This is Leicestershire (UK): Pandemics, an increase in skin cancer rates, buckling roads and flood refugee centres are the 'worst-case' effects of climate change in decades to come, a report has said. Leicestershire County Council has evaluated how snow, flooding, heatwaves and freezing temperatures could impact on our lives in the future.It has also assessed what is being done to combat climate change and intends to draw up an action plan to tackle areas of concern. The report, which looks at the projected worst case by 2080, includes the possibility of taking in flood refugees from Lincolnshire into community centres if sea levels rise, and imposing summer electricity blackouts in urban areas.
Coun Mike Preston, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said people should not be alarmed. He said: "Our risk assessment highlights the fact that predicted climate change is likely to make current issues such as flooding even worse. This is not about being alarmist – it's about recognising the potential impact of climate change and ensuring that we can continue to deliver services that people rely on."
In the past eight years, the cost of climate change to the council has amounted to nearly £1m – £477,000 on flooding and high winds and £250,000 on toppled trees. The council is said to be dealing well with current issues such as snow, ice and storms but, in future, high temperatures and flooding will bring the greatest challenge.
This winter, council park wardens used 4x4s to deliver meals on wheels in the snow and, this year, volunteer flood wardens will be recruited in parishes prone to flooding. Peter Williams, head of environment management at the council, said: "You can design roads to withstand high temperatures and some bridges can be built to allow a certain amount of heat expansion – it's weighing up the extra cost with how serious the risks are."….
King Lear's Lake, Watermead Country Park Leicester. Shot by Mat Fascione, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
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