It seems that it might possibly be happening faster now, but solutions to a *potential* environmental problem are difficult. I don't call it an environmental problem if it isn't just a natural thing. As far as impact on humans, melting icebergs have zero impact. They won't raise sea level a single inch - they are solid water-ice, but because they are floating, the volume of "potential" liquid water is already there. So they could all melt, and sea level wouldn't even bump.
If too many of them melt, it has the potential to raise global temperature by reducing our planet's albedo (how much light it reflects back into space). White snowy ice reflects more than the darker liquid oceans.
Polar bears would be upset because their habitat would be shredded. The navies of the US and the USSR would be upset, because their SLBM submarines wouldn't have a good hiding place beneath the pack ice.
If the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets, world glaciers, mountain snow, and every other piece of solid water on land were to melt, it could possibly raise sea level by 200 to 250 feet. Also, it would further reduce our albedo, thus making things warmer.
If you want to assume that it's the evil greenhouse gases that are causing these problems, then the only solution is to stop those emissions as quickly as possible and use clean fuel and energy sources. However, if you believe that this is largely a natural phenomenon - then there's pretty much absolutely nothing that anyone can do about it, and we'll just have to hold on for the ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment