I read an article in the New York Times recently that really caught my eye. I think initially I was interested because it had to do with glaciers and I have spent a lot of time studying glaciology, but it also really made me think about what the future has to hold.
It seems as though the ice of the world is melting at an alarmingly rapid rate. Originally scientists believed over the next century the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheet melting would raise the sea level about seven inches, but this is no longer the case. It appears that with current rates of melting, the sea level could rise by as much as 3 feet by 2100. This would have a detrimental effect to coastal areas. Some extremely influential cities that would be affected include: London, Bangkok, Venice, Cairo, and Shanghai.
Although climate scientists understand there is a strong chance they could be wrong about the changes over the next century, they are still urging government to take action on heat-trapping gasses. When the Greenland Ice Sheet is fully melted, it will raise the sea level 7.5 meters (which is equal to almost 300 inches), and that is something to worry about! Although this seems almost impossible to comprehend, the Antarctic Ice Sheet is almost 10 times bigger.
What many people don’t understand is how small changes in sea level can create huge problems on land. With only an inch or two change, the sea can cause massive amounts of land erosion which can affect many homes. The question isn’t whether or not climate change is going to negatively affect human life, but how fast can humans adapt to the changes?
The most recent estimates by climate scientists predict the sea level to rise about 3 feet by 2100.
Since the industrial revolution, the amounts of greenhouse gasses that have entered the atmosphere have been off the charts. Even though people have lived for at least thousands of years without these threats of warming, the threat is now moving at an exponentially rapid pace. People absolutely must see the urgency in the threats of climate change including the way in which it will directly effect them in the coming decades.
-Rebecca Teel
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/science/earth/14ice.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=science
Sea level rise is a really thought-provoking topic; I am glad you wrote about it. It is true, people- especially people in developed countries- do not often recognize or care to learn about the trauma a few inches of melted ice can cause over several miles of land.
ReplyDeleteThe islands of the Maldives are approximately 1 meter above sea level, and at the current rate of sea level rise, the islands may be under water halfway through this century. Hence, the president of the Maldives is planning a large-scale evacuation of all the people who live there. I wonder how these people will be affected...Not only will they lose their sense of place, they will lose their sense of community because everyone will be uprooted and may never live in the same place again. It is important to analyze the reality and social implications of sea level rise so we are prepared and can help people affected when the time comes.
-Christina Heinlen