Consequences of climate change

Robert Fielden, Henderson

Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013 | 2 a.m.

Your recent piece on ticks killing moose is a another lesson describing the unintended consequences brought by climate change.

Global warming is here, now. The friction fires from lightning strikes we experienced on Mount Charleston, the flooding caused from severe thunderstorms, and the extended heat wave we experienced are only introductions. Climate scientists tell us even greater and more dramatic changes are to be experienced as global atmospheric and oceanic temperatures continue rising.

While we don’t understand either the realm or the extent of unintended consequences that accompany climate change, we do know we now have pine beetles destroying our forests, roof rats living in the valley’s palm trees and bark scorpions that were never indigenous to this area. We also know the surrounding desert is filled with invasive cheatgrass that has overtaken native plant species creating a desert flash fuel awaiting a careless flame or lightning strike.

The valley’s current problem with future access to adequate water is a direct consequence of airborne carbon and climate change.

We can’t change tomorrow, today; but we can make life better in the Mojave Desert by mitigating the impact tomorrow brings.