

How can you help mitigate the effects of climate change?  By taking staycations and playing the best RTG casino games at Springbok Mobile Casino South Africa on a low power digital device.  It might not slow the effects altogether – but every bit helps, and it helps to power down and lower our impact!