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Environment
Israel's Mega-Fire and Climate Change's Drying Mediterranean

Israel’s Mega-Fire and Climate Change’s Drying Mediterranean

Juan Cole 12/04/2010

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You can’t relate a one-off event like Israel’s massive forest fire near Haifa to climate change, which has to be measured over a long series. It is the worst in Israel’s history. But what is true is that more and more such disasters will be faced by those regions of the earth that become dessicated — as a result of changes in weather patterns caused by the rise of carbon dioxide parts per million in the atmosphere from 280 in the 18th century to 389 today.

Climate scientists have demonstrated a clear drying trend in the Mediterranean and other sub-tropical regions.

It is ironic that so much blood has been shed on who will possess that forest near Haifa, and Mother Nature just reminded us whose it really is: Hers.

ITN on how the blaze is still raging on the third day:

and this from Reuters:

Filed Under: Environment, Israel/ Palestine

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page

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Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires



Click here to Buy Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam


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