Flash floods in Colorado, is a sign of global warming?

The highest record rainfall in September in Colorado, which was recorded in 1940, has been exceeded. Large floods that have swept Colorado in the United States this has caused the missing of more than 200 people, not to mention the damage to homes, roads, the death of some people, animals, and trees. 

The flash floods in Colorado, USA. Image: news.yahoo.com

As a result of the terrible floods and widespread impact, President Barack Obama through FEMA or federal emergency management agency to declare a state of emergency for Boulder, Larimer, and El Paso County. The declaration allows FEMA to bring the best 4 ever rescue team stationed in Colorado.

In Boulder, rain during September caused flooding in the border city of Boulder Canyon and cause approximately 4,000 residents have moved to a safer place. In Longmont, about 23 miles northeast of Boulder, St. Vrain River water also flooded the cliff overfill the main highway leading to many roads were closed and many of the guides aground.

Auxiliary port officials, Shawn Lewis said, as busy as directed 7,000 residents moved to two temporary relocation centers. In the same development, U.S. President Barack Obama announces emergency aid for rescue workers and helps flood victims. National Guard troops were also directed to deliver emergency aid.

 

Damage roads and forests due to floods in Colorado, USA. Image: kshb.com

The United States is a vast country; natural disasters are common in this country such as blizzards, tornadoes, and flash floods in several states. But the flood had happened in Colorado have reminded us again about the impact of global warming. Are floods in Colorado's the impact, or the signs of global warming?

Climate change has been happening everywhere, so the weather was not normal, for example, change from a season to another may occur earlier in some places. What should be done to understand and address the impacts of climate change which are sometimes so extreme?

The role of human

Orangutan in Kalimantan

The industrial revolution in the last century was the beginning of many changes in humankind and nature. The planet's natural wealth has been exploited, forests cut down legally, and illegally-logged.

 Many protected forest areas converted to industrial, residential, built a new town, mining and other activities that are expected to create a more prosperous man. On the other hand, it turns out there are other people who are also suffering, as well as the harmful effects of modernization such as the destruction of forests, the extinction of rare trees, the death of the animals as well as environmental damage.

Man who has ruined this nature, the only man who can restore, or at least can stop the bad effects of this greed. Environmentalists are incorporated in an NGO, green community and you are with your friends or family can serve to remind the government and large corporations to look for other alternatives and solutions to make this nature balanced again.

Member of Parliaments and government officials should not be so easy to issue exploration licenses to mining companies, timber companies, and pulp mills to exploit the forest without certain restrictions. 

Should the officials and members of Parliament also requires large employers to conduct tree planting (reforestation or reboisasi), and at the same time protecting other living things that depend on the forest for example, we can save orangutans, Sumatran tigers, one-horned rhinos in Ujung Kulon, a rare tiger in Asia and a variety of rare animals in Africa and other continents and conserve coral reefs in the various beach for the future.

 

Obama and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will meet again in Bali for the APEC meeting. Image: Indonesiamatters.com

Not only forests that should be the focus of nature conservation, there are many rivers, lakes, and beaches in the various countries that need special attention. The population explosion has made water sources and livelihoods damaged by human exploitation done illegally or legally.

APEC leaders, including President Barack Obama, will attend the APEC summit in Bali in October 2013 in Nusa Dua, would also be an agenda topic of climate change, global warming prevention and seek alternative solutions for renewable energy? Let us look forward to the meeting with great hope. 

We pray that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), President of Indonesia, which now hosts the APEC the meeting will take the initiative to put more emphasis on the importance of policies APEC member countries to begin seriously to prevent global warming and more serious in developing renewable energy that does not depend on fossil energy (oil, coal) so that we could live in a world that is cleaner, clearer water, more blue sky and peaceful coexistence with all nations and other creatures of God's creation.