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could become like todays south-western France, with warmer, drier summers
and warmer, but wetter winters. Huge
45golden fields of sunflowers could
flourish across southern England.
And if the warming continues, Britain
could grow its own baked beans: at
present they all have to be imported.
50But the South could also suffer more
frequent droughts and present forms of
farming would suffer. There would be
probably more thunderstorms. And
although it may enjoy the climate of
55Biarritz, the beaches are likely to disappear as sea levels rise.
The North of England could be
wetter both in winter and in summer.
But agriculture would flourish as the
60growing season lengthened and the
northern farmers could grow richer.
Even countries that benefit from
global warming are likely to go through
social dislocations as their agriculture
65and economies adapt to new conditions.
And it is unlikely to stop here. If
urgent steps are not taken to control
pollution, the world will get hotter still;
southern England could move through a
70brief period of Mediterranean type
climate to an age of devastating
droughts.
[Adapted from THE OBSERVER, Nov.
26, 1989; 405 words.]