Glacier Melt Could Signal Faster Rise in Ocean Levels
Some friends and I here in Norway have been having an ongoing discussion about the melting of the glaciers at the poles. I guess when you live this far north, it’s just something you think about. Well researchers are now saying that the change is accelerating drastically.
Right and University of Kansas scientist Pannir Kanagaratnam, who published their findings yesterday in the journal Science, declined to guess how much the faster melting would raise sea levels but said current estimates of around 20 inches over the next century are probably too low.
The article goes on to discuss how the higher water will affect flood-prone regions. Also, it mentions the damage that massive storms caused by warming waters could have on coastal cities.
Now, I’ve laid low politically for a while, but it seems to me that for this reason alone we should be singularly focused on electing representatives that at the very least acknowledge the possibility that an event of this magnitude is possible. Higher temperatures in the oceans are a big deal. Temperatures in the gulf lead to this year being the most active and deadly hurricane season in recorded history. Just look at the number of people killed. The attacks on September 11 caused approx 3,000 deaths (source). But between June 8, 2005 and January 6, 2006 there were 29 cyclone landfalls causing approx 3,500 deaths (source). And that doesn’t even take into account the cost of rebuilding New Orleans.
The first step is admitting that there’s a problem. link
