last Royal Gazette editorial on the subject helped to open up the skies -- Bermuda seems to have survived the worst of the summer's dryness.

That does not mean that the Island should forget about conserving water until the next drought strikes.

Two opinion pieces published in the New York Times on August 4 discuss the related problems of drought and global warming.

The first, "It's time we got smart about drought'', notes droughts are relatively predictable and bemoans the tendency of local governments to wait until the last minute to mandate water-conservation measures.

Bermuda falls into the same trap: sensible water conservation in the winter, when rain is plentiful, would do a lot to alleviate water shortages in the summer when rainfall drops.

So would continued development of reverse osmosis plants and a slowdown -- or halt -- in the number of wells being dug which are draining the fresh water lenses on which we now depend for so much.

The second opinion, "Hot enough for you?'', discusses global warming. It acknowledges that no opinions can be drawn from this summer's heatwave, but also notes that the average temperature in 1998 was the highest on record and that seven of the ten hottest years on record have occurred since 1990.

Global warming and the greenhouse effect remain controversial in scientific circles, but it's better to err on the side of caution.

Bermuda cannot halt global warming on its own, but there are things we can do, such as encouraging the use of electric cars and bikes instead of importing more gas guzzling engines, to help to slow down the trend.

Bermuda can also lobby the industrialised nations to change their ways. On its own, the Island packs little diplomatic punch, but by joining forces with other island nations, such as the other British overseas territories, it could be a force for change for the rest of the world.

It has been predicted that sea levels could rise anwyhere from one to three feet over the next century. That may not seem like a lot, but it would result in the loss of most if not all of Bermuda's beaches and a host of other low lying areas.

That could mean the end of life, at least as we know it, for Bermuda and we have a reponsibility to act now to turn the situation around.