Global Warming Effects Being Felt Around the World North America
is already feeling the affects of warmer temperatures in a
variety of ways. In New England, maple syrup production is
declining because of warmer than usual winters. Farmers who used
to begin tapping their trees in the beginning of March now must
begin tapping in February. Last year some began tapping in mid-
February and still missed much of the sap. The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration reports that temperatures have
risen by 2.8 degrees in the Northeast since 1971. Tim Perkins,
director of the Proctor Maple Research Center, calls the
situation "dire." His data shows that over the last 40 years the
maple sugaring season has moved steadily earlier and become
steadily shorter. In Northern Canada, warming temperatures are
threatening the boreal forests, the "lungs of the world."
Increasing drought and insect infestation are taking their toll.
As the trees dry, forest fires increase, sending more carbon
into the atmosphere. The number