I just read an article reporting that a huge chunk of ice collapsed in western Antarctica. Although not as dramatic as the collapses witness in 1995 and 2002, this particular section was approximately 220 square miles in size, or nine times the size of Manhattan. It was large to say the least.
Scientists were alerted to the rapid disintegration while monitoring satellite images. The Wilkins Ice Shelf had been stable until around 1990, when it began retreating. This latest incident represents the sixth ice shelf that has collapsed or retreated in the last 30 years. Many scientists predicted the Wilkins Ice Shelf would last another 30 years, which makes this particular collapse even more alarming as it represents a much faster deterioration of the western Antarctic region.
With the latest collapse, the Wilkins Ice Shelf is now being held together by a thin strip of ice. Scientists predict the ice shelf will be safe for the rest of the year since the melting season has passed. However, there are doubts about the ice shelf’s integrity come next January. Since this is a floating ice shelf, water levels around the world will not be affected. However, this rapid, unpredicted deterioration of the Wilkins Ice Shelf is another sign that global warming is taking hold and dramatically altering world wide climates.
We are screwed.
chris,
We agree it’s really disturbing to see events like this. I had to read some of the article’s facts several times to make sure I was reading them correctly.
Sitting thousands of miles away, I can’t begin to imagine what the ecological and biological impacts are. That said, this is exactly why we started Things That Make You Go Green. We all need to act now and take positive steps forward to do what we can to help.
Your comment is actually quite false when you say that none of the previous cycles have been as bad as it is today. Were actually not above what we’ve ever been in the past. Its just human created computer models that have projected it will be higher. These have been wrong in the past before and what a shocker…they could be wrong again. Bottom line is there is no factual recordings that are higher than they have ever been in the past. Stop passing off models as if they were actual fact when they aren’t.
Joesph Hayse is right. There is no definative evidence that human activities have anything to do to with so called global warming. The models are so flawed that they couldn’t predict the record setting cold winter that just ended so predictions 20, 30, 40 years from now are ridiculous. If greenhouse gases were the only factor involved in global temperature than we should see a direct correlation between greenhouse gases and temperatures, but we don’t. There are so many other factors to consider such as volcanic emmissions, methane releases, not to mention sun spots which can have dramatic effects on temperature as witnessed by the little ice age of 1450-1850 where sun spots were virtually absent. Remember the so called ozone hole? WE now know that the ozone hole is a naturally occuring event that is mostly causued by lack on sunlight during the polar winter. The effect of cfc’s was overstated by an order of magnatude! So we should not try to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
The latest news about climate change is so alarming (the right wing would say alarmist) as to make many people want to plant their aching heads in the sand. Some scientists using advanced computer models now argue that if we want to stop the Earth from warming, the amount of carbon we should be emitting is … none. None? As in, zero? As in, shutting down the global industrial economy? After all, global energy demand is expected to accelerate until at least 2020. Yet attempts even to slow the rate of increase of carbon emissions have paralyzed world politics for more than a decade.
These are all great points. Although some doomsday predictions may indeed be exaggerated (I live in the San Francisco Bay Area which I’ve heard from some is going to be submerged into the ocean some time in the next 30 - 40 years), I do think it makes social and financial sense to conserve and live a little more green.
Joseph and Anthony, you make good points that the computers models may be flawed, but some of the “evidence” we’ve seen is pretty convincing. I don’t think we should immediately shut down global economies or feel complete despair. However, if there are easy and economical ways to decrease our impact and our carbon, consumption, waste, etc. footprints, why not?
In addition, if some of the models and predictions turn out to be correct, do we really want to wait until it’s too late to take action?
What a crock. This piece has been breaking up since 1998. Just an excuse to use “global warming” as another scare tactic. Antarctic ice breaks up daily, yearly. Quit sucking in to this media mass hysteria. Just another excuse to get you to buy more “green” stuff.