 |
| http://climatecrocks.com/2013/06/14/nasa-new-view-of-antarctic-melt-has-profound-implications/ |
As we know the Earth is devastated by global warming. The responses to the rising temperatures are quite present worldwide. Latest concerns are with the content of Antarctica. While scientists thought Antarctica was not severely at risk, yet, they were wrong. Studies have found that the warming is having drastic impacts on the continent. The drastic change in temperature causes ice sheets to be extremely sensitive to these changes causing them to rapidly melt. These sheets act as barriers to glaciers keeping them in form. However, they are melting at record times. Besides the tragedy of a diminishing content there is concern to how high sea levels could rise. It is estimated that sea water levels could raise up to 200 feet if the carbon level remains at what it is at. This would put much of the world underwater or at risk of being underwater. To further explore the impacts of global warming scientist explored ice shelves of Antarctica by looking back in history. Drilling into bedrock gave them insight as to what may occur with time. It was found in different layers of sediment rock that times when temperatures were warmer there was high carbon levels found in the bed rock, as well as less organisms fossilized. Therefore, the correlation between temperature and carbon levels to have an impact on the content's being.
This issue can be related to the class because there are human impacts on biogeochemical cycles. Human's impact on the carbon cycle in particular seems to be the major problem behind global warming, thus melting of ice sheets. Being responsible for copious amounts of carbon into the atmosphere humans are at fault for the global warming patterns. The ice sheets and glaciers of Earth are melting as a response to the increase in greenhouse gases. Humans have released carbon dioxide by endless amounts of carbon emissions. Some ways in which this was done is by the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes and more. All causing a drastic increase in greenhouse gases.
My feelings towards this issue are sad but hopeful. In recent years the world has taken on climate change as a pressing issue. Though, we still have carbon emissions at tremendous rates there is hope that these will lesson. For example, the Paris Climate Change Conference proposed plans to keep carbon dioxide levels stable in the atmosphere. This would require changes to lifestyles, but nothing to major. Therefore, there is hope that the world alike can contribute efforts to change this. As far as the ice sheets melting it seems like a terrible loss for the entire world. Those are changes we simply can not undo, and that is overwhelming.
Sources:
It's scary to think that our actions are actually causing the loss of an entire continent. That seems like such a large problem that the actions of individuals could not possibly have an effect on it, but clearly that is what is causing the problem to worsen. Like you, I am hopeful that lifestyle changes can be made to lessen the impact on Antarctica.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost unfathomable that in such a short amount of time humans have had such a catastrophic effect on the environment. For a long time many people were in denial about the issues of global warming and the impacts it has on glaciers and Antarctica. When people are displaced from the issue it is difficult to grasp how adverse the effects truly are. In recent times, more attention is being paid to this subject and efforts are being made to try to amend the issues. I am hopeful that, at the very least, we will be able to drastically slow down the rates at which the ice caps are melting.
ReplyDeleteThis was interesting and scary to read. I never realized how much Antartica was being hurt because of the poor care of the environment. But like you, I am hopeful for the future. People and their government have been more concerned with how they treat the environment. I just hope it isn't too late to fix our mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThis was not cool to read as I live on Long Island, and this seems like it would put us underwater. I feel as though not a lot of people see the Antarctic or Arctic and that this issue of ice melting is such a slow and silent process that it is hard to get people alarmed as if it was a crisis. It is a crisis however and like you said at the end, there are steps being taken to move toward solutions. I am hopeful that we as humans have the ability to come together and the brilliance to solve this problem that we created.
ReplyDelete