In 1990 the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released statistics suggesting that global warming would change weather patterns the world over and cause disastrous environmental changes from the equator to the poles.
1: A shift in permafrost zones could cause disruption to roads, railways, buildings and pipelines.
2: The water levels in the Great Lakes may drop by as much as 8ft.
3: The American grain-growing belt may have to move north to Canada.
4: New York may suffer a water shortfall of up to 42 per cent by 2030.
5: Mediterranean countries could become semi-deserts.
6: Britain may suffer summer droughts followed by heavy winter rainfall, causing serious soil erosion.
7: Malaria and parasitic diseases may move north, causing epidemics all over Europe.
8: The Sahara Desert might continue to advance across Africa.
9: The Russian grain-growing belt could have to move further north.
10: Vast areas of northern RussiaÕs forests could die, unable to adapt to increased temperatures and reduced rainfall.
