A Warming EuropeWill See Arid South, Wetter North

Europe is warming more rapidly than the global average, losing two-thirds of its Alpine glaciers in the past 150 years and already experiencing the desertification of Mediterranean regions, a new report says. The study by the European Environment Agency says that Europe is now, on average, 1° C (1.8° F) warmer than the pre-industrial era, a sharper increase than the global average temperature rise of .8° C (1.4° F). Continued temperature increases mean that Mediterranean regions will experience even more severe desertification, already affecting areas such as Andalusia in Spain, and that northern regions will likely become wetter, the study says. Rising ocean temperatures have meant some fish stocks, such as cod, are migrating as far as 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) to the north. The report said Europe must invest large sums of money to adapt to a warming world, including protecting coastal areas from sea level rises and fighting the spread of diseases from tropical and subtropical areas.