Large chunks of ice are breaking away at a fast rate in the western Antarctic Peninsula. 1,300 square miles of ice may possibly crumble in the next few weeks from the Wilkins Ice Shelf. Ironically, the shelf had been stable for the majority of the last century but began deteriorating in the 1990's. A total of 8 ice shelves have shown signs of crumbling over the last few decades. Yet the retreat of the Wilkins shelf is by far the largest collapse scientists have documented, losing about 14 percent of its mass last year. The average temperature in the Antarctic Peninsula has risen about 3.8 degrees Fahrenheit within the last 50 years, which is higher than average global rise.
The condition of the Wilkins shelf obviously demonstrates human impact among global warming. It's no mere coincidence that the ice shelf began to disintegrate in an atmosphere heightened with greenhouse gas emissions. The government should definitely focus on this problem as the consequences of the potential sea level rise could be dramatic to the environment. It's easy to turn a blind eye to events that seem distant and do not have a direct effect on the public, yet the large demise of the ice shelf ultimately represents its urgent need for attention. As the effects of global warming become increasingly more harmful and apparent, time will tell if the government will take the correct steps to remedy the situation.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
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7 comments:
This is a serious problem that shouldn't be overlooked any more. I think it is clear that this isn't just little variations in the temperature. Global warming is scientifically proven and its effects can be seen all over the world. With these huge chunks of ice breaking off, not only are the fragile Antarctic ecosystems disturbed, but there is a ripple effect that affects others as well. With melting ice caps comes and rising sea levels. While we as Californians cannot notice this, there are many small islands that have been flooded over as a result. Island people have built a stable home for their families, and are left with no other option. They simply watch as their homes are slowly being covered by water. They can only hope that the rise in sea level stops. This serves as a precaution to other problems to come. I think that investing in environmentally sustainable practices will not only stop those impeding problems, but could also be helpful in getting us out of this economic crisis (aka Jason's article in the Outlook).
Two words. Global warming. If people were skeptical of the severity of the consequences of our own environmental practices, this latest arctic shelf crisis should be proof enough that we are destroying our planet. The cars that Americans buy in abundance and drive everywhere are slowly but surely releasing particulate matter that is both depleting the ozone layer and contributing to the gradual warmth of our planet. Our reliance on oil and fossil fuels has caused the United States to be the only global power that has yet to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Why can't we spend more on alternative energy sources and spend less on things like I don't know...bailouts? Global warming is already causing sea levels to rise due to thermal expansion of the water, but as more of the arctic ice sheet begins to melt water levels will rise even more. This will cause biological chaos and endanger specialized species. The Government needs to realize that allow the green movement is great, that true reform in regards to sustainability has to start with policy reform and increased funding to the EPA.
I do agree that alot of reform needs to be taking place, but where is a question that gets pretty confusing. Alot of focus is put on the auto market right now, as well as on energy producers to make sure that emissions are clean. However, I think we should be looking to the skies for our problems right now. Seriously, the amount of fuel that a plane will burn is ridiculous...and if you can imagine how many planes fly each day, not just commercial, but government and military planes, some of which are in the air a majority of the day create alot of emissions that are incredibly harmful to the atmosphere. The point of this is not to demean the reduction of emissions from cars or from energy producers, but to highlight how many other sources of greenhouse gasses we just simply neglect. I think the cause of this problem explodes way beyond how frequently you drive your car, and the transition to a more "green economy" is a much more vast task then I believe anybody can comprehend at this point.
i agree in that this is an issues of great relevance. The current American Administration is devoting a lot of money to research in what concerns to the environment and its deterioration. Personally, i think that this problem is not at the top of the administration's agenda. If anything, i think that it is up to the organizations like the EPA to bring awareness to society.
I agree with this article. However it is really hard to carry out aid for these problems since our society is in a crisis of its own. I do think we should begin to do somehting about this problem before its too late but that just doesnt happen over night. It is really hard to change 6 billion routines for how to conserve and prevent global warming so sadly i dont think this problem can get any better any time soon. Hopefully more procedures will be carried out to help the poor planet in its desperate need for help so we can all enjoy its beauty and not watch it deteriorate.
come on now if this does not prove that global warming is effecting us daily then i dont know what is. this is a good sign that the world is changing because of our actions and we need to act on it. global warming is obviously happening, i dont know how people could say its not, and we are not doing much to battle it. i think a lot of people think that oh well probably wont effect me in my lifetime but what about the next generations that will suffer. i think its selfish to not recylce, or try to be energy efficient. its not hard, very effortless and can prevent global warming. then maybe ice chunks will stop breaking away
come on now if this does not prove that global warming is effecting us daily then i dont know what is. this is a good sign that the world is changing because of our actions and we need to act on it. global warming is obviously happening, i dont know how people could say its not, and we are not doing much to battle it. i think a lot of people think that oh well probably wont effect me in my lifetime but what about the next generations that will suffer. i think its selfish to not recylce, or try to be energy efficient. its not hard, very effortless and can prevent global warming. then maybe ice chunks will stop breaking away
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